The Igel Column, standing 23 meters tall, is one of the best preserved grave monuments in the Roman Empire. It is richly engraved with scenes from the life of the cloth merchant family of the Secundini. Various stages in the production, sale and transport of cloth are depicted on the monument. Together with similar fragmentary depictions seen elsewhere in the region, the Igel Column thus provides valuable clues to economic activities that can otherwise be difficult to deduce from the archaeological evidence.

In this region, it was a common design to decorate the exteriors of the grave monuments with a multitude of relief sculpture that included family portraits, representations of daily life focusing on commerce, and mythological scenes. In other words, this type of column provided a visual representation of its owner’s identity and place in local society.

Whereas most other monuments of this type were destroyed and the stones reused, the Igel Column survived thanks to a medieval misinterpretation of its decorations; a legend according to which the main picture on the south side was interpreted as the marriage of Constantine Chlorus to Saint Helena, Constantine's mother.