Trajan 's Column

 Trajan s Column

The large free standing column of Trajan was the centerpiece of Trajan’ s forum and commemorated the emperor s two victorious military complain against Dacians (101-102, 105-106 c. e).  The monument consists of a Luna marble pedestal, shaft and capital that were originally topped by gilded bronze statue of Trajan.

Although not intended to be a Tomb, the remains of Trajan and his wife Plotina were housed in the pedestal after 117.The total height of the monument is (125 feet or 38 meters) record the amount of earth dug away from the Quirinal hill for the forum’s construction. The column has an internal spiral staircase of 185 steps leading to an upper balcony. Light entered the interior through 40 slit windows that were added after the exterior decoration was finished. Reliefs of captured enemy armor cover the pedestal exterior, and the column shaft bears a helical band, 656 feet (200 meters) long and 2 to 4 feet (0.61-1.2 meters) high, carved with scenes from the actual campaigns. They are 155 individual scenes and more than 2,500 figures in the 23 superimposed spirals. Read from bottom up, the sculptural narrative records mainly generic roman military events; only one-quarter is devoted to battle scenes. Decebalus, the Dacian leader, is depicted almost at the column’s apex as a courageous man who preferred suicide to capture.

The column was originally topped by a gilded bronze statue of Trajan (replaced by one of saint peter in 1588). Although not intended to be a tomb, the remains of Trajan and his wife Plotina were housed in the pedestal after 117 c.e . The column has an internal spiral staircase of 185 steps leading to an upper balcony. Light interred the interior through 40 slit windows that were added after the exterior decoration was finished. Reliefs of captured enemy armor cover the pedestal exterior, and the column

The column of Trajan Is a part of the for, which is one of the imperial for a um of Trojan. The column has 22 different layers approximately one yard each. They are not pattern because they go around. The column itself tells story; a story, of war. It reflects the chronological order of the events. From the beginning of the war until victory was proclaimed.The body of the column is covered with some sort of two-dimensional sculptors.Some of the scene shows some soldiers building camps, bridges and fortification.

The base of the column is a typical representation of what they have defeated. The base of the column does not have any display of human figure because they don’t consider that they have defeated people but weapons. The enemy is treated as a valuable opponent. The base of the column is actually a crown It is made of blocks of marble carve. Inside of the base is actually a staircase.

 Sometime call the trajanic Column. The Illustrated dictionary of architecture define the column as a large commemoratives single freestanding column with internal winding stair, spiral bands of reliefs sculpture around the shaft, a large pedestal base, and a commemorative statue on top; name after the antiques column if the emperor Trajan in Rome ( c A.D.112).

Work cited :

Turner, Lee Ann" Trajan s Column"Salem press emcyclopedia, January, 2015, 1p