The Trajan's Column

    The main reference for this presentation is "Decebal şi Traian" ["Decebal and Traian" in Romanian] in the bibliophile series "Strămoşii Românilor-Vestigii milenare de cultură şi artă" ["The Ancestors of the Romanians - Millenial Vestiges of Culture and Art"], by Radu Florescu (study and comments) and Ion Miclea (photos and artistical layout), Editura Meridiane, 1980, Bucharest.

    The story told by the reliefs of the column are obviously divided in two halfs, one for each war between the Trajan's armies and Decebalus' Dacians (101-102 and 105-106 AD). Each war has several acts, unitary from the point of view of the composition. Acts are made up of episodes and each episode may include 1 to several (4-5) scenes. Sometimes, scenes may have two or three parts, for the sake of the details. Every image has a numeric code consisting in 4 or five figures separated by periods, as follows: war.act.episode.scene(.part or sequence)

    I shall soon prepare a new, more detailed introduction to this pretious monument.

1. The first war

1.1. The first act: Trajan crosses the Danube and advances through Dacia towards Sarmizegethusa.

1.1.1. The first episode: Trajan crosses the Danube with his armies.

1.1.1.1 The first scene: The Danubian frontier of the Empire

1.1.1.2 The second scene: Preparations in order to step across in Dacia

1.1.1.2 The third scene: The Romans make preparations in a bridge-head town

1.1.1.2.1-First sequence ("The Romans make preparations in a bridge-head town")

1.1.1.2.2-Second sequence   ("The Romans make preparations in a bridge-head town")

1.1.1.4 The Roman army crosses the Danube on a double bridge of boats

1.1.2. The second episode: Trajan holds a war council and opens the hostilities.

1.1.2.1 The first scene: Trajan holding a war council

1.1.2.2 The second scene: Trajan purifies the army

1.1.2.2.1-First sequence: The lustratio

1.1.2.2.2-Second sequence:   The suovetaurilia

1.1.2.3 Trajan has an omen and speaks to the soldiers

1.1.2.3.1-First sequence: Trajan has an omen and speaks to the soldiers(1): the omen

1.1.2.3.2-Second sequence: Trajan has an omen and speaks to the soldiers(2): the speech

1.1.2.4 Trajan orders to be built a castrum and a vallum

1.1.3. The second episode: Trajan advances towards Sarmizegethusa through woods and mountains.

1.1.3.1 The first scene: Under Trajan's command the soldiers open their way through the woods

1.1.3.2 The second scene: Trajan directing some fortification works

1.1.3.2.1-First sequence: The lustratio

1.1.3.2.2-Second sequence:   The suovetaurilia

1.1.3.3 Under Trajan's command, the Romans cross the mountains

1.1.3.3.1-First sequence: Trajan has an omen and speaks to the soldiers(1): the omen

1.1.3.3.2-Second sequence: Trajan has an omen and speaks to the soldiers(2): the speech

1.1.3.4 The Romans are regrouping across the strait

1.1.4. The second episode: Trajan holds a war council and opens the hostilities.

1.1.4.1 The first scene: Trajan holding a war council

1.1.4.2 The second scene: Trajan purifies the army

1.1.4.2.1-First sequence: The lustratio

1.1.4.2.2-Second sequence:   The suovetaurilia

1.1.4.3 Trajan has an omen and speaks to the soldiers

1.1.4.3.1-First sequence: Trajan has an omen and speaks to the soldiers(1): the omen

1.1.4.3.2-Second sequence: Trajan has an omen and speaks to the soldiers(2): the speech

1.1.4.4 Trajan orders to be built a castrum and a vallum