The secrets and details of Trajan's Column

Trajan column

La Trajan's Column or Trajan's ColumnCalled Colonna Traiana in Italian, it is located in the city of Rome and is one of the monuments that are essential in a visit to the city. This column draws a lot of attention for its 30 meters high and because all of it is carved with scenes that have to do with Roman history.

Its good conservation is surprising considering that it dates from the year 113. As it is one of the most visited monuments in the city of RomeWe will see all the details that you can give us. It is undoubtedly a piece of history and all its secrets must be thoroughly understood to appreciate it in its splendor.

History of the column

Trajan's column

This column was a mandate of Emperor Trajan, hence its name. It is located in the northern part of the Roman Forum and has a height of 30 meters plus the eight meters of the pedestal on which it sits. It is composed of the prized Carrara marble, with blocks of up to four meters. The frieze as a whole is 200 meters long and goes around the column 23 times in total. Inside there is a spiral staircase that leads to the top, in which there is a viewpoint. At the top there was a statue of the Emperor Trajan which was later replaced by an image of Saint Peter.

This column was created for several purposes. One of them was indicate the height of the mountain which had been destroyed and displaced to create the Roman Forum. The other was to house the ashes of the emperor and the last was to commemorate the conquest of Dacia by Trajan, with that frieze carved in marble.

The inscription of the column

Trajan's column

In the column you can see a inscription that is of interest for being an example of Roman quadrata writing. This type of writing uses geometric shapes such as the square or the triangle. In the Latin inscription it says something like this: 'The senate and the Roman people, to the emperor Caesar Nerva Trajan Augustus Germanicus Dácico, son of the divine Nerva, maximum pontiff, tribune for the seventeenth time, imperator for the sixth time, consul for the sixth time, father of the country, to show the height they reached the mountain and the place now destroyed for works like this. ' This is how this intention of showing the height of the mountain where the column is located and who it commemorated is known.

The bas-reliefs of the column

Trajan's column

The most interesting part of Trajan's Column are undoubtedly its bas-reliefs. Behind this story that is told in stone is the work of the Emperor Trajan to conquer Dacia, what today would be Romania and Moldova. The emperor carried out battles from 101 to 106 to conquer this area, recruiting thousands of soldiers for this purpose. The conquest of the Dacia brought with it a great booty in gold, for which great works were carried out, such as this column or a great forum. The column dominates that forum and in it you can see the whole story told by the Romans about the conquest of Dacia. In 55 different scenes it is possible to see in detail Dacians and Romans fighting, negotiating or dying in battle. These bas-reliefs have been studied by historians to better understand the details of the clothes of the Romans, their weapons and also the battle tactics. Many of these bas-reliefs are worn and it is difficult to distinguish the details, but the 1.900 years that the column has been standing must be taken into account, so its conservation and strength are admirable.

The good news is that this column has attracted the looks and curiosity of those who wanted to know more about the Roman Empire. Many artists lowered themselves into baskets from the top to see the reliefs up close and study them. The good news is that in the XNUMXth century there were many who decided to make replicas with plaster of the friezes and details, so that today pieces that have succumbed to the passage of time and environmental contamination are preserved.

Trajan reliefs

It must be borne in mind that at that time artists did not act freely in their works, but received well-defined commissions to praise certain clients, such as the Emperor Trajan himself. That is why this historical view on the column should be taken into account, as it is done from the point of view of the Roman emperor. Specifically, he appears as the protagonist in 58 scenes, in which various facets were shown, from a pious sovereign to a cultured man in consultation with his advisers. Not only was he looking for an image of Trajan in battle, but the emperor wanted to be remembered as something else, hence all those scenes in the column. However, the interpretations about the work are very varied, since some historians maintain that it was created by workers on the fly, due to differences in style. Either way, we are still fascinated by such an old work in which there is so much detail.


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