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Trajan's Column

Nerva (died 98 CE) was the last emperor to be laid in the Mausoleum of Augustus, leaving his successor, Trajan, to seek another resting place. Trajan's solution was this column, in whose base he and his wife were buried. The column has stood the test of time, remaining intact from when it was completed in 113 CE, whereas most other monuments of ancient Rome have suffered.

The column reaches a height of 30 meters (98 ft) and 40 meters including the base and surmounting statue and is comprised of 18 cylindrical blocks of marble each 1.50 meters high and 3.50 meters in diameter. The whole surface of the column is covered by carved reliefs of the highest artistic value that tell the story of Trajans two wars against the Dacians (who lived in what is today Romania). The column is hollow and contains a staircase of 183 stairs.

To see this lone structure today one would have no idea of its original context. In ancient times the column stood between two buildings (also built by Trajan) that provided the observer good vantage points to see the many carved reliefs that spiral up the column. Today a pair of binoculars will help to see the 2500 figures represented on the column.

The reliefs are a mine of information about Roman culture, how armies functioned and the development of Trajan's wars. You'll see the crossing of the Danube on a boat bridge, the building of camps, sacrifices, war counsels, fighting, and in seventy scenes Trajan is clearly visible and easily recognizable.

Originally, there was a statue of the emperor on the top of the column, but this was replaced in 1587 by a statue of St Peter which is what can be seen on the column today. I'll leave it up to your imagination both how the statue of the emperor got there and how it was replaced. Thirty meters is quite a height.

Ian Hutchesson