At the top of Trajan's column is a statue. Trajan's Column: Ancient Rome's Stone Comic

Trajan's Column is one of the most famous and well-preserved ancient Roman monuments that have come down to us. When I stand in front of her, before my eyes no, no, and a picture flashes not of today, but of ancient Rome with the bulk and splendor of its imperial forums. This, of course, is a momentary obsession, and again - I see only ruins in which it is difficult to guess the former greatness. And only Trajan’s Column has stood, as if nothing had happened, for more than 1900 years, practically unchanged since then. Undoubtedly, this monument deserves to get to know it better.

Reached the peak of its power: the reign of Trajan marked the beginning of the “golden age” of the empire. After the conquest of Dacia (present-day Romania) in 106, the territory of the state reached its maximum size in history, and military spoils were fabulous - the Dacians owned gold mines. lived in grand style, the empire flourished.

Trajan became emperor quite unexpectedly; before him, people from the provinces had never succeeded in this. But this is how the circumstances turned out, and probably for the better: in history, Trajan remained a strict but fair ruler, loved by the army and the people.

The Senate wished the subsequent emperors to be “happier than Augustus and better than Trajan.” What can we say if even Christians intolerant of pagans subsequently remembered the emperor with a kind word. According to a widespread legend, Pope Gregory the Great, unable to bear the thought that such a just ruler was burning in hell, passionately prayed for Trajan, and as a result, he was granted salvation. The birth of such a legend at that time was worth a lot: even 500 years later, when the Roman Empire no longer existed, Trajan enjoyed the respect and love of people.

However, we know that for the Roman emperor to remain for centuries, it was not enough to defeat his enemies, show generosity and mercy - he also had to leave behind something monumental, worthy of the splendor and scale of Roman architecture. What did Emperor Trajan leave behind for Rome?

Trajan's Forum

As you know, Julius Caesar noticed that the old Roman Forum was becoming too crowded for the rapidly developing city. He also began to build a new one, almost adjacent to the old Forum, which was later called the Forum of Caesar. Thus began the history of the “imperial forums” of Rome: since then, many emperors have contributed to this construction. As a result, a huge, densely built-up space was formed in the neighborhood of the old Forum, which included the Forum of Caesar, the Forum of Augustus, etc. In the context of my story, we are, of course, interested in the Forum of Trajan - the last of the imperial forums.

Here it is necessary to make a small digression. The fact is that if the old Roman Forum has been relatively well preserved, and tourists are now allowed in there as if they were in a museum, then, in general, there is little left of the imperial forums. A huge part of them is hidden under the modern Foro Imperiali street, built during the time of Mussolini.

If you walk along this street from the Colosseum, then on your left hand you can see the not very impressive ruins of the Forum of Caesar. From the Forum of Augustus and the Forum of Nerva, practically nothing has reached us at all. True, archaeological work is still being carried out in these places, and perhaps someday in Rome they will try to recreate something from former buildings, but for now all we can do is strain our imagination.
Of the structures of Trajan's Forum, only the Column has survived intact to this day. But the contours of its location still stand out quite clearly. I suggest you arm yourself with a reconstructed diagram of the Trajan Forum and take a different look at its current ruins.

As you can see, Trajan's Forum was a large square surrounded on all sides by porticos - a standard style for Roman architecture. The Forum was built with gold mined during the war with the Dacians, and for the glory of victory over them, which was reflected in the decoration and design of individual elements of the complex. The entire concept of the forum (including the Column) and its implementation belongs to the famous ancient master - Apollodorus from Damascus.

The central entrance to the Forum was the triumphal arch of Trajan (1), which was crowned with a statue of the emperor driving a team of golden horses. It all looked something like this.

Unfortunately, the arch has not survived, but we can find the place where it was located. If we walk towards Trajan's Column from the side of the Colosseum, then at some point we will see how a slightly smaller street, Via Alessanrina, goes off to the right from the wide Via dei Fori Imperiali. A little further from this fork, approximately where the statue of one of the emperors is now visible, was the Arch of Trajan.

Let's come closer to this place. Now on the right you can see the buildings of the well-preserved Trajan Market (2), which today operates as a museum - I recommend you visit it.

In earlier times, the market building was not visible behind the massive colonnade (3). The sight of the ruins opening before us can hardly give an idea of ​​the impression that this Forum area made on the inhabitants and guests of ancient Rome. But we know that 250 years after the construction of the forum, when it was no longer the capital of the empire and was declining, the city was visited by Emperor Constantius II, and of all that he saw, it was Trajan’s Forum that delighted him most.

This is what the square looked like then, and this is what we see in this place today.

In the center of the square there was an equestrian statue of the emperor (4). It also did not reach us, but archaeologists dug up the pedestal of this monument and concluded: the statue of Trajan was at least three times larger than the equestrian monument of Marcus Aurelius, the original of which is now in the Capitoline Museum. Look at this monument to imagine the size of the composition that has not reached us.

