#CLST6 #RR17 Trajan's column is a spectacular victory monument honoring Trajan (and his soldiers) for defeating the Dacians in two different wars

A 625 foot frieze winds 23 times around the column, a new artistic mode that would have taken incredible care to construct (1) https://twitter.com/FlintCLST6/status/1323682035865702400

Trajan is shown in the friezes nearly 60 times, emphasizing his role throughout all stages of the war (2). Scene 12 shows Trajan overseeing fort construction (3)

This scene presents the Romans as hard workers who work together through even the less "glorious" aspects of war"

Trajan pardons a Dacian woman in scene 30, demonstrating his compassion (3). Trajan is not a heartless warmonger. Like Augustus, he fulfills many roles for his people

The frieze is somewhat rare in how it humanizes the Dacians. They can be honored and given mercy

Scene 50 shows Trajan greeting arriving Roman soldiers (3). This is not a task strictly necessary for military success, yet Trajan does it because he cares about his people

Note his relaxed pose and elevated position and stature, the pose of a man to be deified

Citations

1. Kleiner, Fred. A History of Roman Art pp. 190
2. Ulrich. Trajan's Column of Rome. Portraiture of Trajan http://www.trajans-column.org/?page_id=15 
3 (& Images). Ulrich. The First Dacian War: Reliefs Scene-by-Scene on Trajan’s Column in Rome http://www.trajans-column.org/?page_id=107