Carved from marble and surrounded by a spiral frieze with rich carvings, Trajan's Column towers 38 meters above Rome. The stone diary of military operations in 155 scenes tells the story of the emperor's victory over a treacherous but valiant enemy.
Here's what the official version says. Between 101 and 106, Emperor Trajan led tens of thousands of Roman warriors, crossed the Danube on the longest bridges that man could build at the time, won two victories over a powerful barbarian empire in their mountainous land, and then mercilessly erased it empire from a map of Europe.
Trajan's campaign against Dacia, located in modern Romania, was the main event of the emperor's 19-year reign. The chronicler boasted of enviable trophies: 165 thousand kilograms of gold and 331 thousand kilograms of silver, not counting the annexation of a new fertile province to the Roman Empire.
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The replenishment of the treasury affected the appearance of Rome. In honor of the victory, the emperor ordered the construction of a forum: a spacious square surrounded by colonnades, two libraries and a large civil building known as the Basilica of Ulpia. According to the Roman historian's enthusiastic description, Trajan's Forum was a creation “the like of which mortals will never again create.”
A 38-meter stone column topped with a bronze statue of the conqueror rose into the sky above the forum. From bottom to top it is woven with a relief chronicle of the Dacian campaigns in the style of a modern comic book: in 155 scenes, thousands of skillfully carved Romans and Dacians march, build fortifications, sail on ships, sneak up on the enemy, fight, negotiate, beg for mercy and meet death.
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Erected in 113, the fantastic column has towered over the city for almost two millennia. The reliefs have suffered greatly from time to time, and apart from a few lower turns of the spiral, little can be seen. All around there are ruins - empty pedestals, broken slabs, headless columns and broken sculptures - reminders of the former splendor of the forum.
Trajan's Column is one of the main monuments that survived the fall of Rome. From century to century, historians have studied the reliefs as a visual aid to the history of wars, where Trajan is presented as a hero, and the Dacian ruler Decebalus as his worthy opponent. Archaeologists have looked at the smallest details of the scenes to glean information about the weapons, uniforms and military tactics of the Roman army.
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Modern Romanians also honor the monument: Trajan destroyed Dacia to the ground, and therefore the column, along with the surviving statues of defeated warriors, is a precious evidence of how their Dacian ancestors might have looked and dressed.
As time passed, the great monuments of the past turned into piles of rubble, but the column continued to amaze the imagination. Renaissance artists hung from the top of the column in baskets tied with ropes to view it in detail. In 1588, Pope Sixtus V ordered the monument to be crowned with a statue of St. Peter. At the same time, in the 16th century, the first plaster casts of the column were made. They captured many details that are now lost - air pollution and acid rain have taken their toll.
The column remains the subject of scientific controversy to this day. Sometimes it seems that there are as many hypotheses as there are figures on the reliefs - and there are no less than 2662 of them.
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From a bookshelf in the living room of his Roman apartment, archaeologist and art historian Filippo Coarelli takes out his work - an illustrated history of the column. “This is an amazing structure,” he says, flipping through pages of black-and-white photographs of the reliefs. - What's going on here? Dacian women torturing Roman soldiers? Do weeping Dacians take poison to avoid being captured? Looks like a TV series."
Or the memoirs of Trajan, Coarelli adds. The column was erected between two libraries, where a chronicle of military operations as presented by the warrior emperor himself could be stored. According to Coarelli, the relief frieze resembles a scroll—it is possible that Trajan’s war diary was a scroll. “The artist must have carried out the will of the emperor,” the scientist concludes.
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Anyway, the team of sculptors was faced with the task of carving an illustrated version of the “Trajan Scroll” on 17 blocks of selected Carrara marble. Emperor - main character stories. He appears in 58 scenes - a visionary commander, an experienced politician and a pious ruler: here he makes a speech, raising the morale of the soldiers, here he thoughtfully listens to advisers, and here he makes sacrifices to the gods. “Trajan wants to appear not only as a warrior,” explains Coarelli, “but also as an enlightened person.”
