▁of ▁Const antine , ▁which ▁may ▁originally ▁have ▁been ▁an ▁Arch ▁of ▁Max ent ius . ▁ ▁S cul pt ural ▁style ▁Const antine ' s ▁Arch ▁is ▁an ▁important ▁example , ▁frequently ▁c ited ▁in ▁surve ys ▁of ▁art ▁history , ▁of ▁the ▁sty list ic ▁changes ▁of ▁the ▁ 4 th ▁century , ▁and ▁the ▁" collapse ▁of ▁the ▁classical ▁Greek ▁canon ▁of ▁forms ▁during ▁the ▁late ▁Roman ▁period ", ▁a ▁sign ▁the ▁city ▁was ▁in ▁decl ine , ▁and ▁would ▁soon ▁be ▁e cli ps ed ▁by ▁Const antine ' s ▁found ing ▁of ▁a ▁new ▁capital ▁at ▁Constantin ople ▁in ▁ 3 2 4 . ▁The ▁contrast ▁between ▁the ▁styles ▁of ▁the ▁re - used ▁Imperial ▁relief s ▁of ▁Tra jan , ▁Had rian ▁and ▁Marcus ▁A ure lius ▁and ▁those ▁newly ▁made ▁for ▁the ▁arch ▁is ▁dram atic ▁and , ▁according ▁to ▁Ernst ▁K itz inger , ▁" vi ol ent ", ▁that ▁where ▁the ▁head ▁of ▁an ▁earlier ▁em peror ▁was ▁replaced ▁by ▁that ▁of ▁Const antine ▁the ▁artist ▁was ▁still ▁able ▁to ▁achieve ▁a ▁" soft , ▁del icate ▁rendering ▁of ▁the ▁face ▁of ▁Const antine " ▁that ▁was ▁" a ▁far ▁cry ▁from ▁the ▁dominant ▁style ▁of ▁the ▁work shop ". ▁It ▁remains ▁the ▁most ▁impress ive ▁surv iving ▁civ ic ▁monument ▁from ▁Rome ▁in ▁Late ▁Anti qu ity , ▁but ▁is ▁also ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁controvers ial ▁with ▁regards ▁to ▁its ▁orig ins ▁and ▁mean ings . ▁ ▁K itz inger ▁comp ares