Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1906-05-08
FINDS TOMB
OF TRAJAN
IMPORTANT DISCOVERY IS SAID
TO HAVE BEEN MADE At
ROME.

Rome. May 7.-Among the man,
marvellous monuments in Rome one o
the most interesting and remarkable
Is the column of Trajan. It stands IL
the forum of that emperor-now most
ly covered with houses, and marks 9
height of tongue of land cut away
by Trajan in order to open up the city
at this point. It is III feet Z inches
in height; the pedestal Is II feet II
inches high, and the statue of the EN-
peror Trajan with which it was crown
ed-now succeeded by a colossal sta
tue OF st. Peter-is conjectured tc
nave been 20 feet in height. The shaft
Is composed of 10 drums. From pedes
tai to capital this shaft of white mar
Bile Is carved in bas reliefs, winding
IN spiral form around the column
These has reliefs in very clear and
artistic manner relate the story OF
Trajan's war against the Dacians.
From close study of the arms, arm
or, uniforms. flags, eagles, bridges,
forts and cities. modern students have
been enabled to picture forth the whole
military system of the Romans in the
first and second centuries of the Chris.
tian era.
This column has just had attention
again drawn to it. Signor Boni, whose
notable discoveries in the Roman for.
UNI may be described as epoch max.
ing, has made investigations here, and
has brought to light the tiny chamber
In which he concludes the bones of
the Emperor Trajan were placed. See
ing how carefully Signor Boni pro-
ceeds in his process Of discovery, it
Is very probable that further investi.
cation may confirm his present state.
ment.
The Emperor Trajan died at Sell.
nunte, Cilicia, on the 18th Of August,
III. His ashes were brought to Rome.
and as a special mark of favor the
senate permitted that the law against
intramural interment should on this
occasion be abrogated, and the re-
mains OF the great emperor placed in
the stored column to be erected in
his honor. One tradition relates that
these ashes were inclosed in the gilt
bronze gold which is held in the left
hand of the imperial statue which
crowned the column; another story has
it that they were placed within an urn
of the massive gold which was hidden
in secret chamber Or repository with.
in the base of the column.
Guided by Tradition.
1t is the latter tradition wn1ch has
guided Boni in his search. Keeping
in mind the hints given by ancient
writer's he examined the remains of
the ancient entrance to the column
which is hollow-and within which q
staircase of 1876 steps, in marble, leads
to the summit. Here he removed the
plaster and found a wall of rough tiles
which closed the entrances and con-
cealed the marble door posts. The
Threshold appeared bearing the marks
of the two bronze half doors that
swing upon their hinges-the impress.
sion of these still remains. The up.
per service of the marble threshold is
worn away as If the doors were fire..
quently swung to and fro. These and
other signs induce Boni to regard it
as certainty that there existed here
sepulchral monument; and he hopes
by further investigations to make it
still more clear by the evidence of the
new facts that it was here the urn of
the Emperor Trajan was deposited.
Few of the Roman emperors have
left so remarkable memory on later
ages than did Trajan. The column
which for 18 centuries has been a
wonder and delight to every travel
er who visited Rome must have been
brilliant spectacle when the scat
folding was removed from around it,
and when it shone forth in all it's beau
ty. Patient Investigators have exam
ined the surface of this column and
have discovered on it traces of color
ing and gliding. Signs have been dis
covered OF green, blue, red and gold.
It is needless now to conjecture on
what figures or spaces on the bas re-
liefs these colOrs were employed; suf-
flee it to say that it is difficult for US
nowadays on looking at this weather
beaten, bullet-bespattered surface to
picture to ourselves what it must have
looked like in the light of a spring
day.
De ROssi, the great Christian arch
eologist, related not long ago that he
had at one time contemplated writing
the archaeology of the Divine Com
edia," and that he has collected many
notes upon this particular subject. He
has conjectured that the window of the
legend was, as Nicholas says in his
notes to the Mirabilia in the original
sculpture, suppliant nation at the
feet OF an EMPEROR subject of which
there are many specimens in Roman
sculpture galleries. Thus BOni's dis.
covery concerning Trajan has awak.
ened memories Of an emperor held in
high esteem in Rome throughout the