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| Colored reconstruction of the base of the Column of Trajan. |
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| The right exedra and markets. |
The column depicts the Dacian wars Trajan lead and won. It not only depicts the battles but also the work that had to be done in Dacia, modern day Romania, after it was captured. Soldiers are seen building and bring order and peace to the region they just concurred. Because it is between two libraries, it is believed to be based on a written scroll and for the column the words were replaced with pictures and the "scroll" was unraveled up the column.
This seems like the correct theory for the column but my first thoughts when I saw it was that the Romans were possibly trying to do their own version of the Egyptian obelisk. The Romans were always trying to do better than the previous empires, like the Etruscans and Greeks, so this might have been there way of doing better than the Egyptians. An obelisk had hieroglyphics on it that depicted some sort of literature, just like the column depicted the story of the Dacian conquests. But when I read about the scroll theory, it seemed more plausible. We also visited what remains of the Stadium of Domitian today which is now the Piazza Navona and an obelisk is in the center of it. It's not an Egyptian one, though, it's one the Romans carved out using hieroglyphics in the Latin language. Essentially, it's like someone using the Chinese alphabet to spell something in English when they don't really know the alphabet. So it is clear if the Romans wanted to make an obelisk they would try to make them look more like the originals.
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| The Roman obelisk. You can see the sides don't have facades carved in them, so it's not like the Column of Trajan. |
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| Column of Trajan |
I personally think it's weird to see a picture of what things like this may have looked like in color. I feel like It kind of looks better without color because it makes it seem more... classical? or more normal to me. If I saw this column or any statue in color like it origionally was I think i'd have to re-evaluate my perspective of ancient rome. Only because the ancient roman world I made up in my head basically has no color. Great Job on your presentation by the way.
ReplyDeleteI understand where you're coming from with the no color thing, I felt that way too, but I actually like the color on the column and I think it would have been easier to see the pictures at the top with the color added. I think it was Aaron that said if these statues would have color on them today as they did when they were made, wouldn't it make sense that that would be our perspective on the classical world? I feel like it wouldn't be any different than it is now, we would just see bright colors as beautiful classical colors rather than white as the classical color.
DeleteI agree that the forum of Trajan is the best of all of them! I know its almost blasphemy that I didn't say it was Augustus' forum but im gonna chance it. The column is definitely the most impressive thing about it and I agree that it makes sense if there was a written scroll corresponding with the column as it does look like one giant scroll wrapped around a column. I always liked to think of it as an ancient comic strip only not really funny well I guess it could've been to some Romans but they just conquered a new province and all. Great post! And good job on your presentation!
ReplyDeleteGood post Rachel! You did very well on your presentation, I am happy for you. Yeah, that picture of column in color with the pictures having color makes the column look different. It think that it looks good in color, I never would have thought that the Romans would paint something like that. Then again, I think that Rome was really more than just a white/gray marble city. Since a lot of architecture here did actually contain color. I know the Arch of Titus had some color on it, then it faded with time. Do You like it with color or not on the Column? Also, do you think that replacing the statue on the top of the column with a Saint rather than keeping the one of Trajan?
ReplyDeleteI like the column better with color. Even in the picture, it's easier to make out the pictures on it. I love the saints but I also love ancient art and architecture so I'm a little sad the column isn't in tact. I guess I should be thanking the Pope for preserving it as much as it is but it would be better with the statue of Trajan.
DeleteI loved that you added a picture of the column with added bright colors. It's hard to imagine the garish painting styles that were said to have been used on all of these ancient structures like columns and statues. To me, they look so impressive as is, I am very curious if I would still feel the same way if I were able to see them in their original forms. Great post though and great job on your presentation!
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