When was Trajan's Column completed and dedicated?
Trajan's Column was completed and dedicated on the 12th of May, 113 AD. It was constructed under the supervision of the architect Apollodorus of Damascus, at the order of the Roman Senate.
Questions about Trajan's Column
Short answers, pulled from the story.
How tall is Trajan's Column and what is it made of?
Trajan's Column stands about 35 metres tall including its pedestal, or approximately 30 metres for the shaft alone. The shaft is built from 20 Carrara marble drums, each weighing about 32 tons and measuring 3.7 metres in diameter.
Who is buried at the base of Trajan's Column?
The ashes of the emperor Trajan and his wife Plotina were placed in golden urns inside the column's square base after Trajan's death in 117 AD. The Roman Senate voted to authorise the burial there, and the urns later disappeared from the monument.
What does the frieze on Trajan's Column depict?
The 190-metre frieze winds 23 times around the shaft and depicts Trajan's two military campaigns against the Dacians, fought in 101-102 and 105-106. It shows 2,662 figures across 155 scenes, with Trajan himself appearing 58 times; most scenes show ceremony and construction rather than combat.
What statue is at the top of Trajan's Column today?
A bronze figure of Saint Peter stands at the top of Trajan's Column, placed there by Pope Sixtus V on the 4th of December, 1587. The original statue of Trajan that stood there after the column's completion disappeared during the Middle Ages.
What typeface was based on the inscription at the base of Trajan's Column?
The typeface Trajan, designed by Carol Twombly in 1989, is based on the letter forms of the inscription at the column's base, drawing on the research of Edward Catich. Earlier designers including Frederic Goudy and Warren Chappell also created typefaces from the same inscription.