Drusus Stone, Mainz

The Drusus Stone (Drususstein) is a towering 20-meter-high structure of Roman origin located within the citadel of Mainz. Once encased in marble, this masonry block is widely accepted as the remains of the cenotaph erected in 9 BC by Roman troops to honor their deceased commander, General Nero Claudius Drusus. Writers such as Eutropius and Suetonius referenced this monument, which stands as a testament to Drusus's legacy in Mainz.

In the early Roman Empire, the Drusus Stone became the focal point of elaborate memorial ceremonies for Drusus and the center of the imperial cult in the region. A processional road once linked the structure to the grand Roman theatre of Mogontiacum (modern-day Mainz), which seated around 12,000 people, making it the largest known theatre north of the Alps. Annual ceremonies, marking both Drusus's death and his birthday, likely took place here.

Drusus, Emperor Augustus's stepson, established the Mogontiacum legionary camp for Roman campaigns in Magna Germania. After his death in 9 BC, his brother Tiberius and the Roman army brought his body back to Mogontiacum, where soldiers honored him with a memorial. Augustus later endorsed the cenotaph and wrote the inscription.

During the Middle Ages, the Drusus Stone's marble covering was stripped away, and by the 16th century, it had been repurposed as a watchtower, complete with a staircase and doorframe cut into the formerly solid structure. Along with the remnants of the Roman aqueducts and the theatre stage, the Drusus Stone is one of the last visible traces of ancient Roman Mogontiacum.