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

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 I have no, no, and a picture of not present, but ancient Rome with the bulk and magnificence of its imperial forums will flash by. This, of course, is a momentary delusion, and again - I see only ruins in which it is difficult to guess the former greatness. And only Trajan's Column stands, as if nothing had happened, has been standing for more than 1900 years, practically unchanged since then. Undoubtedly, this monument deserves to get to know him better.

He reached the peak of his power: the reign of Trajan marked the beginning of the "golden age" of the empire. After the conquest of Dacia (now Romania) in 106, the territory of the state reached its maximum size in the entire history, and military booty was fabulous - the Dacians owned gold mines. lived in grand style, the empire prospered.

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

To be "happier than Augustus and better than Trajan" the senate wished the subsequent emperors. What can I say, even if Christians, intolerant of pagans, subsequently commemorated 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, salvation was granted to him. The birth of such a legend at that time was worth a lot: even after 500 years, when the Roman Empire no longer existed, Trajan enjoyed the respect and love of people.

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

Forum of Trajan

As you know, even Julius Caesar noticed that the old Roman Forum is becoming cramped for a rapidly developing city. He also began to build a new one almost right next to the old Forum, later called the Caesar's Forum. Thus began the history of the "imperial forums" of Rome: since then, many emperors have contributed to this construction. As a result, in the neighborhood of the old Forum, a huge, densely built-up space was formed, 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 is relatively well preserved, and tourists are now allowed in there, as in a museum, then there is, in general, little left of the imperial forums. A huge part of them is hidden under the modern street Foro Imperiali, laid in the time of Mussolini.

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

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

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

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

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

In former times, the market building was not visible behind the massive colonnade (3). The view of the ruins that open before us can hardly give an idea of the impression that this Forum Square 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 in decline, the city was visited by Emperor Constantius II, and of all that he saw, it was Trajan's Forum that most of all admired him.

This is how the square looked then, and here 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, however, archaeologists dug up the pedestal of this monument and concluded that 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 come down to us.

The portico at the opposite end of the square from the arch was called the Basilica of Ulpia (5). As you probably know, at that time basilicas were by no means religious institutions. By the way, Trajan's Forum differed from the others in that there were no temples on it - only a large free space, bounded on all sides by a colonnade. Alas, nothing remains of the Basilica Ulpiya. There is, however, an assumption that we can still see individual elements that adorned it in Rome. We are talking about some of the friezes and sculptures on the Arch of Constantine next to the Colosseum. On this arch, fragments of monuments from different times are generally collected, and some of them probably once adorned Trajan's Forum.

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

Now we see Trajan's Column from afar, away from the buildings, on a large square, and it seems that it has always been like this. But the ancient Romans saw it enclosed from 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 a museum. Let's find out what's special about her, shall we?

Trajan's Column

Trajan's Column consists of twenty huge cylinders stacked on top of each other, carved 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 clamps, but in the Middle Ages the metal was taken away. By the way, the same story happened to the Colosseum, and one can only admire the ancient builders: even without these fasteners, their creations have 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. Above we see the 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 in the Middle Ages it was lost.

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 top to bottom. The theme of the images is connected with various episodes of the war with the Dacians (this war, by the way, was very difficult, the Romans managed to completely subdue the enemies only on the second attempt). The tape makes 23 turns around the column - they say that if it is "deployed" on the ground, the length will be 200 meters. The relief of Trajan's Column is often aptly referred to as a "giant antique comic", and perhaps for the people of that era, such images really represented what cinema and comics together are for us now. Moreover - I will 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 succinctly in one color. 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 similar to Trajan's Column, not so much so that the people had something to stare at, but out of religious and moral considerations. By doing this, they showed respect for the gods, honored traditions and, simply speaking, 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. So, you can see that the width of the ribbon with the frieze is not the same at different levels of the column. Moreover, the tape first narrows from the bottom up, and at the top, on the contrary, there are several expanded turns. This oddity can be explained by assuming that the craftsmen at first simply saved space, and when they saw that everything fits perfectly, they relaxed.