Of course, this is just a hypothesis. Whatever form Trajan wrote down his memories, they have long since sunk into oblivion. Comparing the reliefs of the column with archaeological finds from the Dacian capital of Sarmizegetusa, scientists are inclined to think that the images indicate the mentality of the Romans rather than real events.
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John Coulston, a specialist in Roman iconography, weapons and equipment at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, has a dissenting opinion. For several months in a row, he studied the reliefs at close range, perched on the restoration scaffolding. Collected material enough for a dissertation. “It’s tempting to imagine the images from the column as a kind of news reel or movie from that time,” says Coulston. “But all these interpretations are typical stretches, behind which there is not a word of truth.”
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The scientist claims that the ensemble of reliefs was not subordinated overall plan one master. Minor stylistic differences and obvious oversights - for example, the changing height of the frieze or windows breaking up the scenes - convinced the Scottish scientist that the sculptors carved the reliefs, as they say, on the fly, based on very superficial ideas about the war. “Although it is difficult for art historians to refuse the tempting image of a talented creative personality“, says Coulston, “using the example of Trajan’s Column, we see that the composition is born spontaneously, immediately on pieces of marble under the hands of simple stonemasons, and not at all on drawing board In workshop".
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In his opinion, the creators of the frieze were inspired by military events rather than based on them. Take, for example, the main motifs of the reliefs. There is surprisingly little combat in the depiction of the two wars: scenes of sieges and battles take up less than a quarter of the frieze, while Trajan himself never appears on the battlefield.
Legionnaires - the backbone of Rome's military machine - are primarily engaged in building forts and bridges, clearing roads, and even harvesting crops. On top of everything else, you might think that they are also invulnerable - not a single fallen Roman soldier can be found on the entire column!
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Some scenes remain unsolved. Why do the besieged Dacians reach for the cup? To take poison and thereby avoid the humiliation of the vanquished? Or do they just want to quench their thirst? How to explain the shocking image of women tormenting scantily clad, bound captives with torches? In the Italian interpretation, it is the wives of the barbarians who torture the captured Romans. But Ernest Oberlander-Tarnoveanu, director of the National Historical Museum of Romania, has a different opinion: “We are clearly seeing captive Dacians being tormented by the angry widows of murdered Roman soldiers.” Apparently, what we see when looking at the column depends on our sympathies - towards the Romans or towards the Dacians.
Among Roman politicians, the word "dac" was synonymous with a hypocrite. It was about the Dacians that the historian Tacitus wrote: “They were never truly loyal to Rome.” Having concluded a treaty of friendship with Emperor Domitian in 89, the king of Dacia Decebalus, although he received money from the Romans to protect the borders of the empire from raids, himself sent soldiers to plunder the border cities of the allies. In 101, Trajan set out on a campaign against the unreliable Dacians. After almost two years of war, a truce was concluded, but Decebalus soon broke it.
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The Romans' patience ran out. During the second invasion, in 105, Trajan did not stand on ceremony - just look at the scenes depicting the sack of Sarmizegetusa. “The campaigns were brutal and destructive,” says Roberto Meneghini, an Italian archaeologist who led excavations at Trajan’s Forum. - Look how the Romans fight, holding severed heads by the hair with their teeth. War is war. Roman legionnaires had a reputation for being fierce and ruthless warriors."
But as soon as the Dacians were defeated, Roman sculptors took up their work. Trajan's Forum was decorated with dozens of statues of stately, bearded Dacian warriors - a proud marble army in the very heart of Rome. Of course, the sculptors were far from sweetening the bitterness of defeat for the vanquished, most of whom were sold into slavery. “No one could come and see the column,” says Meneghini. “The monument was intended for Roman citizens and embodied the power of the imperial machine, capable of conquering such a valiant and warlike people.”
