the mark in all its three dimensional beauty (the trajan column)

the column itself, quite a marvel for first century ad. standards. the structure is about 30 metres (98 feet) in height, 35 metres (115 feet) including its large pedestal. the shaft is made from a series of 20 colossal carrara marble drums, each weighing about 32 tons with a diameter of 3.7 metres (12. feet). the 190-metre (620-foot) frieze winds around the shaft 23 times. inside the shaft, a spiral staircase of 185 steps provides access to a viewing platform at the top. the capital block of Trajan's Column weighs 53.3 tons, which had to be lifted to a height of 112 feet. which makes it a feat of architecture and engineering. so, the design as a mark obliges technology, production of coins,

excavations around the column court indicate that there were preexisting roads and buildings on site. the column shaft was an artificial unit of 100 Roman feet, increased and adjusted by the pedestal and other elements,

the crowning statue and the helical frieze both elevate the princeps and advertise victory over the dacians which financed the forum. Trajan is presented as a paternal commander, exhibiting the formulaic ruler-ship qualities of pietas, clementia, liberalitas, etc, control of a disciplined, multi-cultural army,

on the frieze itself (and keep in mind the freeze wraps around the whole column we see history unfolding before our eyes... trajan army forces presented as disciplined and technically accomplished, held in reserve during battles, but active in hi-tech sieges. here romans become acculturators, spreading mediterranean culture and architecture through their construction of military installations, clearance of forests and road-building,

the art becomes extremely detailed, key historical and topographical points were presented on vertical axes to improve viewer comprehension and to emphasise cardinal achievements (victory between wars, the danube bridge, capture of treasure, death of Decebalus, the presentation of his severed head, etc). these key episodes and symbolic elements were strung together with logically organised generic images (march, construction, adlocutio, sacrifice, battle, siege, submission), always subordinated to panegyric intent of the whole, the lesson? 

PROPAGANDA EXISTED BEFORE 20th century!

by presenting the veristic and ethnically specific barbarian spolia on the pedestal reliefs victory beyond far imperial frontiers was given detailed immediacy. trajan’s triumphs, triumphal games and coin issues had already educated the audience about warfare events, barbarian peoples and barbarian material culture,

here are two angles, one from from the balcony with the lower elevation reconstruction of the Basilica Ulpia and the asymmetric positioning of the Equus Traiani base, the two most prominent statues of Trajan in his Forum were intervisible.

a clear appreciation of the magnificence of the whole Forum complex was facilitated. see that beyond the confines of the Forum a number of Trajanic building projects were also viewable to advantage from the balcony, notably the Thermae Traianae on the Oppian Hill to the east-south-east, dominating the Amphitheatrum Flavium and the Thermae Titi (many of these buildings have disappeared).