Trajan's Column

Here we are in front of Trajan’s Column. This is one of the most impressive monuments to survive the fall of the Roman Empire.

I imagine this is not the first column you’ve ever seen. In London there’s Nelson’s Column in Trafalgar Square. In Paris there’s a column to Napoleon and I’m sure there are others across the world but we are looking at the first ever realised column with a spiral staircase and ornamental sculpture, and in my humble opinion it's the most beautiful column.

Completed in 113AD, having taken 5 years to build, Trajan's Column in total is 40 metres in height. Working from the bottom, the base is six metres by six. The shaft consists of seventeen separate cylinders stacked on top of each other. Not an easy task when you don’t have modern cranes to help you. While shaping the cylinders, craftsmen also had to carve out steps because inside the column is a fully functioning spiral staircase which took visitors up to the top, where there is a viewing terrace, on top of which is a statue.

The architect of Trajan’s Forum, which dominated this entire area, also probably designed the column.

So why build a column? It’s extremely difficult, so why do it? Building a road or an amphitheatre has a purpose, but a column? Well, it had two functions. It was a tomb for Emperor Trajan and his wife, Plotina, whose ashes were placed in the base. And secondly it was built to celebrate the might of the the Romans in defeating their enemies, the Dacians, who came from Modern day Romania. In that sense the column is much like a triumphal arch that you can find over in the Forum. (In fact, triumphal arches are also not only restricted to the Roman Empire; you can find more modern arches like the Arc du Triomphe or Marble Arch).

Coming back to the column, let’s focus on the exterior of the shaft, which is in fact a historical document. Why do I say that? Well, we are looking at a story that spirals up the column, that winds its way around the column. In vertical height the column is 40 metres but if you unwind the spiral relief it’s in fact 200 metres long. In total, two thousand five hundred figures decorate the column and illustrate common everyday scenes of soldiers in the empire, preparing for battle, exploring distant lands and there’s even one scene of a bridge constructed of boats over the Danube. Unfortunately, from down here it’s very difficult to appreciate the level of detail this column contains. Of course this wasn't always the case.

Originally, the column was surrounded by buildings of the Forum. It is believed that two libraries stood either side of the column and the roofs of these buildings enabled visitors to get a greater view of the reliefs. Sadly we only have this view today. But it’s kind of magical I think that while all other buildings have fallen the column has remained, standing proud and victorious.

It does beg the question, how has the column remained? For sure it was well built, but another reason is that the Pope possibly back in the middle ages, with a keen eye for a business opportunity, charged members of the public to enter the column, in order to walk up its one hundred and eighty five steps and catch a sunset view of the Eternal City. So you see, tourism is not a new concept to Rome!

One final thing I’d like to mention is the statue on top. Originally, there was a golden bronze statue of Emperor Trajan. However, because of its precious metals, vagabonds stole it or perhaps the Pope borrowed it. We're not entirely sure. Anyway, some time later in the 16th century a statue of Saint Peter, one of Rome's patron saints, was put in its place and it is he who is looking down on us today.