The victory of the Roman emperor Trajan over the Dacians in back-to-back wars is carved in numerous scenes that spiral around a 126-foot marble pillar in Rome known as Trajan’s Column. It’s a tale that reads like an ancient comic strip.
Travel in time with this stop-motion animation and see how Trajan’s Column was built—according to one theory. How it was made and how accurate it is remain the subjects of spirited debate.
First Battle
Roman soldiers clash with their Dacian opponents in the first major battle scene carved on the column. The colors shown are speculative, but Romans frequently painted their statues and friezes.
2
Bare-chested German fighter
3
A Roman soldier uses his teeth to carry a severed Dacian head by its hair.
4
Only Dacians were depicted as dead.
5
Small metal weapons were inserted into the hands of some figures on the frieze.
6
Jupiter, king of the gods, hurls a thunderbolt to help the Romans.
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Reading an Ancient Comic Strip
The victory of the Roman emperor Trajan over the Dacians in back-to-back wars is carved in numerous scenes that spiral around a 126-foot marble pillar in Rome known as Trajan’s Column. It’s a tale that reads like an ancient comic strip.
Take Trajan’s Column for a spin: Click the arrows at left for a guided tour,
or explore on your own by dragging the images. (Trajan is highlighted in yellow.)
Reading Trajan’s Column
Carved into the structure are 2,662 figures in 155 scenes. Trajan appears in 58 of them. Viewers were meant to follow the story from bottom to top standing in one place rather than circling the column 23 times, as the frieze does. Key scenes could be seen from two main vantage points (A and B in the graphic).
Reading Trajan’s Column
Carved into the structure are 2,662 figures in 155 scenes. Trajan appears in 58 of them. Viewers were meant to follow the story from bottom to top standing in one place rather than circling the column 23 times, as the frieze does. Key scenes could be seen from two main vantage points (A and B in the graphic).
Breakdown of Activity
by length of scene
Marches 29%
Battles 21%
Other 12%
Construction 12%
Negotiations 9%
Sacrifices 7%
Trajan speeches 6%
Events recorded by historians 4%
Romans vs. Dacians
Trajan’s army included not only professional soldiers but also auxiliaries, conscripts, and mercenaries from across the empire. Most of the Dacians are dressed in trousers, tunics, and cloaks, while the Sarmatians, allies of the Dacians, are shown in armor.
Romans
Trajan’s army included not only professional soldiers but also auxiliaries, conscripts, and mercenaries from across the empire.
Dacians
Most of the Dacians are dressed in trousers, tunics, and cloaks, while the Sarmatians, allies of the Dacians, are shown in armor.
To reveal more of the warriors, sculptors scaled down some of the shields and cut away Roman helmets.
Citizen soldier
Dacian helmets appear on the pedestal and column, but only as spoils of war, never on warriors.
Dacian warrior
Moorish cavalryman
Auxiliary infantryman
Sarmatian cavalryman
Dacian noble
Armored officer
Eagle standard
Northern Dacian
Wolf standard
Part 2
Trajan’s Amazing Column
Author Andrew Curry tells the story of Trajan’s Column.
Graphics: Fernando G. Baptista, Daniela Santamarina, and Emily M. Eng, NGM Staff. Samantha Welker; José Miguel Mayo Hernández, Angelica Quintero; Research: Amanda Hobbs. Text: Jeremy Berlin, NGM Staff. Photos: Kenneth Garrett. Design and development: Kevin DiCesare, Joel Fiser, and Jaime Hritsik, NGM Staff. Producer: Amy Bucci, NGM Staff. Sources: Jon Coulston, University of St. Andrews, Scotland; Lynne Lancaster, Ohio University; National History Museum of Romania (plaster cast)