Trajans Column Flashcards
Date and reason for the construction
112-113 AD by Emperor Trajan to commemorate his victory over the Dacians and propaganda to remind the Roman people of his success as a military leader.
Dimensions
Height - 38m with marble base - 29.77m without
Construction
Made from Luni (Carrara) marble. 1 block of marble for the capital, 17 column drums of marble for column shaft, 1 block of marble for the plinth. 8 blocks of marble for the base. Originally had a statue of Trajan on top but now there is a statue of St. Peter. The pedestal is a 5m x 5m cube decorated with the spoils of war.
Adlucutio scene
Trajan as a general, addressing his troops, who gaze toward him. He is flanked by his two consuls although he is the frontal figure. He stands above the troops on a platform of brick. Showing he is involved and cares about the army but he is still able to lead too.
The subject of the reliefs
A spiral relief which winds around the column 23 times. Relief figures are carved slightly larger at the top than the bottom to compensate for their height above the ground. This relief is a narrative, depicting the victory of Trajan over Decebalus in the two Dacian wars between 101- 102 AD and 105-106 AD. 2,662 figures appear in the 155 scenes
Bridge scene
We see the engineering might of the Roman empire in this scene. Apollodorus of Damascus, one of the most famous architects of the ancient world, designed a boat bridge to help the Roman army across the river Danube, a mighty river that can span up to 1.5km in width. The personified figure of the Danube watches the Roman army cross, which makes this feat even more spectacular as they have overcome a minor god.
Construction scenes
We see the Roman army building forts, bridges, roads throughout the spiral relief. This is an underlying theme that the Romans were always prepared. Prepared for warfare and expansion of their empire. It also showed that they would rule their conquered provinces well as they had connected Dacia to Rome. Legionnaires help with the building but their weapons are nearby, symbolising that they are prepared to fight.
Surrendering scene
Dacians are always depicted as lesser than Romans, as they wear felt hats, trousers and sport beards. In this scene Decebalus, king of the Dacians is shown palms upward, pleading for mercy with Trajan. Trajan is raised on a platform of bricks and depicted slightly larger than the other figures. Interesting concept as it is showing that the Dacians are submitting to the might of Rome, who has shown them mercy. It also indicates that the Roman will improve the lives of the Dacians, who are a worthy enemy, but nowhere near strong enough to compete with the Roman empire.
Warfare
During the spiral picture, we see many scenes of battle. The Romans are always on the left, reflective of the Hellenistic idea that the victor is always on the left. The Romans fight using the testudo (tortoise) formation, similar to the Greek Phalanx. The army can also easily be identified because of its superior metal armour.