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Trajan's Column may be considered a piece of propaganda - but archaeologists say there is some truth to its stone record. The latest excavations on the territory of ancient Dacia, including the ruins of Sarmizegetusa, are bringing more and more discoveries. The portrait of a civilization that has crossed the “barbarian” stage of development, despite the contemptuous epithets of the Romans, is being drawn in more and more detail.
The Dacians had no written language, and all our knowledge about their culture passed through the filter of Roman sources. Numerous finds indicate that Dacia reigned over the surrounding lands for hundreds of years, collecting tribute from its neighbors. Knowing a lot about blacksmithing, Dacian miners mined ore and smelted iron, and gold miners panned gold. The culmination of the creations of skilled craftsmen were finely finished jewelry and weapons.
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Sarmisegethusa was the political and spiritual capital of Dacia. Its ruins lie high in the mountains in the heart of Romania. The city was separated from Rome by 1,600 kilometers—Trajan’s army marched here for more than a month. Today's visitors have to wade through potholed dirt road through the same inaccessible valley that blocked Trajan's path.
The ruins of Sarmizegetusa were buried in thickets of tall beeches. Even on a hot day, cool shadows creep across the ground. A wide paved road leads from the thick fortress walls, half buried in the ground, to a spacious clearing.
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This green oasis, a terrace carved into the rock, was the religious center of Dacia. The remains of buildings have survived to this day - a mixture of ancient stones and concrete reconstructions, reminiscent of an unrealized attempt to recreate the ancient complex. A triple ring of stone columns outlines the contours of the once majestic temple, vaguely reminiscent of the round Dacian buildings on the reliefs of Trajan's Column. Nearby is a low altar - a stone circle with a carved ornament in the form of solar disks - the holy of holies of the Dacian universe.
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For the past six years, Romanian archaeologist Gelu Florea from the Babes-Bolyai University of Cluj has been spending the summer months excavating at Sarmizegetuz. The cleared ruins, as well as objects confiscated from treasure hunters, indicate that military technologies from Rome penetrated here, and the influence of Greece is also felt - architectural and artistic. “It’s amazing how cosmopolitan they were so high up in the mountains,” says Florea. “It is the largest settlement in all of Dacia, with a surprisingly complex organization.” Using aerial photography, archaeologists have identified more than 260 artificial terraces stretching almost five kilometers along the valley. total area settlements exceeded 280 hectares.
Scientists found no traces of cultivated fields, but they unearthed the remains of craft workshops and houses, as well as smelting furnaces, tons of iron blanks and dozens of anvils. Apparently, the city was a center for metal production, supplying other Dacian settlements with weapons and tools in exchange for gold and grain.
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Today everything here is surrounded by greenery and silence. Not far from the former altar there is a small spring where water could be taken for religious rituals. The ground underfoot, seasoned with grains of mica, sparkles in sun rays. A few tourists talk in low voices.
It is difficult to imagine what kind of ceremonies took place in this city - and what terrible fate befell its inhabitants. Plumes of smoke and shrill screams, robberies and massacres, suicides and panic depicted on the reliefs of Trajan’s Column emerge in the imagination.
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“The Romans swept away everything in their path,” says Florea. “No stone was left unturned from the fortress.” They wanted to demonstrate their power: look, we have the strength, the means, we are the masters here.”
The fall of Sarmizegetusa was followed by the destruction of the main temples and sanctuaries of Dacia. Then the Romans set about other cities of the Dacian kingdom. One of the reliefs at the very top of the column represents a bloody denouement - the village was put on fire, the inhabitants fled, only goats and cows roamed the devastated province.
The two wars claimed, according to scientists, tens of thousands of lives. According to a contemporary, Trajan took 500 thousand prisoners, driving about 10 thousand of them to Rome to participate in gladiatorial battles, which were held in honor of the victory for 123 days in a row.
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The proud ruler of the Dacians saved himself from the shameful fate of a prisoner. The end of Decebalus is immortalized on the column of his sworn enemy: kneeling under the shade of an oak tree, Dac raises a long curved sword to his own throat.
