LacusCurtius • Trajan's Column — John Hungerford Pollen

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A Web-enhanced version 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–

Introduction

The Dacians

Decebalus

The Army

The Legion

Arms and Equipment

Standards

Musical Instruments

Camps

Artillery

Fortification

Religion

Assembly Points

Line of March

Passes

First War

Interbellum

Pons Apollodori

Second War

Return to Rome

The Column as Art

Later History

Opera Trajani

Later History

Description of the Column		page
General		97
The Base		101
1	The Staging of the Expedition º	105
2	The Passage of the Danube by the Emperor and his Army	108
3	Council of war	111
4	First sacrifice	112
5	Trajan breaks up his camp	113
6	Trajan addresses his troops	114
7	Construction of a fortified camp	115
8	Additional fortified station	116
9	A wood	117
10	Another Fortified Position	118
11	A prisoner	118
12	Construction of a bridge	119
13	Fortified camp or oppidum	119
14	The emperor sends out mounted spies	120
15	General advance of the Roman army	121
16	First battle	121
17	Burning of the Dacian quarters	123
18	Passage of a river	124
19	Trajan receives a deputation from the enemy	125
20	Reception of another embassy	125
21	Flight of the remains of the Dacian forces, and destruction of a stronghold	125
22	Disasters of the Dacian cavalry	126
23	Assault of a Roman Fort	127
24	Preparation for a fresh campaign	127
25	The emperor Trajan crosses the Tisia, Tibiscus (?) and prepares for action	129
26	Advance of the Roman legions	130
27	Results of the action	131
28	The wounded and prisoners	132
29	General action	133
30	Results of the fifth battle	134
31	The emperor distributing rewards to his soldiers	134
32	Cruelty of the Dacians	135
33	Trajan receives help from friendly natives	135
34	A river passage on a bridge of boats	136
35	Occupation of a fort	137
36	Trajan addressing his troops	137
37	Reception of a Dacian ambassador	138
38	Reception of another ambassador	138
39	Sacrifice of the suovetaurilia	138
40	The Emperor addresses the Troops	139
41	Laying of a Road	139
42	Fortifications of the Enemy Destroyed	139
43	Construction of a Fortified Camp	140
44	Submission of a Dacian Chief	140
45	Advance of a Provision Train	140
46	A Fortified Camp	141
47	Trajan Advances his Troops	141
48	Defeat and Flight of the Enemy	141
49	A Further Advance and Fresh Fortifications	142
50	Trajan Receives Two Native Chiefs	142
51	A Battle in the Forest	142
52	A Roman Fortification and Examination of a Prisoner	144
53	Attack and Defeat of the Enemy	144
54	The Emperor Receives Assurances of Victory	145
55	Last Battle of the War	146
56	The Dacians are Totally Defeated	146
57	Construction of Other and Larger Fortifications	147
58	Trajan Receives Decebalus and Determines the Conditions of Peace	147
59	Fulfilment of Further Conditions of the Peace	148
60	Trajan Gives his Parting Instructions before Leaving for Rome	149
61	Figure of Victory and Trophies Erected in Honour of the War	150
62	Second Dacian War, A.D. 104	151
63	Reception of the Emperor	152
64	Triumphal Procession	153
65	The Emperor about to Offer a Sacrifice	154
66	Another Landing and Sacrifice	154
67	Trajan Departs with Fresh Forces for the War	155
68	The Column Reaches another Colony	155
69	The Emperor Welcomed by Colonists	156
70	The Emperor Offers Sacrifice	156
71	Fresh Fortifications	156
72	Fortification Constructed by Decebalus	157
73	Attack of a Roman Fortification. Battle and Defeat of the Enemy	157
74	Another Roman Fortress Attacked by the Enemy	158
75	Trajan Rescues his Men with Cavalry	158
76	The Bridge	159
77	Embassy of Dacians and Others to the Emperor	161
78	March of the Legionaries	162
79	Welcome of the Emperor Celebrated by a Sacrifice	162
80	A Sacrifice	163
81	Trajan Addresses his Troops	163
82	Trajan Sets his Army in Motion	163
83	The Emperor Provisions the Stations on his Route	164
84	The Advance Continued	164
85	Provisioning a Station	165
86	A Dacian Fortress	165
87	Battle and Defeat of the Dacians	166
88	Attack and Assault of a Dacian Fortress	166
89	Siege and Storm of the Dacian Fort	167
90	Trajan Prepares Stores of Timber	169
91	The Emperor Receives the Submission of a Native Chief	169
92	Destruction of a Large Town by the Defenders	170
93	Submission of a Portion of the Dacian Force	170
94	Distribution of Corn º to the Legionaries	171
95	The Emperor Makes a Speech to the Troops	171
96	Additional Fortifications	172
97	Trajan Rejects Offers of Submission	172
98	The Light Troops Cross a Temporary Bridge	172
99	Timber Stores and Fortifications Abandoned by the Dacians	173
100	Attack on a Roman Fortification	173
101	The Siege Raised by the Dacians	174
102	Speech of Trajan and Distribution of Plunder	174
103	Last Address of Decebalus and his Self-Destruction	174
104	The Emperor Receives News of the Death of King Decebalus	175
105	Capture of a Prisoner of Rank	176
106	The Head of Decebalus Brought to the Roman Quarters	176
107	Capture of Fugitives of Rank	177
108	Capture of the Last Mountain Stronghold	177
109	Transplantation of the Inhabitants with their property	177

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