The portico at the opposite end of the square from the arch was called the Basilica Ulpia (5). As you probably know, at that time religious institutions were not called basilicas. By the way, Trajan's Forum differed from others in that there were no temples on it - only a large free space, limited on all sides by a colonnade. Alas, nothing remains of the Basilica Ulpia. There is, however, an assumption that we can still see some of the elements that decorated it in Rome. We are talking about some friezes and sculptures on the Arch of Constantine next to the Colosseum. This arch generally contains fragments of monuments from different times, and some of them probably once decorated Trajan’s Forum.

Through the Basilica Ulpia, visitors entered a rather cramped courtyard, in the center of which was located Trajan's Column (6). On the sides of the Column, two identical library buildings (7) were symmetrically located, one of which contained manuscripts in Latin, and the other in Greek (the traditional structure of book depositories in the Roman Empire).

Now we see Trajan's Column from afar, away from buildings, on a large area, and it seems that it has always been this way. But the ancient Romans saw it enclosed on all sides in the narrow space of a small platform. That is, it turns out that people came to look at the Column, almost like they were going to a museum. Let's find out what's special about it?

Trajan's Column

Trajan's Column consists of twenty huge cylinders stacked on top of each other, hewn from Carrara marble, weighing about 40 tons. I think you can easily imagine what difficulties the builders had to overcome. The blocks were fastened together with metal fasteners, but in the Middle Ages the metal was stolen. By the way, the same story happened with the Colosseum, and one can only admire the ancient builders: even without these fasteners, their creations stood the test of time.

Inside the column there is a spiral staircase of 185 steps, which allows you to climb to the very top; unfortunately, the public is not allowed there. At the top we see a statue of St. - it was installed at the direction of Pope Sixtus V already in the 16th century. Initially, of course, there was a statue of Trajan himself, but it was lost in the Middle Ages.

Of course, the main thing in Trajan's Column is the relief images, designed in the form of a continuous ribbon that goes around the column from bottom to top. The themes of the images are associated with various episodes of the war with the Dacians (this war, by the way, was very difficult; the Romans managed to completely subjugate their enemies only on the second attempt). The tape makes 23 turns around the column - they say that if it is “unfolded” on the ground, the length will be 200 meters. The relief of Trajan's Column is often aptly called a “giant ancient comic book,” and perhaps for the people of that era, such images really represented what cinema and comic books combined are for us today. Moreover, I would like to draw your attention to this - the images on Trajan’s Column in those days were brightly colored, like many other ancient monuments that we are accustomed to seeing laconically monochrome. The picture below shows what Trajan's Column looked like during the heyday of Rome.

With all this, it is worth noting that the Romans created structures like Trajan’s Column, not so much so that the people had something to look at, but for religious and moral reasons. By doing this, they showed respect for the gods, honored traditions and, simply put, fulfilled their duty to the state (as they understood it).

It is believed that the images were created when all 20 blocks of the column had already been assembled. Thus, you can notice that the width of the tape with a frieze is not the same at different levels of the column. Moreover, the tape first narrows from bottom to top, and at the top, on the contrary, there are several expanded turns. This oddity can be explained by assuming that at first the craftsmen were simply saving space, and when they saw that everything fit perfectly, they relaxed.

There are a lot of subjects on the frieze. In fact, a thorough description of the campaigns is presented: training and supplying the army, small and large battles, siege of fortresses, construction of bridges across the Danube, etc., right up to triumph. Trajan himself also often appears in pictures. I was surprised to learn that for historians the frieze of Trajan’s Column is a valuable source of information about objects of that era, the tactics of the Roman army, the life of people, etc.

It is impossible to examine the plots of Trajan's Column in all details. In fact, standing below, we can only see a small part of them. I don’t know how things were with this in ancient times, perhaps everything was perfectly visible from the upper levels of the Ulpian Basilica or libraries (if these levels existed). But most likely, the Romans were not interested in such questions at all: as I already said, their attitude towards such structures was more ritually respectful than inquisitive.

However, if you still want to consider Trajan’s “comic” in detail, I recommend that you visit the Museum of Roman Civilization in Rome. There are complete casts of all the images from Trajan's Column on display. Copies of them can also be seen in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and in the National Museum in Bucharest. Romanians, descendants of the Dacians, by the way, are very proud of their former connection with the Roman Empire - even the current name of their country clearly hints at this. And the Romans ruled Dacia for only 100 years, but the small nation is still proud of such a glorious page in its history.

Standing at the Column, pay attention to the inscription on its pedestal. She, among other things, tells us that during the construction of Trajan’s Forum, work was carried out on an enormous scale - an entire hill, exactly the height of a column, was torn down. Historians are still arguing about which hill we are talking about. It is assumed that an isthmus 30 meters high connected two hills - the Capitol and the Quirinal - and it was razed during the construction of the Forum; however, other versions exist.