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

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

However, if you still want to consider Trajan's "comics" in detail, I recommend that you visit the Museum of Roman Civilization in Rome. There are full casts of all images from Trajan's Column. Also, copies of them can 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 transparently hints at this. And after all, the Romans owned Dacia for only 100 years, but a 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, informs us that during the construction of Trajan's Forum, work of a huge scale was carried out - a whole hill, just as high as a column, was torn down. What kind of hill we are talking about, historians are still arguing. It is assumed that the isthmus 30 meters high connected two hills - the Capitol and the Quirinal - it was dug during the construction of the Forum; however, there are other versions.

The inscription on the pedestal is also interesting because the style of writing letters on it in the 90s of the 20th century inspired one designer to create a font that is still common today called Trajan. Even in this peculiar 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. Many buses also run here, for example, routes such as 51, 85, 87 stop just a few tens of meters from the Column. Examine it carefully and slowly, take a look around 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 must have seen the Vendôme Column - it is also made "based on" Trajan's Column.

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

A stone's throw from Trajan's Column are the main Roman museums - the Capitoline (6), the Roman Forum (7), the Colosseum (8). So your day will turn out to be rich and full of new impressions, which I sincerely wish you!

- (Trajan's Column) A marble column standing in Trajan's forum in Rome. Built ca. 114 in honor of the victory of Emperor Trajan over the Dacians. Covered in a spiral with reliefs depicting episodes of the war. The inscription on it that has survived to this day ... ... Font terminology

TRAJAN'S COLUMN, marble column in Rome, height ca. 38 m, erected by Emperor Trajan c. 114 in honor of the victory over the Dacians (see Dacians); 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. Greek architect Apollodorus from Damascus. The 38 m high marble structure consists of a cubic base, 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. Greek architect Apollodorus from Damascus. The 38 m high marble structure consists of a cubic base, a column base and its trunk with a Roman Doric capital. At the beginning, 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 letters ... Brief dictionary for printing

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

Foca's Column Colonna di Foca ... Wikipedia

Attraction Column of Antoninus Pius ... Wikipedia

Alexander Column, St. Petersburg The Victory Column is a monument in the form of a column, built in honor of the triumph of the troops of one state or another. As a rule, a statue of the goddess of victory, Victoria, rises on its top. In Germany, a statue ... ... Wikipedia

