01-10-2007, 05:38 PM
Hi Jim
In the past I have seen a number of reconstructions of the Trajan's forum complex which show the column rising up from the small courtyard of a building not standing in isolation like Nelson's Column. Basically only the statue of Trajan himself is shown higher than the structure around it. However just looking through Connolly's 'Ancient City' he shows something entirely different but adds that scholars can not agree upon how the Basilica Ulpia looked. Until looking through his book I had never seen anything different before. I guess as per usual we can pick and choose and find arguments to back up either case.
I am still unsure if it was not necessary and simply propaganda why the sculptors of TC went to so much trouble over the details of military equipment. If it was simply propaganda for an ill informed public then surely a load of guys in the bog standard muscled cuirass riding over naked barbarians would have done the job equally well. Otherwise as I am sure you are aware there is indeed a hell of a lot of minutiae on the column which has caused endless debate ever since.
Having said that the population of Rome was shocked when during the arrival of Severus' army into the city they saw what their frontier armies actually looked like. I guess maybe we would too!
I also guess that after last night you are still in a state of shock Jim and even worse living in Londinium too!
Graham.
In the past I have seen a number of reconstructions of the Trajan's forum complex which show the column rising up from the small courtyard of a building not standing in isolation like Nelson's Column. Basically only the statue of Trajan himself is shown higher than the structure around it. However just looking through Connolly's 'Ancient City' he shows something entirely different but adds that scholars can not agree upon how the Basilica Ulpia looked. Until looking through his book I had never seen anything different before. I guess as per usual we can pick and choose and find arguments to back up either case.
I am still unsure if it was not necessary and simply propaganda why the sculptors of TC went to so much trouble over the details of military equipment. If it was simply propaganda for an ill informed public then surely a load of guys in the bog standard muscled cuirass riding over naked barbarians would have done the job equally well. Otherwise as I am sure you are aware there is indeed a hell of a lot of minutiae on the column which has caused endless debate ever since.
Having said that the population of Rome was shocked when during the arrival of Severus' army into the city they saw what their frontier armies actually looked like. I guess maybe we would too!
I also guess that after last night you are still in a state of shock Jim and even worse living in Londinium too!
Graham.
"Is all that we see or seem but a dream within a dream" Edgar Allan Poe.
"Every brush-stroke is torn from my body" The Rebel, Tony Hancock.
"..I sweated in that damn dirty armor....TWENTY YEARS!', Charlton Heston, The Warlord.
"Every brush-stroke is torn from my body" The Rebel, Tony Hancock.
"..I sweated in that damn dirty armor....TWENTY YEARS!', Charlton Heston, The Warlord.