The inscription on the pedestal is also interesting because the style of writing the letters on it in the 90s of the 20th century inspired one designer to create a font that is still widespread today called Trajan. Even in this unique way, the masterpieces of Ancient Rome still influence our lives.

How to get to Trajan's Column

The most convenient way to get to Trajan's Column (1) is as follows: take the metro to the Colosseo stop (2) and walk up via dei Fori Imperiali (3) for about 10 minutes.

The column can be seen from afar, in any case you will not miss it. There are also many buses running here, for example, routes such as 51, 85, 87 stop literally a few tens of meters from the Column. Look at it carefully and slowly, take a look at the ruins of the imperial forums. By the way, in Rome you can find another column, built later, but in the same style - the Column of Marcus Aurelius. And if you have been to Paris, you have probably seen the Vendôme Column - it was also made “based on” Trajan’s Column.

We are now standing in the heart of Rome and you have many options of where to go. I have already recommended that you visit Trajan’s Market (4), or you can go up to the Altar of the Fatherland (5) - “typewriter”, “wedding cake” - whatever they call it for its pompous appearance. There are several museums there, but the main thing is that the observation deck offers an excellent view of Rome.

The main Roman museums are located a stone's throw from Trajan's Column - the Capitoline (6), Roman Forum (7), and the Colosseum (8). So your day will be eventful and full of new impressions, which is what I sincerely wish for you!

- (Trajan's Column) Marble column standing in Trajan's Forum in Rome. Built approx. 114 in honor of the victory of Emperor Trajan over the Dacians. Covered in spirals with reliefs depicting episodes of the war. The inscription on it that has survived to this day... ... Font terminology

TRAYAN'S COLUMN, marble column in Rome, height approx. 38 m, erected by Emperor Trajan ca. 114 in honor of the victory over the Dacians (see DACI); the trunk of Trajan's column is covered with reliefs with scenes from the wars with the Dacians... encyclopedic Dictionary

Erected by Emperor Trajan in Rome in 111-114. The architect was the Greek Apollodorus from Damascus. The 38 m high marble structure consists of a cubic plinth, a column base and its trunk with a Roman Doric capital. In the beginning, Trajan's Column was... Construction dictionary

Trajan's Column- erected by Emperor Trajan in Rome in 111-114. The architect was the Greek Apollodorus from Damascus. The 38 m high marble structure consists of a cubic plinth, a column base and its trunk with a Roman Doric capital. First, Trajan's Column... Architectural Dictionary

Trajan's Column- Marble column in Rome, erected by Emperor Trajan c. 114 years in honor of the victory over the Dacians. It is a classic example of Roman capital writing... Brief Dictionary in printing

Column of Marcus Aurelius (lat. Columna Centenaria Divorum Marci et Faustinae, Italian. ... Wikipedia

Column Foca's Column Colonna di Foca ... Wikipedia

Landmark Column of Antoninus Pius ... Wikipedia

Alexander Column, Saint Petersburg The Victory Column is a column-shaped monument built in honor of the triumph of the troops of a particular state. As a rule, at its top there is a statue of the goddess of victory Victoria. In Germany, a statue... ... Wikipedia

In architecture, a vertical support that has the form of a cylindrical or polygonal column and consists of a base, a trunk and a capital, as well as any column-like support made of any material. Along with normal use as column supports... ... Collier's Encyclopedia

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• Rome. Guide, Olga Chumicheva. Here is an express guide to Rome, containing more than 20 audio tours of the city. The guide will tell you about the most interesting places each district of the capital. Practical, useful audio guide...

In the period from 101 to 106, Emperor Trajan led the actions of tens of thousands of Roman soldiers, crossing the Danube along the most long bridges, which in those days could be built by a person, won two victories over powerful empire barbarians on their mountainous land, and then mercilessly erased this empire from the map of Europe. Trajan's campaign against Dacia, located in modern Romania, was the main event of the emperor's 19-year reign. The chronicler boasted of enviable trophies: 165 thousand kilograms of gold and 331 thousand kilograms of silver, not counting the annexation of a new fertile province to the Roman Empire.

Trajan's Column is one of the main monuments that survived the fall of Rome. And it remains the subject of scientific controversy to this day.