In architecture, a vertical support, which has the form of a cylindrical or polyhedral column and consists of a base, a trunk and a capital, as well as any support similar to a column of any material. As well as common use as column supports ... ... Collier 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, helpful 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 a man could build, won two victories over mighty empire barbarians in their mountainous land, and then mercilessly erased that empire from the map of Europe. Trajan's campaign against Dacia, located on the territory of 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 was reflected in 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 Ulpia Basilica. According to a Roman historian's enthusiastic description, Trajan's forum was a creation "the like of which mortals will never make again." A 38-meter stone column crowned with a bronze statue of the conqueror ascended into the sky above the forum. From top to bottom, a relief chronicle of the Dacian campaigns, in the manner of a modern comic book, was woven around it: 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, a fantastic column has been towering 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. Around the ruins - empty pedestals, broken slabs, headless columns and broken sculptures are reminiscent of the past 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 ruler of the Dacians, Decebalus, is his worthy opponent. Archaeologists looked at the smallest details of the scenes to gain information about the weapons, uniforms and military tactics of the Roman army. 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 could look and dress. Time passed, the great monuments of the past turned into piles of rubble, and the column still amazed the imagination. Renaissance artists in baskets tied with ropes hung from the top of the column in order to examine it in all its details. In 1588, Pope Sixtus V ordered that the monument be crowned with a statue of St. Peter. Then, in the 16th century, the first plaster casts of the column were made. They captured many of the details now lost - atmospheric pollution and acid rain did their job. The column remains the subject of scientific controversy to this day. Sometimes it seems that there are no less hypotheses than there are figures on the reliefs - and there are no less than 2662 of them. From the bookshelf in the living room of my 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? Weeping Dacians take poison to avoid being captured? It looks like a TV show." Or Trajan's memoirs, adds Coarelli. The column was erected between the two libraries, where a chronicle of military operations could be kept in the presentation of the warrior emperor himself. According to Coarelli, the relief frieze resembles a scroll - it is possible that Trajan's war diary was just a scroll. “The artist must have carried out the will of the emperor,” the scientist concludes. One way or another, the team of sculptors had the task of carving an illustrated version of Trajan's scroll on 17 blocks of selected Carrara marble. The emperor is the main character of the story. He appears in 58 scenes - a far-sighted commander, an experienced politician and a pious ruler: here he makes a speech, raising the morale of the soldiers, now he thoughtfully listens to advisers, but now 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. In whatever form Trajan wrote down his memoirs, they have long since sunk into oblivion. Comparing the column reliefs with archaeological finds from the Dacian capital of Sarmizegetusa, scholars tend to think that the images testify more to the mentality of the Romans than to real events. John Coulston, a specialist in Roman iconography, weapons and equipment from 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 the restoration scaffolding. The collected material was enough for a dissertation. “It's tempting to present images from the column as some kind of news feed or movie of the time,” says Coulston. “But all these interpretations are typical fabrications, 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. Small stylistic differences and obvious oversights - for example, the changing height of the frieze or windows tearing up scenes - convinced the Scottish scholar that the sculptors carved the reliefs, as they say, on the go, based on very superficial ideas about the war. “Although it is difficult for art historians to refuse the alluring 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 masons, and by no means on a drawing board in a workshop. In his opinion, the creators of the frieze were inspired by military events rather than based on them. Take at least the main motifs of the reliefs. There is surprisingly little combat in the depiction of the two wars: the scenes of sieges and battles take up less than a quarter of the frieze, while Trajan himself never appears on the battlefield. Legionnaires - the basis military machine Rome - mainly engaged in the construction of forts and bridges, clearing roads and even harvesting. In addition, 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 bowl? 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 torturing scantily clad bound captives with torches? In the interpretation of the Italians, it is the wives of the barbarians who torture the captive Romans. But Ernest Oberlander-Tarnoveanu, director of the National Historical Museum of Romania, has a different opinion: “We have clearly captured Dacians, who are tormented by angry widows of murdered Roman soldiers.” Apparently, what we see when looking at the column depends on our sympathy - for the Romans or for 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 really loyal to Rome." Having concluded a treaty of friendship with the 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, he 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 violated it. The patience of the Romans 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 the Forum of Trajan. “Look how the Romans fight, holding severed heads by the hair with their teeth. War is war. The Roman legionaries had a reputation for being fierce and ruthless warriors." But as soon as the Dacians were defeated, Roman sculptors took them up. Trajan's forum was adorned with dozens of statues of stately, bearded Dacian warriors, a proud marble army in the 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 duck could have come to see the column,” Meneghini says. “The monument was intended for Roman citizens and embodied the power of the imperial machine, capable of subduing such a valiant and warlike people.” Trajan's Column can be considered a model 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, bring more and more discoveries. The portrait of a civilization that has stepped over the “barbarian” stage of development is drawn in more and more detail, contrary to the contemptuous epithets of the Romans. The Dacians did not have a written language, and all our knowledge of their culture has passed through the filter of Roman sources. Numerous finds testify that Dacia reigned over the surrounding lands for more than one hundred years, collecting tribute from her neighbors. Knowing a lot about blacksmithing, the Dacian prospectors mined ore and smelted iron, and gold diggers panned for gold. Finely finished jewelry and weapons were the crowning achievement of skilled craftsmen. Sarmizegetusa 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 the potholed dirt road through the same impregnable valley that blocked the path of Trajan. The ruins of Sarmizegetusa sank in thickets of tall beeches. Even on a hot day, cool shadows creep across the ground. A wide paved road leads from thick, half-buried fortress walls 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 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 sun disks - the holy of holies of the Dacian universe. For the past six years, a Romanian archaeologist Gelu Florea of the Babes-Bolyai University of Cluj spends the summer months excavating at Sarmizegetuse. The cleared ruins, as well as objects confiscated from treasure hunters, indicate that military technology from Rome penetrated here, and the influence of Greece is felt - architectural and artistic. “It's amazing how cosmopolitan they were up in the mountains,” says Florea. “This 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 for 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. The city appears to have been a center of metal production, supplying other Dacian settlements with arms 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 one could take water for religious rituals. The earth underfoot, seasoned with grains of mica, sparkles in sunshine. A few tourists are talking in an undertone. It is hard to imagine what kind of ceremonies were held in this city - and what a terrible fate befell its inhabitants. Clouds of smoke and piercing 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. “There was no stone 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 is set on fire, the inhabitants are fleeing, only goats and cows roam the devastated province. Two wars claimed, according to scientists, tens of thousands of lives. According to a contemporary, Trajan took 500 thousand prisoners, stealing 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 captive. The end of Decebalus is immortalized on the column of his sworn enemy: kneeling under the shade of an oak tree, Dak brings a long curved sword to his own throat. “His head was brought to Rome,” wrote the Roman historian Cassius Dio a century later. “So Dacia became subject to the Romans.”