“His head was taken to Rome,” wrote the Roman historian Cassius Dio a century later. “So Dacia became subject to the Romans.”
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And now unofficial version: The Trojan Column, as it turned out, was erected not earlier, but even later, in the second half of the 13th century. The figures of people depicted on it are a story about a well-known Trojan War, which occurred in the 13th century, i.e. the famous Crusades are what is actually depicted by the masters of the construction. This is not just another guess; there are several weighty arguments that cannot refute this assumption.
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Irrefutable facts about the origin of the Trojan Column:
Here is the result of an analysis of professional photographs of images on Trajan's Column taken in the 19th and 20th centuries. Found out Interesting Facts. Here are some of them.
1) It’s strange that there is NOT A SINGLE INSCRIPTION on the column itself, not a single name, not a single name is mentioned. The only inscription is on the base, Fig. 8.15, Fig. 8.16. By the way, it is interesting to compare the condition of the base in the 19th century with its appearance in the 20th century, Fig. 8.17. It can be seen that the basement was significantly restored in the 20th century. The fact that there are no inscriptions on the column itself turns the ribbon of images, spiraling around the column from bottom to top, Fig. 8.18, into a long row of “military pictures”. Battles, truces, religious rituals, fires, capture of cities, lines of prisoners, etc. In particular, the statement of historians that some figures depict the Emperor Trajan himself is only a hypothesis, not supported by any specific arguments. We repeat that there are no inscriptions.
2) Most likely, the column and some bas-reliefs on it were cast from marbled concrete, Fig. 8.19. You can see areas where the skin is peeling off, that is, the upper thin layer of the more expensive material is falling off. concrete covering, superimposed on a rough concrete base, Fig. 8.20, Fig. 8.21. It is possible that some of the images were made on the surface of the column (or panels) that had not yet completely hardened. Perhaps the technique was mixed: concrete castings were intertwined with fragments of natural marble with carvings. Trajan's Column could have been made during the Reformation, but it was probably based on some old images.
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3) Apparently, the bas-reliefs of Trajan's Column really followed some old tradition. This is indicated by the following striking fact: on many shields of “ancient” Roman soldiers, Ottoman = Ataman crescents, stars and Christian crosses are visible. In the Scaligerian version, the appearance of such symbolism on the “ancient, pagan” weapons of soldiers is categorically impossible. But in our reconstruction this is exactly how it should be. Here are just a few of the many examples: in Fig. 8.22, a crescent moon is visible at the top of the shield. In Fig. 8.23, two crescents are depicted on the shield in the center and on the shield on the right. In addition, stars are depicted on another right shield. In the center of Fig. 8.24 we see four shields at once, on which crescents with stars are depicted. On the shield on the right are Christian crosses. In Fig. 8.25, the crescent moon is visible on the shield in the center and the shield at the bottom right. See also Fig.8.26, Fig.8.27, Fig.8.28, Fig.8.29, Fig.8.30, Fig.8.31, Fig.8.32.
Apparently, the crescents with stars and Christian crosses on Trajan's Column attracted the attention of modern historians. And they “strained them” greatly, because they pointed out contradictions within the Scaligerian version. The solution they found was this: stubbornly (very stubbornly) to remain silent about this fact. In any case, in the literature known to us about Trajan’s Column there is complete silence on this topic.
4) It is also curious that over the last hundred years Trajan’s Column has been badly damaged. Comparing photographs from the 19th century with photographs from the 20th century clearly shows that the images have noticeably deteriorated. Many gouges, cavities appeared, Fig. 8.33, Fig. 8.34, as well as cracks that are not in the old photographs given in. This remark is consistent with our assertion that Trajan's Column is by no means as ancient as they are trying to convince us today. She is probably not about 1800 years old at all, but more than five hundred years old. The rate of destruction appears to be more or less constant. Over the past hundred years, the reliefs have noticeably deteriorated.