The replenishment of the treasury affected the appearance of Rome. In honor of the victory, the emperor ordered the construction of a forum: a spacious square surrounded by colonnades, two libraries and a large civil building known as the Basilica of Ulpia. According to the Roman historian's enthusiastic description, Trajan's Forum was a creation “the like of which mortals will never again create.” A 38-meter stone column, topped with a bronze statue of the conqueror, rose into the sky above the forum. From top to bottom it is woven with a relief chronicle of the Dacian campaigns in the style of a modern comic book: in 155 scenes, thousands of skillfully carved Romans and Dacians march, build fortifications, sail on ships, sneak up on the enemy, fight, negotiate, beg for mercy and meet death. Erected in 113, the fantastic column has towered over the city for almost two millennia. The reliefs have suffered greatly from time to time, and apart from a few lower turns of the spiral, little can be seen. All around there are ruins - empty pedestals, broken slabs, headless columns and broken sculptures - reminders of the former splendor of the forum. Trajan's Column is one of the main monuments that survived the fall of Rome. From century to century, historians have studied reliefs as visual material on the history of wars, where Trajan is presented as a hero, and the Dacian ruler Decebalus is his worthy opponent. Archaeologists have looked at the smallest details of the scenes to glean information about the weapons, uniforms and military tactics of the Roman army. They honor the monument and modern Romanians: Trajan destroyed Dacia to the ground, and therefore the column, along with the surviving statues of defeated warriors, is a precious evidence of how their Dacian ancestors might have looked and dressed. As time passed, the great monuments of the past turned into piles of rubble, but the column continued to amaze the imagination. Renaissance artists hung from the top of the column in baskets tied with ropes to view it in detail. In 1588, Pope Sixtus V ordered the monument to be crowned with a statue of St. Peter. At the same time, in the 16th century, the first plaster casts of the column were made. They captured many details that are now lost - air pollution and acid rain did their job. The column remains the subject of scientific controversy to this day. Sometimes it seems that there are as many hypotheses as there are figures on the reliefs - and there are no less than 2662 of them. From the bookshelf in the living room of his Roman apartment archaeologist and art historian Filippo Coarelli takes out his work - an illustrated history of the column. “This is an amazing structure,” he says, flipping through pages of black-and-white photographs of the reliefs. - What's going on here? Dacian women torturing Roman soldiers? Do weeping Dacians take poison to avoid being captured? Looks like a TV series." Or the memoirs of Trajan, Coarelli adds. The column was erected between two libraries, where a chronicle of military operations as presented by the warrior emperor himself could be kept. According to Coarelli, the relief frieze resembles a scroll - it is possible that Trajan’s war diary was a scroll. “The artist must have carried out the will of the emperor,” the scientist sums up. Anyway, the team of sculptors was faced with the task of carving an illustrated version of the “Trajan Scroll” on 17 blocks of selected Carrara marble. The Emperor is the main character of the story. He appears in 58 scenes - a visionary commander, an experienced politician and a pious ruler: here he makes a speech, raising the morale of the soldiers, here he thoughtfully listens to advisers, and here he makes sacrifices to the gods. “Trajan wants to appear not only as a warrior,” explains Coarelli, “but also as an enlightened person.” Of course, this is just a hypothesis. Whatever form Trajan wrote down his memories, they have long since sunk into oblivion. Comparing the reliefs of the column with archaeological finds from the Dacian capital of Sarmizegetusa, scientists are inclined to think that the images indicate the mentality of the Romans rather than real events. John Coulston, a specialist in Roman iconography, weapons and equipment at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, has a dissenting opinion. For several months in a row he studied reliefs with close range, perched on restoration scaffolding. The collected material was enough for a dissertation. “It’s tempting to imagine the images from the column as a kind of news reel or movie from that time,” says Coulston. “But all these interpretations are typical stretches, behind which there is not a word of truth.” The scientist claims that the ensemble of reliefs was not subordinated to the general plan of one master. Minor stylistic differences and obvious oversights - for example, the changing height of the frieze or windows breaking up the scenes - convinced the Scottish scientist that the sculptors carved the reliefs, as they say, on the fly, based on very superficial ideas about the war. “Although it is difficult for art historians to refuse the tempting image of a talented creative personality“, says Coulston, “using the example of Trajan’s Column, we see that the composition is born spontaneously, immediately on pieces of marble under the hands of simple stonemasons, and not at all on the drawing board in the workshop.” In his opinion, the creators of the frieze were inspired by military events rather than based on them. Take, for example, the main motifs of the reliefs. There is surprisingly little combat in the depiction of the two wars: scenes of sieges and battles take up less than a quarter of the frieze, while Trajan himself never appears on the battlefield. Legionnaires are the basis war machine Rome - mainly engaged in the construction of forts and bridges, clearing roads and even harvesting crops. On top of everything else, you might think that they are also invulnerable - not a single fallen Roman soldier can be found on the entire column! Some scenes remain unsolved. Why do the besieged Dacians reach for the cup? To take poison and thereby avoid the humiliation of the vanquished? Or do they just want to quench their thirst? How to explain the shocking image of women tormenting scantily clad, bound captives with torches? In the Italian interpretation, it is the wives of the barbarians who torture the captured Romans. But Ernest Oberlander-Tarnoveanu, director of the National Historical Museum of Romania, has a different opinion: “We are clearly seeing captive Dacians being tormented