The victory of the Roman emperor Trajan over the Dacians in back-to-back wars is carved in numerous scenes that spiral around a 126-foot marble pillar in Rome known as Trajan’s Column. It’s a tale that reads like an ancient comic strip.
Travel in time with this stop-motion animation and see how Trajan’s Column was built—according to one theory. How it was made and how accurate it is remain the subjects of spirited debate.
First Battle
Roman soldiers clash with their Dacian opponents in the first major battle scene carved on the column. The colors shown are speculative, but Romans frequently painted their statues and friezes.
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The victory of the Roman emperor Trajan over the Dacians in back-to-back wars is carved in numerous scenes that spiral around a 126-foot marble pillar in Rome known as Trajan’s Column. It’s a tale that reads like an ancient comic strip.
Carved into the structure are 2,662 figures in 155 scenes. Trajan appears in 58 of them. Viewers were meant to follow the story from bottom to top standing in one place rather than circling the column 23 times, as the frieze does. Key scenes could be seen from two main vantage points (A and B in the graphic).
Carved into the structure are 2,662 figures in 155 scenes. Trajan appears in 58 of them. Viewers were meant to follow the story from bottom to top standing in one place rather than circling the column 23 times, as the frieze does. Key scenes could be seen from two main vantage points (A and B in the graphic).
by length of scene
Trajan’s army included not only professional soldiers but also auxiliaries, conscripts, and mercenaries from across the empire. Most of the Dacians are dressed in trousers, tunics, and cloaks, while the Sarmatians, allies of the Dacians, are shown in armor.
Trajan’s army included not only professional soldiers but also auxiliaries, conscripts, and mercenaries from across the empire.
Most of the Dacians are dressed in trousers, tunics, and cloaks, while the Sarmatians, allies of the Dacians, are shown in armor.
To reveal more of the warriors, sculptors scaled down some of the shields and cut away Roman helmets.
Citizen soldier
Dacian helmets appear on the pedestal and column, but only as spoils of war, never on warriors.
Dacian warrior
Moorish cavalryman
Auxiliary infantryman
Sarmatian cavalryman
Dacian noble
Armored officer
Eagle standard
Northern Dacian
Wolf standard
