3. Trajan's Forum

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From the course by University of Arizona

Roman Art and Archaeology

289 ratings

University of Arizona

Roman Art and Archaeology

289 ratings

The objective of this course is to provide an overview of the culture of ancient Rome beginning about 1000 BCE and ending with the so-called "Fall of Rome". We will look at some of the key people who played a role in Rome, from the time of the kings through the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. We will also focus on the city of Rome itself, as well as Rome's expansion through Italy, the Mediterranean, and beyond.

From the lesson

Rome at its Zenith (2nd century CE)

Rome is said to have reached its zenith in security and expansion during the period of the "Five Good Emperors" (96 to 180 CE.). The time of Trajan (98 to 117 CE.) was a particular epoch of conquest and building, highlighted by the construction of Trajan's Markets and enormous Forum, the ruins of which still dominate the center of Rome. Trajan's successor, Hadrian, was a horse of a different color. He was himself an architect obsessed with circles, squares, spheres, and cubes. And his fondness for Greek art bordered on manic.

2. The Imperial Roman Forum1:45

3. Trajan's Forum5:59

5. The Pantheon2:03

6. Hadrian's Villa at Tivoli3:42

Meet the Instructors

David Soren
Regents Professor of Classics and Anthropology
Classics and Anthropology

Trajan sought to expand the frontiers of Rome and

reduce the potential threats from northern tribes.

And so he pressed forward to the Danube River areas and

beyond into the realm of Dacia,

which was then under the command of a brave warrior named Decebalus,

D-E-C-E-B-A-L-U-S.

These wars between 101 and 102 CE, and

106 and 107 following a brief truce,

led to the destruction of the Dacian homeland and

eventually to the suicide of their king.

Despite the fact that the Dacians were merely trying to preserve their homeland,

Trajan celebrated a magnificent triumph.

And had his architect engineer, Apollodorus of Damascus build his forum,

Trajan's Forum, which was dedicated in 112 CE.

To make his forum, Trajan had to cut away

a significant portion of the Quirinal Hill to flatten out the land.

The exact arrangement of the forum is still contested today, but

it had a vast porticoed entry space modeled after the Forum of Augustus.

But with Dacian captives in the attic spaces of the portico.

There was a massive basilica, or covered hall,

known as the Basilica Ulpia after Trajan's family name.

Beyond it were two smaller buildings, possibly libraries.

In between which was an enormous column, dedicated in 113.

Which had figural reliefs winding around it, and

telling the story of the two major Dacian campaigns.

The base contained a dedication, which commemorated the great amount of

hillside that had to be removed to make this monument.

The carving on the columns owes more to local popular art

than it does to the classical tradition.

The figures seem ill-proportioned and even stumpy.

There were combinations of nearly overhead and

side views within the same, singular, single image.

And there are figures which are too large for their backgrounds.

Perhaps it was done in the style of contemporary military triumphal paintings.

Intended to show quickly a particular scene

without worrying about how classical the images were.

And instead emphasizing specific actions and gestures.

Major figures are larger than subsidiary figures.

Crowds are shown as small clusters of people.

True perspective is disregarded in favor of giving each scene its own

best viewpoint, or multiple viewpoints.

The theme of the column seems to be Gloria Exercitus,

the industry and discipline, the glory of the Roman troops

in tracking down and eliminating a dangerous foe.

The images of barbarian heads being shown to the emperor,

tend to stay in the mind to show the barbarity of war,

but the almost matter-of-factness of the Roman army in pursuing it.

Beyond this all, there may have been a temple dedicated

to the Divine Trajan that was put up sometime after his death.

But this is hotly contested and it's difficult to verify,

due to later churches having been erected right over the alleged temple site.

The Column of Trajan was to have contained the ashes of Trajan himself,

whose statue graced the top of it.

There was a stairwell inside of it which allowed access to a glorious view

from the very top.

The column, carved like a colossal book scroll, or

rotulus was actually made up of 18 blocks of Carrara marble from northern Italy.

The 625 feet of sculpted reliefs are among the largest amount

of such sculpture that survives for us on any single monument anywhere.

Trajan's military engineer, the architect Apollodorus of Damascus,

further outdid himself with another amazing complex

built just to the north of the Forum of Trajan.

Trajan's Markets took advantage of the hillside to rise five stories up,

and it contained a variety of shops and administrative offices.

But the most extraordinary part of it was a huge Aula, or hall,

which had shops on two sides at upper and lower levels.

The central space, which must have been filled with people,

was growing vaulted at the top.

That is, made up of a series of intersecting barrel vaults

that sprung from enormous corbels on the side of the hall.

The upper row of shops was separated from the Aula by a series of flying buttresses,

more elaborate than those used in the Golden House of Nero.

And looking very much like the sort employed to bolster Gothic cathedrals

in the middle ages.

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