Which ancient Roman equestrian statue portrays Emperor Marcus Aurelius on horseback and survives in Rome’s Capitoline Museums?

The Equestrian Statue of Marcus Aurelius is the ancient Roman bronze portraying the emperor on horseback in Rome.

The statue probably dates to about 175 CE, near the end of Marcus Aurelius’s reign, although its exact commissioning circumstances are uncertain. The emperor raises his right hand in a gesture commonly interpreted as one of address or clemency, while the horse steps forward with one foreleg raised.

The work survived partly because it was mistakenly believed during the Middle Ages to depict Constantine the Great, the first Christian Roman emperor. It was moved to the Capitoline Hill in 1538 on the orders of Pope Paul III, as part of Michelangelo’s redesign of the square. The original is now protected indoors; an outdoor replica occupies the centre of the piazza.