Greek columns, Roman and Russian columns - all of them were created on the basis of elements of archaic architecture and are the successors of older styles.

The columns of the Hellenic 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 once was located became accessible to Europeans, theoretical treatises were created linking these ancient cultures and proving the continuity of architectural features.

Greek columns

The columns of Greece were developed with the advent of the order system. If you want to decorate your house with Greek columns, you should get acquainted with the styles. More massive and less decorated was the Doric style column. Later, the Ionic column appeared, which was more elegant, and it was decorated with a decorated capital. The later of the Greek columns is a Corinthian column with a capital decorated with floral ornaments. The coast is traditionally considered the place of origin of the Doric style columns. Aegean Sea in the 4th c. BC e. Doric columns did not have a 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. Consider the Ionic order of the columns of Greece from antiquity. The Ionic order, thanks to Vitruvius's assessment, was considered "feminine", so named for its grace, harmony and carved pattern of capitals with volutes. Starting from the 4th century BC, such columns decorated the temples of Asia Minor 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, stem and capital. The base usually rested on a square slab. Among the reliefs of the base are semi-shafts, tori, ornaments and horizontal grooves. The capital was decorated with double spiral volutes - curls. In earlier temples, the 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 c. BC. they begin to create capitals, in which the angular volute is at an angle of 45 ° to the facade.

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

In the Ionic order, the echinus is located between the volutes, as if coming out from under them. Echin and abacus were decorated with egg-shaped ova and leaves. There were 24 flutes on the trunk - deep grooves along the vertical. 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 facade of the Erechtheion). At the top, the shaft of the column is narrower than at the bottom.

Comparison of the proportions and decorations of the Doric and Ionic columns of 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 frequently. Vitruvius also combined it with the Ionic order, who wrote that the Corinthian column differs from the Ionic only in height.

Greek column styles.

The architects tried to place the columns of Greece as far apart 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 restored Roman baths, Bath. Somerset.

Roman columns have long been considered the benchmark for artists since the Renaissance. The Romans borrowed the order system from the Greeks, and with it the columns. However, among the Greeks, the columns served to support relatively light horizontal beams, and the Roman buildings were more massive, and the Greek columns were not suitable as supports. Bearing functions were assigned mainly to the walls, and the columns served mainly as decoration, remaining bearing mainly in the porticos. Roman colonnades lose the strict proportion of Greek columns. The Romans brought some novelty to 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 one - 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 upwards (if there were flutes, they started from 1/3 of the height), the pillow of the capital acquired a more austere look, and a convex ring appeared under the capital instead of a groove. The Roman columns of the Ionic order also underwent changes. Trunks are often made without flutes, and the type of volutes has also changed. The Romans also altered the Corinthian order, giving it greater luxury: more acanthus leaves with rounded ends appeared in the capitals, laurel leaves and other plants were added. Often the elements of the capital were cast in bronze. The trunk of the Roman column of the Corinthian style was made monolithic of granite or marble. Most 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. In the composite style invented by the Romans, elements of the Ionic and Corinthian columns were combined when volute scrolls were placed above the "basket". During the construction, Roman architects could use different orders in one building: the Doric order decorated the first floor, the Ionic order on the second, and the Corinthian and composite order on the top.

