Rome

Colosseum

Forum

Trajan's Column

Circus Maximus

Ostia

Trajan's Column

The Column of Trajan (113 A.D.) is almost intact - its only difference now from when it was first erected was that the statue of the Emperor Trajan was replaced with one of St. Peter. The column consists of a spiral of relief sculpture relating the exploits of the Dacian Wars (102-103; 105-107 A.D.). It consists of 44 sections with a total length of 650 feet. There are 155 scenes containing 2,500 figures. The scenes include the loading of provisions into the ships; religious ceremony; battle scenes and also the surrender of the barbarian chief to Trajan. The column stood in front of the Temple of Trajan and beside two libraries. The column contains a spiral staircase which is lit by small windows carved into the decoration. The base originally held an urn with the ashes of Trajan and his wife, but these have been lost.