The column from the side of the Library represents Saint Theodore of Amasea (san Tòdaro in Venetian dialect), a Byzantine saint and warrior of Greek origin who lived in the 4th century. He was the first protector of the city and was traditionally considered a patron saint linked to the army and military troops. He is depicted in marble in the act of killing a dragon which in the version above the column looks like a crocodile. In reality, the statue is a combination of Roman and medieval parts and is today replaced by a modern copy while the original is conserved in the portico of the Doge’s Palace courtyard.