Altar of Victory

The Altar of Victory was located in the Roman Senate House (the Curia) and bore a gold statue of the goddess Victory. The altar was established by Octavian (later Augustus) in 29 BC to commemorate the defeat of Antony and Cleopatra at the Battle of Actium.

The statue had been captured in 272 BC during the Pyrrhic War and was originally a representation of Nike. It depicted a winged goddess, holding a palm branch and descending to present a laurel wreath.

The altar was removed from the curia by the Christian emperor Constantius II in 357. It was later restored by the emperor Julian, who was the only emperor after the conversion of Constantine I to reject Christianity. The altar was again removed by Gratian in 382.

After Gratian's death, Quintus Aurelius Symmachus, a senator and Prefect of Rome who sought to preserve Rome's religious traditions, in 384 wrote to the new emperor Valentinian II requesting the restoration of the altar. His request was met with strong resistance from Ambrose, Bishop of Milan. The imperial court at that time resided at Milan, and Ambrose held a great deal of influence over the young emperor. The request was denied.

...
Wikipedia