#trajan's column

[bulljumpingfresco]

(Detail) Trajan's column, plaster cast, by Monsieur Oudry, about 1864, Paris, France

Source: The V&A

[yaellaharpe-blog]

When Emperor Trajan commissioned the construction of Trajan’s Column, designed by Apollodorus of Damascus in 113 AD, Roman engineers were faced with a problem that no manual could solve.

(English / Español / Italiano)

The monument was not carved from a single block of stone. Instead, it was constructed using 18 enormous cylinders of Carrara marble, each weighing around 40 tonnes.

Before the blocks were lifted into place, the workers had already carved a spiral staircase inside each one. Once stacked, these internal sections had to fit together perfectly to form a continuous staircase almost 30 metres high.

Today, inside the column, visitors can still climb the 185 steps of the spiral staircase. This means that the Roman engineers had to calculate with absolute precision the orientation, angle and alignment of every single marble drum before it was hoisted using cranes operated by pulleys, winches and human strength.

On the outside, the column is wrapped in a spiral relief approximately 200 metres long, depicting the emperor’s victories in the Dacian Wars. The decoration winds 23 times around the shaft, continuously recounting the exploits of the Roman soldiers: the building of bridges, marches through the forests and battles against the Dacian kingdom. Originally, the base of the column housed a golden urn containing the ashes of Emperor Trajan.

Almost two millennia later, the column still stands in Trajan’s Forum. Not only as a work of art, but as a testament to the extraordinary precision of Roman engineering.

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Cuando el emperador Trajano ordenó la construcción de la Columna Trajana, diseñada por Apolodoro de Damasco en el año 113 d. C., los ingenieros romanos se encontraron ante un problema que ningún manual podía resolver.

El monumento no fue esculpido a partir de un único bloque de piedra. En cambio, se construyó con 18 enormes cilindros de mármol de Carrara, cada uno de los cuales pesaba unas 40 toneladas.

Antes de que se levantaran y colocaran los bloques, los obreros ya habían tallado una escalera de caracol en el interior de cada uno de ellos. Una vez apilados, estos segmentos internos debían encajar a la perfección para formar una escalera continua de casi 30 metros de altura.

Hoy en día, en el interior de la columna, los visitantes aún pueden subir los 185 peldaños de la escalera de caracol. Esto significa que los ingenieros romanos tuvieron que calcular con absoluta precisión la orientación, el ángulo y la alineación de cada uno de los tambores de mármol antes de que fueran izados con grúas accionadas por poleas, cabrestantes y fuerza humana.

En el exterior, la columna está envuelta por un relieve en espiral de unos 200 metros de longitud, que representa las victorias del emperador en las guerras dacias. La decoración da 23 vueltas alrededor del fuste, narrando de forma continua las hazañas de los soldados romanos: construcción de puentes, marchas por los bosques y batallas contra el reino de los dacios. Originalmente, la base de la columna albergaba una urna de oro con las cenizas del emperador Trajano.

Casi dos milenios después, la columna sigue en pie en el Foro de Trajano. No solo como obra de arte, sino como prueba de la extraordinaria precisión de la ingeniería romana.

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Quando l’imperatore Traiano ordinò la costruzione della Colonna Traiana, disegnata da Apollodoro di Damasco, nel 113 d.C., gli ingegneri romani si trovarono di fronte a un problema che nessun manuale poteva risolvere.

Il monumento non fu scolpito da un unico blocco di pietra. Fu invece realizzato con 18 enormi cilindri di marmo di Carrara, ciascuno del peso di circa 40 tonnellate.

Prima che i blocchi venissero sollevati e posizionati, gli operai avevano già scolpito all’interno di ognuno una scala a chiocciola. Una volta impilati, questi segmenti interni dovevano combaciare perfettamente per formare una scala continua alta quasi 30 metri.

Oggi, all’interno della colonna, i visitatori possono ancora salire i 185 gradini della scala a spirale. Ciò significa che gli ingegneri romani dovettero calcolare con precisione assoluta l’orientamento, l’angolazione e l’allineamento di ogni singolo tamburo di marmo prima che venisse sollevato con gru azionate da carrucole, argani e forza umana.

All’esterno, la colonna è avvolta da un rilievo a spirale lungo circa 200 metri, che raffigura le vittorie dell’imperatore nelle guerre daciche. La decorazione gira 23 volte attorno al fusto, raccontando in modo continuo le imprese dei soldati romani: costruzione di ponti, marce nelle foreste e battaglie contro il regno dei Daci. Originalmente, la base de la columna albergaba una urna de oro con las cenizas del emperador Trajano.

Quasi due millenni dopo, la colonna è ancora in piedi nel Foro di Traiano. Non solo come opera d’arte, ma come prova della straordinaria precisione dell’ingegneria romana.

Source: ArcheoAmbiente

[archiveofaffinities]

Trajan's Column

[illustratus]

[sheltiechicago]

Photo By Majkl Velner

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Dacian Draco on Trajan's Column.

Vlad the Impaler or Vlad Dracula

The famous Bran Castle, also known as Dracula's Castle.

Photo By Virgil Maierean

[ltwilliammowett]

Mainz, Museum für antike Schifffahrt, Detail der Trajanssäule (Museum of Ancient shipping, detail of Trajan's column) von HEN-Magonza

Trajan was Roman Emperor from 98 - 117 and under his reign the empire experienced its greatest expansion through the conquest of Armenia, Mesopotamia and especially the Dacian Empire (today Romania). Trajan's Column at the Roman Trajan Forum is a triumphal monument, erected to celebrate the emperor and to remind the Romans of the efforts of the emperor and the army during the wars against the Dacians.

The monument consists of a cube-shaped base to hold Trajan's ashes and a 27 m high column shaft covered with a spiral frieze 1 m high and 200 m long. It took only 5 years to complete the immense sculptural work (2,500 figures) and the column was inaugurated in 113, a year after the completion of Trajan's Forum. In this monument, Trajan (who is depicted a total of 60 times) and the army were depicted as dedicated to unity, since, according to Trajan's conviction, only unity can lead to victory. At the very top, on a platform, there was originally a gilded statue of Trajan, which was melted down in the Middle Ages. From 1587, a statue of the apostle Peter, which has survived to the present day, stands there.

The Mainz Museum of Ancient Seafaring owns several casts of Trajan's Column showing ship scenes during the campaign against the Dacians.

[cgcosmo]

Dacian draco- wolf, on Trajan's Column.

[blackswaneuroparedux]

Aegroto, dum anima est, spes est.*

- Quintus Ennius

While the sick person has life, there is hope.*

Sometimes referred to as the 'Battle of the Bandages' scene, this depicts a scene from Trajan's Column in Rome. It contains the only known depiction of Roman soldiers receiving medical treatment in battle. Look carefully to the right and see a Roman soldier bandage another wounded comrade.