Source 2 Scene 56 from Trajan's Column showing soldiers building a road in Dacia

Question 1

Content

Honorific column dedicated 113

Hadrian and Trajan connection

Answer 1

Scenes from an honorific column dedicated in ad 113 in the Forum of Trajan in Rome. The column served three distinct functions. Its height marks the height of the hill excavated for the Forum. The base, decorated with relief sculpture of Dacian booty, held the ashes of the Emperor Trajan. Lastly, the sculptural frieze on the exterior of the column shaft provides a visual record of the events of the two Dacian campaigns in 155 scenes which extend for more .than 200 m (650 ft). The Emperor appears more than 60 times in this scrolled continuous narrative. A recent theory suggests that the frieze post-dates the death of Trajan in 117 and should be attributed to Hadrian. The colossal bronze statue of Trajan on top was emulated later by Marcus Aurelius in Rome, Theodosius, Arcadius in Constantinople, This scene - 56 shows soldiers building a road. Soldiers can be scene wielding axes (which gives a good illustration of these)

Question 2

Form

A marble faced figures panegyric 2600 figures marble blocks

Trajan and Hadrian connection

Answer 2

A marble faced figural panegyric, height of 100 Roman feet (29.77 m) marks the height of the hill excavated for the Forum. There are 155 scenes which extend for more than 200 m (650 ft) Composed of 29 huge blocks of white Italian marble (eight for the base, nineteen for the column, and two for the pedestal on top), the whole structure (column and pedestal) stands 38 m high. It has 2600 figures at about two‐thirds life‐size.

Question 3

Context

Trajan’s Dacian triumphs 101-106

Answer 3

It commemorates the emperor’s triumphs in Dacia in AD 101–2 and 105–6 (the second Dacian war). By special dispensation of the Senate (as buried within the city not normally permitted), the column became Trajan’s tomb. The Temple of the Deified Trajan, built by his successor Hadrian between AD 125 and 128, lies on the axis of the column to the northwest.

Question 4

Value

Roman army on campaign but not primary reflects Trajan’s glory on Hadrian

Answer 4

These scenes can help provide an important source of information about the structure and workings of the Roman army on campaign - but the spiral frieze cannot apparently be employed as a historical document or as a primary source for military studies - OCD. The pedestal has sculptured reliefs of barbarian military equipment on its four sides. Most of the scenes follow the unspecific formulae of imperial propaganda-art and Trajan’s column’s glory would have been thus reflected on his adopted successor Hadrian. Most military material was provided through empirical observation in Rome. Thus, the reliefs are important for their presentation of military virtues propaganda function and as a sculptural tour de force,