The Tomahawk., 1919-11-06

H:s::::l
Trajan's For
-H HERE is a movement in Kan
sas City for the erection Of a
: memorial to the American
= soldiers who took part in the
world war, in the form of some monu-
mental work of sculptural art. Its ad-
vocates, says the Kansas City Star,
will find historic precedent worthy
of study and pregnant with sugges-
stion in the famous Trajan's column ut
Rome. which remains today after eight.
cen centuries one of the worlds me-
mortal wonders. In its original setting
it was but part Of magnificent sys-
tenn Of public buildings libraries,
the Basilica U1pia and the temple of
>Trajan-which composed the forum
erected by the Roman emperor Trajan
to commemorate his reign and to EN-.
blazon his victories for posterity. The
designer Of the great forum Of Trajan
was Appolodorus, the Greek architect.
The name Of the artist under whose
inspired hand the column grew from
base to capital and who recorded in its
stones the martial deeds Of his Inn
perial master has been forgotten. That
he was Roman, however, is attested
by the fact that the column itself is
distinctively Roman in its design and
in its inspiration. Today, of all. the
splendid buildings and monuments that
composed the forum Of Trajan but one
remains intact, the great column which
tells the story of Trajan's achieve
ments.
It was after his return from the Da-
clan wars that Trajan. in lib A. D.,
caused to be erected in the midst Of
the forum he had built this column,
which was designed not only to per-
petuate the memory Of his Dacian VIC
tories, but also to afford repository
for his ashes, which were placed In
q golden urn In q chamber under the
column. Surviving eighteen centuries
Of wars and the corroding touch Of
time and Of ''broils that root out the
work Of masonry" the column Of
Tfajan is today one Of the most beau
tiful Of Roman works Of art and
document in stone Of priceless value
to the historian.
70 Of oreclan Marble.
The ancient name Of this famous
column was the Columna Colchis. 10
called from Its winding stairs like the
spiral Of q shell, by which ascent was
made from pedestal to top. It II built
Of huge blocks Of Greek marble. The
shaft, base and capital, not counting
the pedestal, which measured eighteen
feet in height, are exactly 100 Roman
feet high (ninety-seven and a half
modern Eng1ish). In diameter the
shaft measures twelve feet at the bot
tom. tapering gently to about ten feet
under the capital. On the top OF the
capital, in It's original form, stood a
colossal gilt bronze statue Of the EN-
peror; nearly twenty feet high. hold
ing IN orb in one hand and q spear
In the other. This statue was stolen
and carried away during one Of the
inroads Of the Byzantine emperors In
the fifth century, and was replaced IN
the sixteenth century by the statue Of
st. Peter, which now surmountS the
column. - F..
The tall pedestal on which the col
umn is built is richly decorated with
reltefs Of armor and trophies taken
from the Dacians. On one side IL q
tablet carried BY two figures Of Vic.
tory and upon it IL the dedicatory In
scription. At each angle above the
cornice Of the pedestal Is an eagle sup.
porting a garland Of flowers. Imme-
diately beneath the tablet IL the door
way to the spiral staircase. lighted BY
fory-two small openings. The wind.
ing stairs consist Of 1S4 steps around
q central newell, al Of solid marble.
As beautiful . work Of sculptured
beauty a. Is the pedestal itself, the
part Of the column which most moves
the modern beholder to wonder and
establishment IL the shaft, which,
standing on the tomb Of the emperor,
rises With its mass Of relief wrought
figures q hundred feet In the air. It
70 formed OF tWenty-thfee 0fumS u
marble, arranged In spiral bands Of
reliefs, which climb the column to the
feet Of the statue Of the emperor which
formerly stood upon its capital.
Wrought into these stones are more
than $500 figures, besides q great num-
ber Of background accessories, worked
out with great minuteness Of detail,
the figures varying In height from
three feet at the bottom to nearly four
feet at the top. The sculptures repre-
sent .he complete history Of TrajaD's
two Oacian campaigns, upon which
his military renown rests, and the
ssSD is told In stone as q historian
might ten It b. de written word