CONCLUSION. The famous Trajan's Column was made in the 16th-17th centuries based on some old images that have not reached us. Dedicated, most likely, to the famous Trojan War of the 13th century, that is, Crusades at Tsar Grad and the victory of Rus'-Horde with its allies.
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Walking around Rome, you can admire columns and columns in its various corners. Most of the columns were erected in honor of one or another emperor. Picturesque stone pillars testify to the triumph of the commanders and. The most famous monuments glorified Marcus Aurelius, Trajan and other worthy people throughout the centuries.
The appearance of memorial columns is closely connected with such a concept as Triumph (lat. triumphus), that is, “triumph”.
The lucky winner's spectacular appearance in Rome became a prestigious prize. The commander received the right to enter the capital on a gilded chariot, surrounded by a jubilant crowd. In addition to momentary honors, the name of the winner was perpetuated for posterity - memorial obelisks, arches and columns were erected. Only noble men who had a high position in the empire could claim the title of triumph.
The column of the ancient victorious man had a certain standard diagram: a cylinder carved from stone, placed on a pedestal, which was topped with a statue of the commander.
Trajan's Column It is believed that the tradition of installing triumphal columns in Ancient Rome began precisely during the time of Emperor Trajan (lat. Marcus Ulpius Nerva Traianus).
The Roman ruler conducted a protracted military campaign against the Dacian tribes (Latin Daci). It was possible not only to crush the commanders skilled in battle, but also to annex the Dacian territories as a new province of the Roman Empire.
In 113 AD By order of Trajan, the artist and architect Apollodorus Damascenus (lat. Apollodorus Damascenus) began working on a stone column.
Modern scientists note the high historical value of the reliefs painted on the column. Thanks to the painstaking work done, you can get a good idea of the uniforms, weapons and methods of combat in ancient times. An ordinary visitor can simply admire the masterfully done work. There is also an inscription on the monument indicating that the Senate and the Roman people honored the achievements of Emperor Trajan in a worthy manner.
Anthony's Column was once installed on (lat. Campus Martius). It was built in 161 AD. successors of Emperor Anthony Pius.
The deceased ruler and his wife were honored. Initially, the red granite column was placed on a powerful pedestal decorated with carvings and topped with a statue of Antonius Pius.
After the fall of the Roman Empire, the column was abandoned for a long time. The base of the memorial went underground, part of the 15-meter column trunk was irretrievably lost. In the 17th century, the column was removed from under the layer of earth thanks to the efforts of Carlo Fontana. The pedestal was well preserved; it was restored and preserved for posterity. But the surviving part of the granite column was later used to cover the obelisk in Palazzo Montecitorio Square. Nowadays, you can admire the memorial to Anthony Pius during a visit (Musei Vaticani).
Column of Marco Aurelius The Column of Marcus Aurelius was built in 193 AD. in honor of Emperor Marcus Aurelius (Latin: Marcus Aurelius Antoninus).
Marcus Aurelius was unable to enjoy the triumph in his honor because he died in 180 AD. The memorial, modeled after Trajan's Column, had a 10-meter base and a 30-meter main body. The column was composed of 28 pieces of Carrara marble, decorated with detailed depictions of battles between the Romans, Germans and Sarmatians. The column was crowned by a statue of Marcus Aurelius, which was replaced in the 16th century by a statue of the Apostle Paul.
The Column of Marcus Aurelius is located in Piazza Colonna., named after her. Some time after restoration in the 16th and 17th centuries, the column was erroneously attributed to Anthony Pius.
The Column of Phocas is the final point in construction (lat. Forum Romanum). In 608 AD. a white marble column 13.6 m high was installed near the Rostra (oratorical platform) and dedicated to Phocas (Greek: Φωκᾶς), the Byzantine emperor.
At a time when Christianity was not divided into Orthodoxy and Catholicism, the friendship between Byzantium and Rome was quite strong. It is believed that at the top of the column stood a gilded statue of Phocas, commissioned by Pontiff Bonifatius IV. It is noteworthy that after the overthrow of Emperor Phocas, all references to his greatness were destroyed, including the column installed in the Forum.
