Short URL for this page:
bit.ly/POLTRCdescBase
mail:
Bill Thayer |
Italiano |
Help |
Up |
Home |
||||
|
The base is composed of a square dado richly sculptured with upper and lower mouldings delicately carved, standing on a double plinth. Above the upper mouldings is placed the proper base of the column itself, the torus, plinth and lower plinth, which expands with a bold and graceful apophyges to meet the fillet that forms the upper member of the moulding of the dado. Sitting above this curve are four Roman eagles, one at each angle of the upper plinth supporting a swag or garland of oak and other emblematic leaves tied with ribands at the corners, and the upper mouldings of the dado are delicately sculptured all over their surfaces. They consist of a carved cymatium and corona, an ovalo carved with egg and tongue ornament, a cyma recta carved with acanthus leaf, and an astragal. In the lower group at the base of the dado, those two mouldings are reversed and there is a fretted torus below. The carving on these members is in slight relief, so as not to break up their surfaces or destroy the outlines of the various curves and their value in the architectural arrangement. The sculptures on the dado are much injured both by time and violence, having been buried for many centuries, besides which parts have been cut away to admit the wall plates of a roof gable. The general arrangement and outlines, however, remain unchanged, though there is partial ruin in many places.
Beginning with the south side in which the door is cut, the scene is divided by a horizontal fillet which passes above the frame of the door.
The upper division contains a tablet supported by winged female figures one on each side. They are gracefully inclined forward, stretching diagonally from corner to corner of the square space they fill. They wear the usual women's tunic or ἱμάτιον gathered up at the waistband and falling over so as to form a graceful sinus. Over this garment is a πέπλον, the ends of which flow loose, and a scarf falls over the furthest shoulder. The lines of all these various loose ends of drapery diverge from the outline of the figure with every variety of graceful curve. On the table is the inscription: Senatus populusque Romanus Imperatori Caesari, Divi Nervae filio Nervae Trajano Augusto Germanico Dacico, Pontifici Maximo tribunitiae potestatis XVIIo (anno) imperii VIo, consulatus p102 VIIo, ad declarandum quantae altitudinis mons et locus tantis operibus sit egestus. The missing letters tis oper are cut away by the chase made for the wall plates of a roof, and Gruter and other commentators supplied the hiatus with other letters, such as tis ruder and tis e mont; but there is not room for more than the letters supplied in the text, and that reading certainly better completes the sentence than any of the others suggested.
Fig. 32. |
The lower half of the scene is divided by the doorway which cuts through the plinth and base mouldings, and gives access by an ascent of three steps to the interior of the tower. It is framed round by slight lines of moulding.
Fig. 33. |
On the other side of the door are several shields; a tuba and horn or lituus wolf headed; (No. 35) a draco; bow or arrow case; tuba and a square panel with a boss ornament much broken, but having an edge of pointed leaves or rays, perhaps the bow panel of a boat.
Fig. 36. |
Fig. 37. |
Fig. 39. |
Fig. 40. |
Images with borders lead to more information.
The thicker the border, the more information. (Details here.) |
||||||
UP TO: |
J. H. Pollen: Description of the Column |
Trajan's Column |
Rome |
Roman Gazetteer |
LacusCurtius |
Home |
A page or image on this site is in the public domain ONLY if its URL has a total of one *asterisk. If the URL has two **asterisks, the item is copyright someone else, and used by permission or fair use. If the URL has none the item is © Bill Thayer. See my copyright page for details and contact information. |
Page updated: 27 Nov 01