by the angry widows of murdered Roman soldiers.” Apparently, what we see when looking at the column depends on our sympathies - towards the Romans or towards the Dacians. Among Roman politicians, the word "dac" was synonymous with a hypocrite. It was about the Dacians that the historian Tacitus wrote: “They were never truly loyal to Rome.” Having concluded a treaty of friendship with Emperor Domitian in 89, the king of Dacia Decebalus, although he received money from the Romans to protect the borders of the empire from raids, himself sent soldiers to plunder the border cities of the allies. In 101, Trajan set out on a campaign against the unreliable Dacians. After almost two years of war, a truce was concluded, but Decebalus soon broke it. The Romans' patience ran out. During the second invasion, in 105, Trajan did not stand on ceremony - just look at the scenes depicting the sack of Sarmizegetusa. “The campaigns were brutal and destructive,” says Roberto Meneghini, an Italian archaeologist who led excavations at Trajan’s Forum. - Look how the Romans fight, holding severed heads by the hair with their teeth. War is war. Roman legionnaires had a reputation for being fierce and ruthless warriors." But as soon as the Dacians were defeated, Roman sculptors took up their work. Trajan's Forum was decorated with dozens of statues of stately, bearded Dacian warriors - a proud marble army in the very heart of Rome. Of course, the sculptors were far from sweetening the bitterness of defeat for the vanquished, most of whom were sold into slavery. “No one could come and see the column,” says Meneghini. “The monument was intended for Roman citizens and embodied the power of the imperial machine, capable of conquering such a valiant and warlike people.” Trajan's Column can be considered an example of propaganda– but, according to archaeologists, there is some truth in its stone chronicle. The latest excavations on the territory of ancient Dacia, including the ruins of Sarmizegetusa, are bringing more and more discoveries. The portrait of a civilization that has crossed the “barbarian” stage of development, despite the contemptuous epithets of the Romans, is being drawn in more and more detail. The Dacians had no written language, and all our knowledge about their culture passed through the filter of Roman sources. Numerous finds indicate that Dacia reigned over the surrounding lands for hundreds of years, collecting tribute from its neighbors. Knowing a lot about blacksmithing, Dacian miners mined ore and smelted iron, and gold miners panned gold. The culmination of the creations of skilled craftsmen were finely finished jewelry and weapons. Sarmisegethusa was the political and spiritual capital of Dacia. Its ruins lie high in the mountains in the heart of Romania. The city was separated from Rome by 1,600 kilometers – Trajan’s army marched here for more than a month. Today's visitors have to wade through potholed dirt road through the same inaccessible valley that blocked Trajan's path. The ruins of Sarmizegetusa were buried in thickets of tall beeches. Even on a hot day, cool shadows creep across the ground. A wide paved road leads from the thick fortress walls, half buried in the ground, to a spacious clearing. This green oasis - a terrace carved into the rock - was the religious center of Dacia. The remains of buildings have survived to this day - a mixture of ancient stones and concrete reconstructions, reminiscent of an unrealized attempt to recreate ancient complex. A triple ring of stone columns outlines the contours of the once majestic temple, vaguely reminiscent of the round Dacian buildings on the reliefs of Trajan's Column. Nearby is a low altar - a stone circle with a carved ornament in the form of solar disks - the holy of holies of the Dacian universe. For the last six years, Romanian archaeologist Gelu Florea from the Babes-Bolyai University of Cluj spends the summer months excavating at Sarmizegetuz. The cleared ruins, as well as objects confiscated from treasure hunters, indicate that military technologies from Rome penetrated here, and the influence of Greece is also felt - architectural and artistic. “It’s amazing how cosmopolitan they were so high up in the mountains,” says Florea. “It is the largest settlement in all of Dacia, with a surprisingly complex organization.” Using aerial photography, archaeologists have identified more than 260 artificial terraces stretching almost five kilometers along the valley. The total area of ​​the settlement exceeded 280 hectares. Scientists did not find traces of cultivated fields - but they unearthed the remains of craft workshops and houses, as well as smelting furnaces, tons of iron blanks and dozens of anvils. Apparently, the city was a center for metal production, supplying other Dacian settlements with weapons and tools in exchange for gold and grain. Today everything here is surrounded by greenery and silence. Not far from the former altar there is a small spring where water could be taken for religious rituals. The ground underfoot, seasoned with grains of mica, sparkles in sun rays. A few tourists talk in low voices. It is difficult to imagine what kind of ceremonies took place in this city - and what terrible fate befell its inhabitants. Plumes of smoke and shrill screams, robberies and massacres, suicides and panic depicted on the reliefs of Trajan’s Column emerge in the imagination. “The Romans swept away everything in their path,” says Florea. “No stone was left unturned from the fortress.” They wanted to demonstrate their power: look, we have the strength, the means, we are the masters here.” The fall of Sarmizegetusa was followed by the destruction of the main temples and sanctuaries of Dacia. Then the Romans set about other cities of the Dacian kingdom. One of the reliefs at the very top of the column represents a bloody denouement - the village was put on fire, the inhabitants fled, only goats and cows roamed the devastated province. The two wars claimed, according to scientists, tens of thousands of lives. According to a contemporary, Trajan took 500 thousand prisoners, driving about 10 thousand of them to Rome to participate in gladiatorial battles, which were held in honor of the victory for 123 days in a row. The proud ruler of the Dacians saved himself from the shameful fate of a prisoner. The end of Decebalus is immortalized on the column of his sworn enemy: kneeling under the shade of an oak tree, Dac raises a long curved sword to his own throat. “His head was taken to Rome,” wrote the Roman historian Cassius Dio a century later. “So Dacia became subject to the Romans.”

