Name of Work:
Trajan’s Column
Description of Work: Monument
Trajan’s Column is located
in Rome, near Trajan’s Forum, and was created upon the order of Emperor
Trajan. The massive monument was
finished in 113 A.D. The monument
itself is a cylindrical building rising from its base about 30 meters into the
sky.
The cylindrical shaft is
created from a series of 18 marble drums, each weighing about 40 tons, and
carved with a series of friezes detailing Trajan’s victories.[1]
Inside the shaft winds a spiral staircase
leading to a viewing platform at the top.
[2]
Originally, a statue of Trajan was placed on
top of the Column. However, in 1588,
Pope Sixtus V replaced Trajan’s statue with a statue of St. Peter.
[3]
Trajan’s Column
Creator of Work: The architect of the column was
Apollodorus from Damascus.
[5]
|
Statue of
Trajan (Vatican Museum) |
M. Ulpius Traianus,
Trajan, was born to an Italian family living in Spain in 53 AD.[7]
As a young man Trajan dedicated himself to
a military career. By 97 AD, Trajan
was Governor of Upper Germany. It was
then that the childless Emperor Nerva felt himself in need of an heir and
decided to bestow this honor on Trajan.
Accordingly, Trajan was adopted and invested with all the imperial
powers.
[8]
The two held consulship together until the
death of Nerva in January 98 AD, whereupon Trajan became emperor. While emperor, Trajan successfully
commanded many wars, and it was his exploits in the Dacian (now Romania) Campaign
which resulted in the construction of his eponymous Column. |
Trajan viewed the Dacians as
a threat to Rome and wanted to make Dacia a Roman province.[9]
Not surprisingly, the Dacians resisted and
it took two separate campaigns – one in 101-102 AD and again in 105-106 AD – to
bring Dacia under absolute Roman rule. Trajan
returned from these campaigns with a vast amount of riches, which he went on to
spend in luxurious style.
[10]
Not without social conscience (which made
him revered by his people), Trajan built roads, aqueducts, markets, baths, and,
as his crowning achievement, a new Forum for the people of Rome to conduct
their business. The burgeoning Rome had
outgrown the confines of the old Forum Romanum, causing Caesar, Augustus, and
Nerva to build new fora to the northeast.
However, these new fora proved inadequate and Trajan ordered the
construction of the new forum as a gift to the people, and at the same time, a
monument to himself.
[11]
Trajan’s Forum with Trajan’s Column
in Center
The forum itself was massive
– the entire Forum of Nerva would have fit within the basilica, and the piazza
was large enough to hold almost the entire Forum of Augustus. At the piazza’s eastern end was a multi-level
market, selling spices and other luxuries.
[13]
There were also two libraries, one for Latin
and one for Greek texts. But it was to
the center that one’s attention would be drawn – to the Column of Trajan.
Trajan’s Column details, in
picture (frieze) form, the battles for Dacia.
Starting at the bottom of the column is the first campaign in 101-102
AD. Spiraling on, up to the top of the
column, the story ends with the submission of Dacia in 106 AD. The scenes depicted on the column range from
fighting to food collection, from marching to building.
[14]
The carvings’ detail has led scholars to
speculate that they are based on commentary made by Trajan himself.
[15]
There are more than 2,000 figures within the
carvings, all depicted at about 2/3 life size.
The internal spiral staircase contains windows at every quarter turn,
which provided the only light for ascension.
At the top of the column was placed a massive (12 meters tall) statue of
Trajan astride a horse. It is unclear
where this statue is today – Pope Sixtus V replaced this statue with that of
St. Peter in 1588. After Trajan’s death
in 117 AD, his ashes were placed in the base of the Column. Like his statue, their present location is
unknown.
1.
How is this work typical of its era?
This
work is typical of this Roman era. Upon
returning from a campaign,
a general was entitled to
hold a Triumph, the highest honor a military commander could receive.[17]
On the day of his triumph, “The
triumphator came as close to divinity as any Roman mortal could.”
[18]
The Triumph consisted of a parade through
the streets of Rome with the soldiers displaying the plunder from the campaign
(which would be turned over to the Roman Treasury). Prisoners were also paraded, bound in chains. Animals to be sacrificed in thanks to the
gods were also paraded during the Triumph.
Traditionally, the execution of at least one prisoner was ordered by the
general, who would then show generosity and spare the rest to be sold into
slavery.
[19]
The day would end with feasts (paid for by
the triumphator). Finally,
triumphatores would often “Erect triumphal arches to memorialize their
victories and triumphs.”
[20]
One such triumphal arch, or monument, is the
Arch of Tiberius, erected in 16 AD. A
picture of the frieze from that Arch is below.
2. How
is the work innovative or unusual for its time?
This work is innovative for its time in that it was
certainly the tallest structure in Rome.
The construction technique required a massive amount of labor, from the acquisition
and transport of the marble drums and eight solid marble blocks for the base to
the assembly and carving of the friezes.
[22]
It was unusual due to the continuous,
spiraling series of scenes depicting the dual campaigns in Dacia.
Trajan Speaks to his Soldiers
(Detail from Column)
3. How
was the work received in its time, and why?
