Download The monuments dedicated to the reign of Emperor Trajan

The monuments dedicated to the reign of Emperor Trajan emphasize
his military conquests, divinity, and public works.
LEARNING OBJECTIVE [ edit ]
Describe the monuments dedicated to the reign of Emperor Trajan and what they emphasized.
KEY POINTS [ edit ]
The Emperor Trajan continued an era of peace and stability that saw the fullest expansion of the
empire, as well as the execution of numerous public works, ranging from building programs to
social welfare.
Trajan reigned from 98 to 117 CE.
The Column of Trajan is an artistic feat that depicts Trajan's military conquest over the Dacians
(101 CE­102 CE and 105 CE­16 CE), through a series of more than 150 episodes and showing over
2,500 figures .
The Arch of Trajan at Benevento depicts scenes often seen ontriumphal arches, including scenes
of military conquest, imperial piety and divinity, as well depicted programs of building and social
works that Trajan patronage and implemented.
TERMS [ edit ]
engaged column
a column embedded in a wall and partly projecting from the surface of the wall, sometimes
defined as semi or three­quarter detached
frieze
Any sculptured or richly ornamented band in a building or, by extension, in rich pieces of
furniture.
Dacia
An ancient kingdom located in the area now known as Romania. The Dacian kingdom was
conquered by the Romans and later named Romania after them.
triumphal arch
A monumental arch that commemorates a victory.
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Imperial Memorial
Trajan was born in Spain and rose to
prominence in the Roman army during
the reign of Domitian. He was a popular
general and was adopted by the Emperor
Nerva as son and heir after Nerva realized
the he needed chose a successor who was
liked by the people. During Trajan's reign
of nearly twenty years, from 98 CE to 117
CE, the Roman Empire reached its
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greatest territorial range. Trajan established large building programs both in Rome and
throughout the empire.
Column of Trajan
As discussed previously, Trajan and his architect, Apollodorus of Damascus, designed and
built a large forumcomplex in the center of Rome. Standing between the libraries of the
Forum of Trajan is a 128 foot tall victory column, known as the Column of Trajan . It stands
on top of a large pedestal carved with a relief of the spoils of war. The pedestal later served as
a tomb for Trajan's ashes upon his death and deification. He is notably the first emperor to
be buried inside the pomerium. In a spiral relief that wraps around the column, from its
bottom to its top, is a 625 footfrieze depicting Trajan's two military campaigns against the
Dacians.
Column of Trajan
The Column of Trajan. Rome, Italy. 112 CE.
The frieze depicts over 150 episodes with more than 2,500 figures. The scenes show the
Roman army preparing for and war, including scenes . of moving the army, building
fortifications, of Emperor Trajan addressing the troops, battles, and the eventual surrender
by the Dacians to Trajan. Only one quarter of the narration depicts battles, while the
remaining panels depict scenes of preparation and other activities. The heavy emphasis on
preparation, instead of battle, emphasizes the Roman's organization and the power behind
the army. The visual narration is depicted in low relief (bas relief) and relies little on
naturalistic detail, preferring to show some scenes in multiple perspectives and with figures
on different ground lines. Important characters, such as Trajan, reappear throughout the
frieze and are easily identified. Trajan himself appears fifty­nine times, leading his troops as
the head of the army and the empire. With the exception of the appearance of a few Victory
figures and a river god, the Romans and Trajan are shown conquering the Dacians under
their own power, though their own superiority over their enemy, without the help of divine
intervention.
Detail from the Column of Trajan
Detail of five registers or bands from the Column of Trajan.
Trajan's victory column was originally topped by an eagle and later with a statue of Trajan.
The statue of Trajan eventually disappeared and was replaced in the 16th century by
a bronzestatue of St. Peter. Scholars have recently called the legibility of the figures into
question; because of the column's location, nestled between the libraries and the basilica of
the Trajan's Forum, the scenes, which are carved in low relief, are small and hard to read. It
is uncertain how much of the column's relief Romans would have been able to see; there's
some speculation whether knowledge of the idea of the narrative was more important than
being physically able to read the narrative.
The Arch of Trajan at Benevento
Trajan also had numerous triumphal arches built for him across the empire. The Arch of
Trajan in Benevento draws visual cues from the Arch of Titus at Rome. This arch, built
between 114 and 117 CE, was erected over the Via Appia, one of Rome's most ancient roads
through southern Italy, as the road entered Beneventum. Like the Arch of Titus, the Arch of
Trajan is ornately decorated with scenes of conquest and the deeds completed by Trajan. On
both sides of the arch is a dedicatory inscription;the exterior is decorated
with engagedcolumns and reliefs of Trajan's military conquest of Dacia, the extent of the
Roman empire, and allegorical scenes of imperial power as well as Trajan's good deeds as
both a builder of public works and as the founder of a charitable institution for children in
Roman Italy.
Arch of Trajan
The Arch of Trajan at Benevento (ancient Beneventum).
The two interior relief panels depict the religious activity of Trajan. One shows him making
a sacrifice in one of Rome's oldest forae, the Forum Boarium, which was home of some of the
city's oldest temples. The other panel depicts Trajan being welcomed after his apotheosis by
the Capitoline Triad of gods: Jupiter, Juno, and Minerva. These two scenes depict Trajan's
piety as well as the approval given him by the three most important gods in the
Roman pantheon.