Greek columns, Roman columns and Russian columns were all based on elements of archaic architecture and are successors to older styles.

The columns of the Greek Parliament are created in the likeness of ancient Greek columns.

Columns have their origins in the architecture of archaic cultures. But European architecture was most influenced by archaeological excavations and surviving fragments of buildings of the era Ancient Rome. Later, when the territory where Ancient Greece was once located became accessible to Europeans, theoretical treatises were created linking these ancient cultures and proving the continuity of architectural features.

Columns of Greece

The columns of Greece developed with the advent of the order system. If you want to decorate your home with Greek columns, you should get acquainted with the styles. The Doric style column was more massive and less decorated. Later, the Ionic column appeared, which was more elegant, and was decorated with a decorated capital. The later of the Greek columns is the Corinthian column with a capital decorated with floral patterns. The coastline is traditionally considered the place where Doric style columns originated. Aegean Sea in the 4th century BC e. Doric columns had no base, the trunks were smooth or decorated with closely spaced vertical grooves with sharp edges - flutes, the number of which was from 16 to 20. The capitals were separated from the trunk by one to four horizontal “necks”. In the Doric order, the columns under the echinus have a groove, and the Roman columns have a convex rim in this place. Greek Doric columns were placed on a stylobate, Roman columns had bases. Let's consider the Ionic order of the columns of Greece from antiquity. The Ionic order, thanks to the assessment of Vitruvius, was considered “feminine”, so named for its grace, slenderness and carved pattern of capitals with volutes. Such columns adorned, starting from the 4th century BC, Asia Minor temples on the northwestern coast of the Aegean Sea. An example is the Temple of Artemis of Ephesus. The Ionic order column is divided into three parts: base, trunk and capital. The base usually rested on a square slab. Among the reliefs of the base are half-shafts, tori, ornaments and horizontal grooves. The capital was decorated with double spiral volutes - curls. In earlier temples, volutes were located only in the plane of the facade; later, the Ionic columns of Greece began to be decorated with volutes in four planes. Starting from the second half of the 5th century. BC. they begin to create capitals in which the angular volute is at an angle of 45° to the facade.

Columns of the Greek Ionic order of the Temple of Artemis of Ephesus.

In the Ionic order, echinus is located between the volutes, as if emerging from under them. Echinus and abaca were decorated with egg-shaped ova and leaves. There were 24 flutes on the trunk - deep vertical grooves. In relation to the diameter, the height of the columns was different period 8:1, 9:1, 9, 52:1 (in the portico of the eastern façade of the Erechtheion). At the top the column trunk is narrower than at the bottom.

Comparison of proportions and decorations of Doric and Ionic columns in Greece.

The Corinthian order with a capital decorated with stucco in the form of a basket with fruits, ribbons, leaves, was more often implemented in Roman columns than among the Greeks, who used this order less often. Vitruvius also combined it with the Ionic order, who wrote that the Corinthian column differs from the Ionic only in height.

Column styles of Greece.

The architects tried to place the columns of Greece as far apart from each other as possible in order to create a feeling of lightness of the structure. For example, in the Temple of Hera of Samos, the intercolumnium (the distance between the columns) reached 8.47 m.

Roman columns

Columns of the restored Roman baths, Bath. Somerset.

Roman columns have long been considered the standard for artists, dating back to the Renaissance. The Romans borrowed the order system from the Greeks, and with it the columns. However, among the Greeks, columns served to support relatively light horizontal beams, and Roman buildings were more massive, and Greek columns were not suitable as supports. Load-bearing functions were assigned mainly to the walls, and the columns served mainly as decoration, remaining load-bearing primarily in the porticos. Roman colonnades lose the strict proportionality of the columns of Greece. The Romans introduced some novelty into the orders. The Roman Doric style is not similar to the Greek Doric: the column becomes taller (the ratio of diameter to height in the Greek column is 1:5, and in the Roman - 1:7). In addition, the thickening in the middle, characteristic of the Greek column, disappears. The Roman Doric column has a straight trunk without flutes, tapering upward (if there were flutes, they started from 1/3 of the height), the capital cushion acquired a more austere appearance, and under the capital, instead of a groove, a convex ring appeared. Roman columns of the Ionic order also underwent changes. Barrels are often made without flutes, and the type of volute has also changed. The Romans also redesigned the Corinthian order, giving it greater luxury: more acanthus leaves with rounded ends appeared in the capitals, and leaves of laurel and other plants were added. Often the elements of the capital were cast from bronze. The trunk of a Roman column in the Corinthian style was made monolithic from granite or marble. More often the trunks were smooth, but if flutes were applied to them, then their number was greater than in the columns of Greece. Among the Roman columns, the composite style stands out, combining elements of different orders. The composite style invented by the Romans combined elements of the Ionic and Corinthian columns by placing scrolls of volutes above the “basket.” During construction, Roman architects could use different orders in one building: the Doric order decorated the first floor, Ionic - the second, and Corinthian and Composite - the upper.

