Trajan's Column

Trajan's Column is an outstanding historical monument, well preserved from ancient Roman times. The colossus that towered over the forum of that time still stands today as a witness to the greatness and decline of a powerful state. The community says that the landmark has a lot to tell; scientists and travelers who are interested in studying history are advised to visit it.

History of the column

Official sources say that it was created under the leadership of the architect Apollodorus of Damascus in 113 BC to commemorate the victories of the ruler Marcus Ulpius Trajan, the best of the emperors, as he was called in Rome. The work was hard, despite this, it was strategically important to finish it. The fact is that thanks to Trajan’s military successes, the power significantly increased its territory. The commander was especially glorified by his campaigns in Dacia. It was these merits that they decided to perpetuate by creating Trajan's Column.

Architecture features

The material for the construction of Trajan's Column was the most valuable type of marble - Carrara. On a five-meter rectangular base rests a 30-meter pillar, crowned with a capital. The total height is 38 meters, the diameter is 3.7 meters. Twenty stacked blocks create the interior space for a 185-step staircase leading to an observation deck above. From there the eternal city was in full view. But not everyone is destined to rise. The inner corridor is too narrow, the windows are raised so high that it is impossible to look out of them. A climbing man is disoriented in a confined space. Today access to tourists is prohibited. Inside the pedestal there is an urn containing the remains of the ruler and his wife. The trunk of Trajan's Column is decorated with a ribbon with reliefs of 190 meters. From above, the statue of Trajan himself, now the Apostle Peter, “looked down” on everyone.

Column relief

The main character of the high relief appears before the viewer's gaze 59 times. In total, there are more than 2.5 thousand figures on Trajan's Column. The plot is the actions of the Roman army during two Dacian campaigns. Stucco images of real people are combined with allegorical ones: a majestic old man personifies the Danube, a woman with a covered face represents the night. Everything is done quite realistically. The events presented in the stone are arranged in accordance with chronology. In addition to scenes of battles, the peaceful affairs of the legionnaires in the conquered lands are shown: agricultural and construction work.

Interesting facts

• To prevent the structure from being obscured by the hills in the immediate vicinity, their slopes had to be partially removed. Nothing like this has ever been done before.
• During the entire existence of Trajan's Column, only one change was made to its design - the sculpture at the top.
• In Ancient Rome it was strictly forbidden to bury within the city limits. An exception was made for the ashes of a revered person.
• The artifact attracts the attention of travelers and researchers, who have been arguing for many years about the purpose of the attraction, about the author, and so on.
• The elements of the structure do not have a binder solution. They are held in place by metal ties, filled with lead for strength. The connecting seams are almost invisible.
• The lower and upper lobes differ in thickness by five centimeters. This is another mystery of the object: was it intended or happened by accident.