Trajan's Column in Rome Trajan's Column in Rome
The history, archaeology and iconography of the monument
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Images of Trajan in Situ (SE)

Representations of Trajan on the southeast side of Trajan’s Column in Rome.

 

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The first three spirals from the southeast "facade" of the Column that faces the Basilica Ulpia and the Forum of Trajan. This is also the side that carries the dedicatory inscription (on the pedestal, just below the image). The blue arrow at the bottom right indicates the beginning of the narrative frieze. The numbers refer to the Cichorius system for identifying individual scenes by number. From the Column in situ. RBU2013.2098. Scene 24/XXIV: A composite image from the Column in situ of the first great battle scene. The scenario begins on the left, just behind the window on the northeast axis of the Column. Trajan as commander is presented with some severed heads of the enemy by members of his auxiliary forces. The battle continues on the right: auxiliary riders and infantry sweep to crush their Dacian opponents. On the far right, partly concealed in the trees, the Dacian leader himself, Decebalus, looks on. Jupiter himself appears in the sky to lend succor to the Roman effort. RBU2016.6638-composite. Scene 66/LXVI: Close-up detail of Roman soldiers rushing headlong into battle. From cast #167, now in the Museo della Civiltà Romana, Rome. Compare Cichorius Pl. XLVII scene 66 and Coarelli Pl. 72. Ref: RBU2011.7162. Scene 91/XCI: Trajan performs a sacrifice at an altar (cast 237), pouring a libation from his patera as he is attended by an aulos player and camillus. He is accompanied by both togate Romans and Dacians, including a number of children who stand in the foreground. Along the top of the scene victimarii lead bulls to sacrifice. Note the series of individual altars at which the separate sacrifices will take place. "The scene is said to have taken place on the battlefield of Tapae, where an annual ceremony was held" (Coarelli 2000: 151). From casts 237-240, now in the Museo della Civiltà Romana, Rome. Compare Cichorius Pl. LXVI scene 91 and Coarelli Pls. 106-107. RBU2011.8114-composite Scene 147/CXLVII: A closer view of the assembly of soldiers and the display of the head of Decebalus. From casts 391-392, now in the Museo della Civiltà Romana, Rome. Compare Cichorius Pl. CVIII, scene 147 and Coarelli Pl. 173. Ref: RBU2011.8306. Anaglyph of Scene 32/XXXII. RBU2012.1000108-a The visibility of Trajan's Column from distances today would have been impossible in antiquity when the Column was enclosed in a courtyard situated on the northwest side of the Basilica Ulpia. Ref: RBU1997.239 On the Column of Trajan, from left to right (profile top and side/three-quarter view bottom). 1. (Left, top and bottom): Trajan's first sacrifice in front of a Roman camp (Scene 8). Compare Cichorius Pl. X and Coarelli Pl. 8. 2. (Middle, top and bottom): Trajan sacrifices before a group of Romans and Dacians (Scene 91). Compare Cichorius Pl. LXVI and Coarelli Pl. 106. 3. (Right, top and bottom): Trajan makes an inaugural sacrifice in front of the bridge built over the Danube (Scene 99). Compare Cichorius Pl. LXXII and Coarelli Pl. 118. Images from casts in the Museo della Civiltà Romana. (Photos by Ulrich; Image Grid by Z. Mei). View of the pedestal and base of the Column of Trajan, northeast side. RBU2011.00862 Scene 40: Detail of Roman ballistics, on the tops of casts nos. 104-105. Compare to Cichorius Pl. XXXI. From the original publication of 1865; Ref: F-D-40det.

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