Composite Roman column.

Roman columns did not have the same precise spacing on their facades as Greek ones. Sometimes they were grouped in twos, or even threes.

Russian columns

Old Russian architecture was based on Byzantine art. Acquaintance with the order system occurred only during the time of Peter the Great, who opened European art to Russia. "Russian" columns in the same capacity in which they existed in Ancient Rome and Ancient Greece, as such there were none. With the introduction of European styles, architects began to erect buildings decorated with columns in the classicist style - borrowing the proportions and decor of the order system used in European architecture. However, with the advent and development of the "neo-Russian" style ("pseudo-Russian"), "Russian" columns also appeared. This style deserves special attention due to its colorfulness, brightness, and fabulousness. The direction of the pseudo-Russian style arose in the 1870s on the basis of populist ideas , which gave rise to widespread interest among artists in folk art 16-17 centuries At first, this trend spread to suburban wooden construction, and then was embodied in stone buildings. The houses were built of red brick or white stone, they were decorated in the manner of folk architecture. “Pot-bellied” and rectangular Russian columns and a roof resembling the roof of a tower came into fashion. An example is the house of the merchant Igumnov on Bolshaya Yakimanka in Moscow by the architect N. Pozdneev, built at the end of the 19th century.

Russian columns of the house of merchant Igumnov on Bolshaya Yakimanka. Moscow. Pseudo-Russian style, architect N. Pozdneev. 1888-1895

The architecture of the building was sharply criticized by the architectural community. For example, the architect V. Stasov wrote about the building that it contains “five arshins” of Greek classicism, “three and a quarter of the Italian Renaissance,” “a slice of Romanesque,” ​​“six spools of Gothic” and “a whole pound of Russian.” At the same time, he categorically rejected the opinion of Muscovites that the building was beautiful, since he believed that its architecture was alien to the Moscow spirit. “Russian” columns decorated a number of ancient Russian monuments architecture For example, the Trinity Cathedral of the Ipatiev Monastery. A gallery led to the Trinity Church, to which a stone covered porch leads from the north side; its vaults are supported by four columns with semicircular arches decorated with alabaster.

Figured columns at the entrance to the Trinity Cathedral of the Ipatiev Monastery. 1650-1652

As a model of Russian architecture, on which supporters of the neo-Russian style relied, was St. Basil's Cathedral (Pokrovsky Cathedral), built in 1555-1561. by order of Ivan the Terrible.

Rectangular decorated columns of St. Basil's Cathedral. 1551-1561, presumably architect Postnik.

The GUM building by architect A. Pomerantsev became an example of the neo-Russian style. (1890-1893), Historical Museum architect Vladimir Sherwood (1875-1881)

Rectangular Russian columns at the central entrance to the Historical Museum. Pseudo-Russian style. architect Vladimir Sherwood. Moscow. Red Square. 1875-1881

By decorating your home with columns in one style or another, you can support an architectural idea that will reflect the idea of ​​architecture from past centuries. The main thing is to adhere to historical accuracy so that the design demonstrates taste and knowledge of architectural history.

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Walking around Rome, you can admire columns and columns in its various corners. Most of columns were erected in honor of one or another emperor. Picturesque stone pillars testify to the triumph of the commanders and. The most famous monuments glorified Marcus Aurelius, Trajan and other worthy people throughout the centuries.

The appearance of memorial columns is closely connected with such a concept as Triumph (lat. triumphus), that is, “triumph”.

The lucky winner's spectacular appearance in Rome became a prestigious prize. The commander received the right to enter the capital on a gilded chariot, surrounded by a jubilant crowd. In addition to momentary honors, the name of the winner was perpetuated for posterity - memorial obelisks, arches and columns were erected. Only noble men who had high position in the empire, could claim the title of triumphant.

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What did the columns look like?

The column of the ancient victorious man had a certain standard design: a cylinder carved from stone, mounted on a pedestal, which was topped with a statue of the commander. Most often, the column was covered with carvings that depicted a large-scale historical battle, the exploits of the winner and his army. Sometimes the column was made up of several parts and was hollow from the inside. A staircase was placed inside such monuments, along which one could reach the upper platform of the monument.