The
work was well received in its time. It
was considered fitting that a
Triumphatore celebrate his
successes lavishly, indeed it was almost obligatory. Trajan was loved and respected by his people, as evidenced by
the following:
“(Trajan)
spent great sums on wars and equally great amounts on the works of peace…He was
so generous and magnanimous that, when the Circus had fallen into decay, he
restored it on a greater scale and in a much more beautiful fashion and then
added an inscription saying only that he had made it adequate for the Roman
people.”[24]
Moya Mason states, “People
would surely visit his forum and look in awe at the spectacular column that was
positioned between the libraries…expected to understand that it told a story
about the power of the Roman Empire and that their emperor was very brave.”[25]
4.
What do people today think about the work? How do you account for any differences?
People
today consider this to be one of the more magnificent monuments
of ancient Roman time. In reference to the Column of Trajan, one
Humanities textbook states that Trajan’s Column is, “One of the most
significant monuments of the Roman Empire.”
[26]
5.
What is your personal reaction to this work? What about it do you find particularly
meaningful?
My
reaction to this monument is amazement.
The entire story of a war is
depicted in a series of 155
vignettes spiraling up this column. The
craftsmanship involved in the construction of this monument was astounding – it
appears that the carving of the friezes was accomplished without advance
planning, but improvised at the carving proceeded.
[27]
Interestingly, the figures in the various
friezes were meant to hold small metal tools and weapons. This is evidenced by small holes drilled
into many hands for the tiny implements to be inserted. Some soldiers in the friezes are holding
carved tools or weapons, but other hands are empty, seemingly waiting for the
metal attachments.
[28]
Detail of Trajan’s Column
6.
How does this work compare to AT LEAST one other work
of its type and/or time?
Trajan’s
Column can be compared to the Column of Marcus Aurelius.
Trajan’s Column was built
first, being completed in 113 AD. The
Column of Marcus Aurelius was completed in 193 AD. Both columns feature friezes spiraling up to the top of the
column, with each column having a statue of its respective general atop. Interestingly, both columns now bear the
statue of a Catholic figure – Trajan’s bears St. Peter, while atop the Column
of Marcus Aurelius stands the apostle Paul.
[30]
|
Trajan’s Column |
Column
of Marcus Aurelius |
However, while
Trajan’s Column depicts victory over the Dacians, it does so with honor. The Column of Marcus Aurelius, however,
depicts scenes of cruelty, something that Trajan avoided in his depiction of
the Dacian war. “Cruelty had no place
in Trajan’s portrayal because he did not wish to be seen in this way.”
[33]
A Man Speared to Death
From Column of Marcus Aurelius
7.
What about this work is most significant for people
of the future to know about?
This
work is significant for many reasons.
One is that this was the first
triumphal column
constructed. There are other triumphal
monuments, but they are constructed as arches.
Perhaps most significantly, this arch details military life in ancient
Rome. Through its series of vignettes,
a military campaign is detailed in exacting detail for even the casual observer
to view.
Conclusion: This work should be included in the Unit Two
Time Capsule. It is a superb example of
early Roman architecture and craftsmanship.
It portrays a vision of the creator, Trajan, as a man to be admired both
for his military exploits, as well as his generosity to the Roman people. This monument, still standing in Rome, shows
what was the honor and glory of Rome.
Annotated Bibliography
1, 2Trajan’s Column.
http://www.fact-index.com/t/tr/trajan_s_column.html
This site provided details regarding the pertinent
facts about the Column, i.e. material, height, composition.
3Trajan’s Column.
http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/Trajan’s%20
Column
This site had some limited information about columns
in general and Trajan’s column specifically.
4,9,24,25,31Mason, Moya K.
“Humble Beginnings, Glorious Destiny:
A Look at
Roman Art.”
http://www.moyak.com/researcher/resume/papers/roman_art.html
This site was a primary reference for me in writing
this TCP. It included a tremendous
amount of information, as well as interesting photographs.
5,7Trajan’s Forum and Column.
http://ross.pvt.k12.ny.us/rome/trajan/trajan.html
This was a small page in simple, easy to understand
language. It did have some conflicting
information, though.
6,16,23,29,32The Imperial Forum.
Race and History.
http://www.raceandhistory.com/Europe/forum2a.html
This website provided excellent photographs
of Trajan’s Column.
8Trajan Sestertii, The Emperor Trajan.
http://msersch.ancients.info/life.htm
This website provided a good, but limited,
biography of Trajan.
10,11,12,13,14,15,22,27,28Trajan’s Column.
The Emperor Trajan and His Forum.
http://cheiron.humanities.mcmaster.ca/~trajan/introductory_esssay.html
This
website provided the bulk of information for my research. This
site is an excellent, in-depth reference on Trajan.
17,18,19,20Roman Civilization.
http://abacus.bates.edu/~mimber/Rciv/triumph.htm
This website provided valuable information on
Roman Triumphs.
21Arch of Tiberius, A Lost Triumphal Arch From the Time
of Tiberius.
http://sights,seindal.dk/sight/339_Arch_of_Tiberius.html
This website provided the photograph used
within my text. It had a
limited amount of information.
26
Matthews, Roy T. & Platt, F.
DeWitt (2004). The Western Humanities
(Fifth
Ed.).
Michigan: McGraw Hill
The
textbook gives a brief description of Trajan’s Arch.
30,33,34Livius Picture Archive: Rome – Column of Marcus Aurelius.
http://www.livius.org/a/italy/rome/col_marcus/col_marcus.html
This website provided both text and
pictures for my research. It was
limited in text, but quite good in pictures.