Attributed to Apollodorus, Column of Trajan, Rome, 113 CE. Marble, height origin
ID: 3496792 • Letter: A
Question
Attributed to Apollodorus, Column of Trajan, Rome, 113 CE. Marble, height originally, 128 ft.
At the base of Trajan's Column a door gives access to an interior spiral staircase 185 steps, carved out of the solid stone and lit by 40 small windows set at regular intervals. It leads to the top platform balcony, from where as many as 15 people could stand overlooking the Roman Forum spread out beneath them. Why do you supposed Trajan wished to give access to this view? How do grand views inform imperial aspirations? Why do you supposed that continually, over the course of history, the grand view--from the Parthenon, the Eiffel Tower, the Empire State Building--so attracts us?
Explanation / Answer
Answer.
Trajan’s Column in Rome stands as a testament to the accomplishments of the Roman emperor who is considered to be one of the greatest leaders of the empire during antiquity. The column is comparable to other majestic structures like the Parthenon in Athens, the Eiffel Tower in Paris and the Empire States Building in New York as all of them are symbolic constructions of the emperor’s, the governments’ or the engineer’s power and craft .
In the case of the Trajan Column, the frequent use of expensive colored marble as the building material, and the immense column which gives details of his victory over the Dacians, further create a spectacle of an imminent presence of the ruler in the city. Across history we find such majestic built heritage which have become a cultural center of the cities of Rome, Paris, New York, etc. and the enormity of their architecture, the level and number of labour involved, etc gives a shape to these structures as an embodiment of the laws, cultural mores and learning of the people of these varied societies.
Related Questions
Navigate
Integrity-first tutoring: explanations and feedback only — we do not complete graded work. Learn more.