Trajan's Column

It is believed that the tradition of installing triumphal columns in Ancient Rome began precisely during the time of Emperor Trajan (lat. Marcus Ulpius Nerva Traianus). The Roman ruler conducted a protracted military campaign against the Dacian tribes (Latin Daci). It was possible not only to crush the commanders skilled in battle, but also to annex the Dacian territories as a new province of the Roman Empire.

In 113 AD By order of Trajan, the artist and architect Apollodorus Damascenus (lat. Apollodorus Damascenus) began working on a stone column. The memorial obelisk was made of Carrara marble weighing about 40 tons. The total height of the memorial is 38 m, it is made up of 20 parts, hollow inside. The surface of the column is decorated with battle paintings illustrating the war between the Dacians and the Romans.

In 113 AD the top of the column was decorated with a victorious eagle, which was soon replaced by a statue of the emperor. At the end of the 16th century, Pope Sixtus V (lat. Sixtus V) ordered to decorate the memorial with a statue of the Apostle Peter.

Modern scientists note the high historical value of the reliefs painted on the column. Thanks to the painstaking work done, you can get a good idea of ​​the uniforms, weapons and methods of combat in ancient times. An ordinary visitor can simply admire the masterfully done work. There is also an inscription on the monument indicating that the Senate and the Roman people honored the achievements of Emperor Trajan in a worthy manner.

• Address:(lat. Forum Traiani), Via dei Fori Imperiali
• Website: www.stoa.org

Colonna of Antonino Pio

Anthony's Column was once installed on (lat. Campus Martius). It was built in 161 AD. successors of Emperor Anthony Pius. The deceased ruler and his wife were honored. Initially, the red granite column was placed on a powerful pedestal decorated with carvings and topped with a statue of Antonius Pius.

After the fall of the Roman Empire, the column was abandoned for a long time. The base of the memorial went underground, part of the 15-meter column trunk was irretrievably lost. In the 17th century, the column was removed from under the layer of earth thanks to the efforts of Carlo Fontana. The pedestal was well preserved; it was restored and preserved for posterity. But the surviving part of the granite column was later used to cover the obelisk in Palazzo Montecitorio Square.

Nowadays, you can admire the memorial to Anthony Pius during a visit (Musei Vaticani). Only the surviving base of the pedestal, which depicts the emperor ascending to heaven, is on display. Among other reliefs, allegorical images of Rome and.

• Official site: mv.vatican.va
• to the Vatican Museums

Column of Marco Aurelius

The Column of Marcus Aurelius was built in 193 AD. in honor of Emperor Marcus Aurelius (Latin: Marcus Aurelius Antoninus). The years of Marcus Aurelius's reign were overshadowed by the threat posed by the Germanic and Sarmatian tribes. Period from 166 to 180 AD remained in history as the Marcomannic War. The emperor and his successor son Commodus (lat. Lucius Aelius Aurelius Commodus) were able to conquer the warlike tribes and restore order to eastern borders Empire.

Marcus Aurelius was unable to enjoy the triumph in his honor because he died in 180 AD. The memorial, modeled after Trajan's Column, had a 10-meter base and a 30-meter main body. The column was composed of 28 pieces of Carrara marble, decorated with detailed depictions of battles between the Romans, Germans and Sarmatians. The column was crowned by a statue of Marcus Aurelius, which was replaced in the 16th century by a statue of the Apostle Paul.

The Column of Marcus Aurelius is located in Piazza Colonna., named after her. Some time after restoration in the 16th and 17th centuries, the column was erroneously attributed to Anthony Pius.

Colonna di Foca

The Column of Phocas is the final point in construction (lat. Forum Romanum). In 608 AD. a white marble column 13.6 m high was installed near the Rostra (oratorical platform) and dedicated to Phocas (Greek: Φωκᾶς), the Byzantine emperor.

At a time when Christianity was not divided into Orthodoxy and Catholicism, the friendship between Byzantium and Rome was quite strong. It is believed that at the top of the column stood a gilded statue of Phocas, commissioned by Pontiff Bonifatius IV. It is noteworthy that after the overthrow of Emperor Phocas, all references to his greatness were destroyed, including the column installed in the Forum.

• Address: Via dei Fori Imperiali
• 3D walk through the forum: www.italyrome.info

Column of the Immaculate (Colonna dell'Immacolata)

This monument is part of the attractions (Piazza di Spagna). At one end of the square the Spanish Embassy was located, and in the opposite part in 1854 a column dedicated to the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary was erected. Next to the memorial is the Palazzo di Propaganda Fide, designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini and built by Francesco Borromini.

The column was designed by Luigi Poletti, while the statue Mary Immaculate created by sculptor Giuseppe Obici. The customer of this monument was Ferdinand II, King of the Two Sicilies. Thus, the ruler wanted to bring closer and.

Since December 1953, a bouquet of flowers has been laid annually at the foot of the column as a sign of respect for the Immaculate Conception.

At the foot of a 12-meter marble column sit 4 biblical sages: Moses, Isaiah, King David, and the seer Ezekiel.

• Address: Piazza di Spagna

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