The column is situated in front of the Rostra, near the Curia Julia, in the center of the Roman Forum. Unlike earlier monuments in the Forum, which were built during the height of Roman power, the Column of Phocas was constructed at a time when Rome’s political influence had significantly declined.

The exact reason for this honorary dedication remains uncertain. It is possible it was erected in recognition of Phocas who had previously gifted the Pantheon to Pope Boniface IV, who subsequently rededicated it as Sancta Maria ad Martyres, honoring Mary and all Christian martyrs. Rather than a mere gesture of papal gratitude, as sometimes suggested, the monument more plausibly served as a symbol of imperial sovereignty over Rome—a sovereignty that was diminishing under pressure from the Lombards. Additionally, it may have been a personal tribute from Smaragdus, who had regained his position of power in Ravenna after being recalled from exile by Phocas.

circa 44 BCE

The monumental column was dedicated or rededicated in honor of the Eastern Roman Emperor Phocas on August 1, 608 CE. It represents the final monumental addition to the Forum, concluding a construction history spanning over 1,300 years. Based on stylistic analysis, it is believed to have been originally crafted in the 2nd century CE for an unknown structure before being repurposed for its current form. Similarly, the socle itself was recycled from a base that had once supported a statue dedicated to Emperor Diocletian. The original inscription was chiseled away to make room for the new dedicatory text honoring Phocas. The column, though modest in size compared to earlier imperial monuments, holds historical significance as a symbol of shifting power in late antiquity, reflecting the growing influence of the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) emperors over the city of Rome.

Phocas' reign, however, was short-lived. In October 610 CE, he was overthrown and executed, and his statues across the empire were systematically destroyed.

Despite these political upheavals, the Column of Phocas remains in its original location (in situ) within the Roman Forum. Its isolated, freestanding nature has long made it a distinct landmark among the ruins, frequently depicted in vedute and engravings. By the mid-18th century, artists such as Giuseppe Vasi and Giambattista Piranesi documented the column, by which time its socle had been completely buried under accumulated silt and debris. The brick foundation, now visible, was originally concealed beneath the Forum’s Augustan pavement, which was only fully excavated in the 19th century.

circa 44 BCE

The column, a fluted Corinthian design, rises 13.6 meters (44 feet) atop a cubical white marble socle. The column was topped with a gilded statue of Phocas, commissioned by Smaragdus, the Exarch of Ravenna. This statue, described as "dazzling," likely remained in place only for a short time.

The base of the column was uncovered in 1813, and the inscription on it reads, in Latin:

Optimo clementiss[imo piissi]moque / principi domino n[ostro] / F[ocae imperat]ori / perpetuo a d[e]o coronato, [t]riumphatori / semper Augusto / Smaragdus ex praepos[ito] sacri palatii / ac patricius et exarchus Italiae / devotus eius clementiae / pro innumerabilibus pietatis eius beneficiis et pro quiete / procurata Ital[iae] ac conservata libertate / hanc sta(tuam maiesta)tis eius / auri splend(ore fulge)ntem huic / sublimi colu(m)na(e ad) perennem / ipsius gloriam imposuit ac dedicavit / die prima mensis Augusti, indict[ione] und[icesima] / p[ost] c[onsulatum] pietatis eius anno quinto

Translation:
To the best, most clement and pious ruler, our lord Phocas the perpetual emperor, crowned by God, the forever august triumphator, did Smaragdus, former praepositus sacri palatii and patricius and Exarch of Italy, devoted to His Clemency for the innumerable benefactions of His Piousness and for the peace acquired for Italy and its freedom preserved, this statue of His Majesty, blinking from the splendor of gold here on this tallest column for his eternal glory erect and dedicate, on the first day of the month of August, in the eleventh indiction in the fifth year after the consulate of His Piousness.