This monument is part of the attractions (Piazza di Spagna). At one end of the square the Spanish Embassy was located, and in the opposite part in 1854 a column dedicated to immaculate conception Virgin Mary. Next to the memorial is the Palazzo di Propaganda Fide, designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini and built by Francesco Borromini.
The column was designed by Luigi Poletti, while the statue Mary Immaculate created by sculptor Giuseppe Obici. The customer of this monument was Ferdinand II, King of the Two Sicilies. Thus, the ruler wanted to bring closer and.
Since December 1953, a bouquet of flowers has been laid annually at the foot of the column as a sign of respect for the Immaculate Conception.
At the foot of a 12-meter marble column sit 4 biblical sages: Moses, Isaiah, King David, and the seer Ezekiel.
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Carved from marble and entwined with a spiral frieze
richly carved, Trajan's Column stands tall
above Rome at 38 meters. Stone military diary
action in 155 scenes tells about the victory of the imperial
torus over a treacherous but valiant enemy.
Andrew Curry. National Geographic magazine
“The Senate and the Roman people (erected this column) to the Emperor Caesar Nerva Trajan Augustus, son of the divine Nerva, Germanic, Dacian,
the great pontiff, invested with the power of tribune of the people for the 17th time, the emperor for the 6th time, the consul for the 6th time, the father of the fatherland, in order to
it was clear how high the hill was torn down to make way for the construction of these such significant structures.”
I would like to talk about all this in more detail, but first, a brief historical historical reference. Trajan's Column is a column in Trajan's Forum in Rome, created by the architect Apollodorus of Damascus in 113 AD. e. in honor of Trajan's victories over the Dacians. It may seem that it is monolithic, for example, like our Aleksandrovskaya, but this is not so. Trajan's Column is made of 20 blocks of Carara marble, has a height of 38 m (including the pedestal) and a diameter of 4 m. The inside of the column is hollow: it contains spiral staircase with 185 steps leading to the platform on the capital. The monument weighs about 40 tons. The column's trunk is spiraled 23 times by a 190 m long ribbon with reliefs depicting episodes of the war between Rome and Dacia.
National Geographic made an animated reconstruction of the column's construction process, thanks to which we can see both its structure and the technologies used in its creation:
Building an Ancient, Mysterious Monument. National Geographic
Statue of Augustus from Prima Porta. Beginning of the 1st century AD Rome, Vatican. Current state and reconstruction
Illustration from National Geographic magazine
A majestic column in, the capital, reminiscent of the past victories and glory of the Romans. The column stands proudly above the ruins of the Roman Forum, while at its base lies the tomb of Emperor Ulpius Trajan and his wife. This victorious structure was erected in honor of the emperor and his victories over the Dacians. Today it is included in the version of our website.
The column was erected in Rome in the 2nd century AD. The architect of the building was Apollodorus of Damascus, revered by the emperor. 20 blocks of Carrara marble were brought for its construction. Today the height of the column is 38 meters and its weight is 40 tons. The inside of the column is hollow. It contains only a spiral staircase leading to the platform on the capital.
The monument on the capital was changed several times. First, there was a sculpture of an eagle, then of Trajan himself, and only in the 16th century a statue of the Apostle Peter appeared, which adorns the column to this day. On the relief ribbon running along the trunk of the column you can see fragments from two battles of Emperor Trajan with the Dacians. A total of 2,500 human figures are depicted, among which the emperor himself is repeated many times.
In addition, on the relief you can see the goddess of victory Nike, the majestic old man of the Danube and other allegorical characters. The attraction is located on Trajan's Forum, not far from Piazza Venice and the famous complex.
Those who are planning to go to Rome will definitely not be bored. There's a lot to see here, because main feature Tourists cite an incredible number of attractions in the Italian capital. List the most interesting places in Rome the task is far from easy.
