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Scene 93 This webpage reproduces a section of A Description of the Trajan Column by John Hungerford Pollen printed by George E. Eyre and William Spottiswoode, printers to Queen Victoria London, 1874 Text and engravings are in the public domain. Any color photographs are © William P. Thayer 1997- Scene 95

SCENES OF THE SPIRAL BAND RUNNING UP THE SHAFT

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XCIV. Distribution of corn to the legionaries

The emperor distributes rewards to his soldiers in the shape of allowances, annonae, of corn.º The scene is a space outside the praetorium of a Roman encampment. The place is an old Dacian oppidum, the same that has already been represented as the capital, or one of the capital towns of Decebalus. In the right-hand angle, high on a point of rock, appears a fountain or natural well. It is arched over, a basin is formed in the recess by building up a wall to the spring of the arch, and a channel of stone-work has been made to bring the water into the town.

A number of soldiers are carrying their allowances in large sacks, which are filled from a modius, a wooden vessel, hooped, containing something under two gallons (1·92) of our measure. The sacks are full and heavy, and are carried on the shoulder, the men grip the mouth of the sack with one hand, and the weight of the grain falls to the two ends; the opening in the middle requiring to be held carefully.

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