In the reign of Constantine I, a basilica was constructed for the Pope in the former barracks of the "Equites singulares Augusti", the cavalry arm of the Praetorian Guard. (Constantine had disbanded the Praetorian guard after his defeat of their emperor Maxentius and replaced them with another bodyguard, the "Scholae Palatinae".) In 313 Constantine began construction of the "Basilica Constantiniana" on the Lateran Hill. This basilica became Rome's cathedral church, known as St John Lateran, and was more richly decorated and larger than any previous Christian structure. However, because of its remote position from the "Forum Romanum" on the city's edge, it did not connect with the older imperial basilicas in the fora of Rome. Outside the basilica was the Equestrian Statue of Marcus Aurelius, a rare example of an Antique statue that has never been underground.