Here, literally at every corner you can feel the breath of history, with which the way of life of modern residents and the wonderful aromas of local cuisine are organically intertwined. Rome is not only the capital of present-day Italy, but also main city ancient and very powerful empire. Centuries-old stages of history have left an indelible mark on this land in the form of a huge number of monuments. It is they who attract millions of tourists here. One of the most beautiful and majestic landmarks of the city is Trajan's Column in Rome. It is located on the square of the same name. Trajan's Column in Rome serves not only as a decoration of the Italian capital, but also as a chronicle of all the most important military events taking place in Rome. Photos, descriptions of this wonderful historical monument, interesting facts related to it - all this is presented in this article.
After the death of this Roman ruler, an interesting tradition developed. The Roman senators, in their greetings to each subsequent emperor, wished him “to be better than Trajan.” This ruler was born in Spain. He is considered Rome's greatest real estate developer. It was he who built Cultural Center city in the hope of strengthening their own popularity and becoming a true resident of the capital of the empire.
By that time, Rome already had five similar squares, but none could compete with the “brainchild” of Trajan. In size it was larger than all of them combined. The architect of the Forum was the Greek Apollodorus, a native of the province. The rich booty that Rome received as a result of the campaign in Dacia allowed him not to skimp on anything. Apollodorus created the Forum as an “advertisement” for his emperor. The square was about two hundred meters long. It was decorated with statues and elegant galleries. There was also a market, courts and libraries there. But most main part The Forum had the majestic Column of Trajan.
An amazing structure dominated the entire square complex. Trajan's Column was decorated with amazingly expressive bas-reliefs that told about the military victories of the Roman emperor, in particular about the campaigns of his army when crossing the Danube, about the seizure of the territory of present-day Romania, etc. Today it just as proudly rises above the ruins of the Forum, and at its base you can see the tomb of Ulpius Trajan himself and his wife.
For the construction of this amazing monument, twenty huge blocks of the famous Carrara marble were brought to Rome.
Trajan's Column has very impressive dimensions: thirty-eight meters in height and weighing forty tons. It's hollow on the inside. It contains only a spiral staircase that leads to a platform built on the capital.
It must be said that the monument on the column was changed several times. At first, an eagle rose on the capital, then a sculpture of Trajan himself, and only in the sixteenth century did the Apostle Peter appear here, standing at his full height. It is his image that adorns the column today. On the relief ribbon that runs along the entire trunk of the structure, you can see fragments from two battles between the emperor and the Dacians. In total, it depicts two and a half thousand human figures, among which Trajan himself is repeated many times. In addition to them, on the relief you can see Nike - the goddess of victory, as well as Danube - the majestic old man - and other allegorical characters.
Trajan's Column was built in honor of the Roman emperor, who made a dizzying career. He started as a simple legionnaire and rose to become the ruler of one of the most powerful states. Thanks to this talented commander and reformer, the territory of the Roman Empire was able to significantly increase. And the state itself has significantly strengthened its influence.
In addition to conducting active foreign policy and the construction of fortresses, this Roman emperor erected bridges, aqueducts and other civil structures. The last ancient Roman forum was built in his honor. Unlike the five previous ones, it represented an extensive exhibition of the emperor’s victories and weapons.
Visually, Trajan's triumphal column is divided into three parts. First, on the base - the pedestal, then on the directly central part and on the upper part protruding beyond it - the capital. The diameter of the column is about four meters.
The monument is made of the most valuable variety. Twenty blocks were used for its construction, which were installed in such a way that internal space a cavity has formed. It contains a spiral staircase of one hundred and eighty-five steps leading to a platform built on the capital. sunlight it penetrates into the column through small windows, more reminiscent of loopholes.
The outer part of the structure is covered with a relief ribbon that rises in a spiral to its top. The images taken on it tell about episodes of the military campaign of Emperor Trajan. The bas-relief goes around the stem of the column twenty-three times. Its total length is one hundred and ninety meters.
