Trajan’s Column: History, Design, and Significance
Trajan’s Column
Historical Context
During Trajan’s reign, the Roman Empire reached its zenith. Trajan entrusted the senate and focused on military matters. His military campaigns extended to Germania and the Danube, most notably the conquest of Dacia. He also initiated public works projects in Rome, including the construction of the Forum of Trajan, where the column stands, a market, and improvements to the road network and port.
Formal Description
The column, made of marble, has a diameter of 4 meters. The base is 10 meters high and adorned with detailed reliefs. The column comprises a base decorated with a laurel wreath, a shaft made of 17 cylindrical drums, and a Doric capital, reaching a height of 20 meters. The shaft’s diameter is approximately 4 meters. A bronze statue of the emperor once stood atop the column but disappeared during the Middle Ages and was later replaced.
A helical frieze, 200 meters long, wraps around the shaft, featuring 155 sculpted scenes depicting the Dacian Wars. These scenes contain approximately 2500 human figures, with Emperor Trajan appearing 59 times. The figures are realistically portrayed, and metaphorical representations, such as the Danube River depicted as an elderly man, are employed. The frieze winds around the column 23 times. The base features an inscription.
Meaning and Function
The column primarily served a commemorative function, celebrating Trajan’s victories against the Dacians. The scenes were based on a written account titled De Bello Daccio (The Dacian Wars), which is now lost. The wars occurred between 101-102 AD and 105-106 AD, and the scenes are arranged chronologically. The column has provided valuable historical information for historians.
A second function was as a funerary monument. The ashes of Emperor Trajan and his wife were interred at the base. A staircase within the column leads to the top.
A third function was propaganda, showcasing the strength and power of the Roman Empire and its emperor. A fourth function was to mark the height of the Quirinal Hill.
Models and Influences
While historical reliefs were not new, Trajan’s Column was the first to utilize a continuous spiral of sculptures around a column shaft. The narrative technique of placing scenes one after another had precedents in Greek art, such as the Altar of Zeus. Trajan’s Column became a leading example of historical relief sculpture and a significant contribution to Roman art. It served as a model for later columns, such as the Column of Marcus Aurelius.
Later examples include the Vendôme Column in Paris, commissioned by Napoleon after the Battle of Austerlitz in 1805, and the Karlskirche in Vienna, built in 1713 by Emperor Charles VI in honor of Saint Charles Borromeo, who was considered a hero during a plague epidemic.