Composite Roman column.

The Roman columns did not have the same measured gap on the facades as the 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 style of classicism - 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, fabulousness. The direction of the pseudo-Russian style arose in the 1870s on the basis of populist ideas , which gave rise to a wide interest of people of art in folk art 16th-17th centuries At first, this trend spread to suburban wooden construction, and then embodied in stone buildings. 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, built by the architect N. Pozdneev at the end of the 19th century.

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

The structure's architecture has been heavily criticized by the architectural community. For example, the architect V. Stasov wrote about the structure 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 pood of Russian”. categorically rejected the opinion of Muscovites that the building was beautiful, as he believed that its architecture was alien to the Moscow spirit. 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

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

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

The building of GUM 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 main entrance to the Historical Museum. Pseudo-Russian style. architect Vladimir Sherwood. Moscow. Red Square. 1875-1881

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

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

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

The bright appearance of the lucky winner 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 immortalized for posterity - commemorative 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 conqueror had a certain typical scheme: a cylinder carved from stone, erected on a pedestal, which was topped with a statue of a commander. Most often, the column was covered with carvings, which 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. Inside such monuments, a ladder was placed, along which it was possible to get to the upper platform of the monument.

Trajan's Column (Colonna Traiana)

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 (lat. Daci). It was possible not only to crush the commanders skilled in battle, but also to annex the territories of the Dacians as a new province of the Roman Empire.

In 113 AD by order of Trajan, the artist and architect Apollodorus of Damascus (lat. Apollodorus Damascenus) set to work 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 that the memorial be decorated with a statue of the Apostle Peter.

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

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

Column of Anthony Pius (Colonna di Antonino Pio)

Anthony's Column was once installed on (lat. Campus Martius). It was built in 161 AD. successors of Emperor Antony Pius. The deceased ruler and his wife were honored. Initially, the red granite column was placed on a powerful carved pedestal and surmounted by a statue of Anthony 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 shaft 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 clad the obelisk in Montecitorio Square (Palazzo Montecitorio).

Today, you can admire the memorial to Anthony Pius during a visit (Musei Vaticani). Only the surviving pedestal curbstone is exhibited, on which the emperor is depicted ascending to heaven. Among other reliefs, allegorical images of Rome and stand out.

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

Column of Marcus Aurelius

Column of Marcus Aurelius built in 193 AD. in honor of Emperor Marcus Aurelius (lat. Marcus Aurelius Antoninus). The reign of Marcus Aurelius was overshadowed by the threat posed by the Germanic and Sarmatian tribes. The period from 166 to 180 years. 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 among eastern borders Empire.

Marcus Aurelius could not enjoy a triumph in his own honor, as 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 made up of 28 pieces of Carrara marble, decorated with detailed depictions of battles between the Romans, Germans and Sarmatians. The column was crowned with a statue of Marcus Aurelius, which in the 16th century was replaced by a statue of the Apostle Paul.

There is a column of Marcus Aurelius on the Column Square (Piazza Colonna) named after her. Some time after the restoration in the 16th and 17th centuries, the column was erroneously attributed to Anthony Pius.

Foca's Column (Colonna di Foca)

Foki's column 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 (oratory) 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 the Pontiff Boniface IV (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.

The address: Via dei Fori Imperiali
3D walk around 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 was the Spanish embassy, and in the opposite part in 1854 a column dedicated to the immaculate conception of the Virgin Mary was installed. Next to the memorial is the Palazzo di Propaganda Fide, conceived by Gian Lorenzo Bernini and built by Francesco Borromini.

The column was designed by Luigi Poletti, while the statue immaculate Mary Created by sculptor Giuseppe Obici. The customer of this monument was Ferdinand II (Ferdinando II), the king of both Sicilies. Thus, the ruler wanted to bring together 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 wise men: Moses, Isaiah, King David, seer Ezekiel.

The address: Piazza di Spagna

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