At the base there is a hall. Here lie the urns with the ashes of his wife Pompeii Plotina. And on the pedestal an inscription has been preserved to this day, which scientists consider to be an example of Roman script.
Trajan's Column in Rome, a photo of which every tourist takes with them, is of particular historical value. Her bas-reliefs so figuratively and succinctly convey episodes of the war of the Romans against the Dacians that they simply amaze with the skill of their execution.
The column depicts the events of Trajan's two campaigns. On the tape they are visually separated from each other by the winged goddess of Victory, who writes the name of the triumphant on the shield. Numerous military trophies of the victorious emperor are crowded around.
There are about two and a half thousand human figures on the relief tape. These are soldiers of the Roman army performing certain actions: building fortifications, crossing a river, fighting, etc. Emperor Trajan himself is depicted on the tape fifty-nine times: at the head of a detachment, on a certain eminence.
The figures of the soldiers, details of their weapons and uniforms, as well as the fortifications on the column are drawn quite realistically and clearly. There is no perspective in the relief image: both near and distant objects are displayed here with the same dimensions. In addition, the second relief plan is made at the top of the tape. Thanks to this approach, the feed is very informative.
Such accuracy of all the scenes presented makes it possible not only to better imagine, but also to study weapons, armor and even the Dacians of that era.
In addition to the figures of soldiers, on the relief you can also see some allegorical drawings characteristic of the art of the Roman Empire of those times. For example, by the figure of an old man we must mean the Danube, and the woman with her face covered with a veil is Night.
During creation, all relief figures were made in color. However, over time, their paint faded, and today these images have the same light tone, which, however, does not in any way detract from their historical or artistic value.
Erected back in 113, this fantastic column has been towering over Rome for almost two millennia. Over time, its reliefs have been severely damaged, therefore, except for a few lower turns on the spiral, the rest are very difficult to see. Around the column there are real ruins: empty pedestals and broken slabs everywhere, broken sculptures and headless columns - all this only vaguely resembles the former splendor of the Forum.
Trajan's Column is considered one of the main monuments of all those that survived the fall of the Roman Empire. From century to century, historians study its reliefs as a visual aid to the history of wars, where Trajan himself is presented as a hero, and Decebalus, the ruler of the Dacians, is his worthy opponent. Archaeologists looked at even the smallest details of the scenes depicted in order to obtain information about the military tactics, weapons and uniforms of the Roman army. A lot of effort went into studying this unique monument V. A. Chudinov also spent. Trajan's Column in Rome, in his opinion, is dedicated rather to the famous Trojan War of the 13th century, rather than to the victorious emperor. This is evidenced by many facts, including the rate of destruction of the bas-relief, which suggests that the structure is only about five hundred years old. However, many experts do not agree with the opinion of the Russian scientist.
The structure of the ancient Forum was thought out to the smallest detail. The entrance to the square paved with multi-colored marble was decorated with a huge Triumphal Arch. On three sides of it stood sculptures of the most famous figures of the Roman Empire, and on the fourth the architect placed a basilica. It was a kind of political structure in which the decrees of the emperor were created. Between the Latin and Greek libraries, Apollodorus placed the famous Trajan's Column. Today it can be seen next to Piazza Venezia and the monument to Vittorio Emanuele. Trajan's Column, the photo of which is irrefutable proof of the grandeur and monumentality of this structure, is located directly opposite the Church of Santa Maria di Loretto.
You can get there by private car or taxi by going to Via dei Fori Imperiali. Those who explore on their own can get off at the Colosseum metro station and then walk to this monument. From the stop it is only half an hour at a slow pace.
In addition to the replacement of the sculptural images crowning the emperor's column, and other more or less significant changes, this building for its centuries-old history did not endure.
During the reign of Trajan, there was a ban on burying people within the city. However, after the death of Trajan, an exception was made for him.
This monument is of great interest to modern Romanians. After all, Trajan destroyed Dacia to the ground, so the column today is a precious evidence of how their distant ancestors could dress and look.
