ROMAN LEGIONS ON CAMPAIGN - TRAJAN'S COLUMN

Trajan's Column is one of the most spectacular monuments in Rome, symbolising its military power. It was the work of Apollodorus of Damascus, one of the most celebrated Roman architects, and formed part of the forum he built for Trajan. The very long frieze recounts the two conquest campaigns waged by Roman troops to annex Dacia (present-day Romania). In 140 scenes of unequal length, the principal events of this war are detailed: troop movements, battles, but also negotiations, sieges of cities, pillaging and cavalry engagements. It is one of the most precious testimonies for the study of the Roman army in action. Far more precise than any literary account, the sculptors depicted the various army corps: the Praetorians, the legionaries, the auxiliaries and the foreign troops in the service of Rome. It is also a record of the smallest details of military equipment. The military operation involved several types of vessel, some seagoing, others riverine; heavy weapons transports; wagons; ballistae, and so on. Each stage gave rise to the construction of a fortified camp, and the column illustrates the methods of construction. It is finally a testimony to Roman military tactics: it is possible to distinguish the roles and specific areas of competence of the legionaries from those of the auxiliaries, and also to note the major role played by the cavalry, whether auxiliary units or the Moorish contingents that carried the day. The column also details the Dacian soldiers and their allies. It constitutes a mine of information on the military customs of the peoples of the barbaricum as well as on their way of life, their cities, their fortifications, and so forth. Every scene is described and illustrated.