Culture/History: The Life and Achievements of Trajan • Comparison of Trajan and Augustus • Notes about emperors that ruled between these two giants
Grammar: Review of forms and uses of impersonal verbs
Web sites are posted on the lesson web pages connected to this chapter. There were 13 emperors beginning with Augustus and ending with Nerva. Make your own chart that can indicate the sequence and accomplishments of each, accomplishments which were detrimental to the Roman people and those which were beneficial.
'Archaeology Magazine', January-February 1998 has a wonderful computer rendering of Trajan's forum. The Getty Museum has had details about this on its web site if you cannot find the magazine. The web site is listed on the lesson web page. Web addresses change so I have not included it here.
Consider the following points of comparison between Trajan and Augustus:
There are two readings, one written by Pliny, a contemporary of Trajan and the other written by Eutropius, 200 years later. Trajan was the first emperor born outside of Italy. He became emperor after the sudden natural death of his adoptive father, Nerva. Nerva had suffered a stroke and died three weeks later. Trajan was in Germany, commanding the armies of the Rhine at this time; it was more than a year before he returned to Rome. The letter from Pliny must have been written during his first year as emperor.
Images:
Obverse of coin p. 114 : Trajan is under the protection of Jupiter and thus in the company of but not equal to the God. Pliny, in a speech in which he gives thanks to the emperor for naming him consul in A.D. 100, addresses Trajan as the Jove on earth.
This truly is the concern of an emperor and even a god. I believe that the father of the universe (Jupiter) controls all with a nod of his head, whenever he looks down upon the earth and thinks it worthy to reckon the destinies of mortal men among the works of the gods. He is now free of this duty (due to Trajan's astute nature) and can turn his full attention to the heavens since he has given you to us to carry out his responsibility toward the human race.
Pliny 80.3-5
Reverse of coin: A glove symbolizes dominion of Trajan's rule. Pliny wrote He is like a shooting star, seeing and hearing all.This image represents Trajan as a benevolent despot serving as Jupiter's regent on earth stated Eutropius. The empire did reach its fullest extent under Trajan.
Inscription on the coin: IMP.TRAIANO.AUG.GER.DAC.P.M.TR.P. COS.VI. P. P.
P. 115 has a stature of Trajan, the soldier-emperor. I don't know the location of this statue but I suspect it may be the Vatican Museum. Notice the attire. What other emperor(s) have you seen in military dress?
The coin on p. 117 has a with an image of a bridge over the Danube. You may need a magnifying glass to read the inscription. Why do you suppose that the bridge is depicted on a coin.
Trajan's Column p. 119. It is 125 ft. tall and has 17 marble 'drums' depicting in a spiral the various episodes from Trajan's war against the Dacians (modern Romania). It was erected in A.D. 113 in Trajan's Forum.If the images were stretched out, they would measure 656 linear feet. Today it does not appear as part of the forum because of modern construction over unexcavated sections. Yes, Rome does reclaim some of the land for contemporary use.
The two wars against the Dacians, A.D. 101-102 and 105-106 are illustrated with more than 2500 figures. Using binoculars, one sees armor, weapons, clothing of both Romans and Dacians, bridges Trajan had built, forts his men attacked, enemy his forces subdued. It is hard for the viewer to see the seems which joins the drums. The column is not uniform in diameter. Can you guess why?
At the top was a bronze statue of Trajan that was replaced in 1587 with one of St. Peter. After Trajan's death, his ashes were placed in a golden urn in the hollow of the column but it was stolen during the Middle Ages. Yes, the column is hollow and there is a circular staircase much like the monument. The staircase, which is not open to the public, is lit by natural light from small openings cut into the column. These are not visible to the casual observer. The artisan had remarkable talent indeed.
There is an inscription at the base of the column indicating that at the time of construction the original height of the Quirinal Hill met the top of the column. The area was leveled to make room for the forum. Today one enters the Forum at street level and descends three levels to exit at what had been the first level of the Forum. The Forum is below the grade level of the modern city.
This column survived the Christian cleansing of pagan symbols when the Senate, in A.D. 1162 decreed that anyone tampering with the monument would be given a death penalty. Pope Gregory the Great (6th century A.D.,) is credited for praying for the soul of Trajan so the monument lost some of its pagan significance.
The story is that while Trajan was emperor and riding out of Rome to do battle, a widow approached him (No Secret Service? where were the Praetorian Guards?) asking him to avenge the wrongful death of her son. Trajan replied that if he were to survive the coming battle, he would see to justice for her son. She replied, 'But what if you should die in battle?' Trajan answered that his successor would see to it. Not satisfied, she suggested that God would look more kindly on him should Trajan act on her request. Trajan, showing pity for the woman, dismounted and avenged (how we know not).
N.B. - Just an F.Y.I. - Up a few streets and a few turns one sees on the Via Del Corso (formerly Via Flaminia) a column that is often mistaken as that of Trajan. It is in honor of Marcus Aurelius. A similar column exists in Place Vendome in Paris, honoring Napoleon. Rather than marble, it is made from the 1200 bronze cannons captured at Austerlitz. In 1814 a large fleur de lis flag of the Bourbons replaced the statue of Napoleon at the top but it was returned by Louis Philippe in 1833.
Trajan's Forum - plan on p. 120. It is 384' x 289'.
The Arch at Beneventum p. 120: go to the Latin 3 page and Historia/Empire for a panel by panel description.
Inscription p. 121:The inscription is from the city of Chichester, a lovely town near Portsmouth, England. It has a charming market building dating from medieval times and an outstanding cathedral. It is not far from the excavation site of Fishbourne Palace. (Links dealing with the excavations are on our web page.) This inscription indicates not only the extent of the empire but also the degree to which the Roman religion had penetrated the provinces. Whether in fact or only in government is to be considered.
Passage A
Passage B
J. Jahnige, September 2003
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