part 1:  Interactive Graphic part 2:  Story

Reading an Ancient Comic Strip

The victory of the Roman emperor Trajan over the Dacians in back-to-back wars is carved in numerous scenes that spiral around a 126-foot marble pillar in Rome known as Trajan’s Column. It’s a tale that reads like an ancient comic strip.

Travel in time with this stop-motion animation and see how Trajan’s Column was built—according to one theory. How it was made and how accurate it is remain the subjects of spirited debate.

First Battle
Roman soldiers clash with their Dacian opponents in the first major battle scene carved on the column. The colors shown are speculative, but Romans frequently painted their statues and friezes.

1
Auxiliary cavalryman
2
Bare-chested German fighter
3
A Roman soldier uses his teeth to carry a severed Dacian head by its hair.
4
Only Dacians were depicted as dead.
5
Small metal weapons were inserted into the hands of some figures on the frieze.
6
Jupiter, king of the gods, hurls a thunderbolt to help the Romans.

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marches
 
battles
 
other
 
construction
 
negotiations
 
sacrifices
 
trajan speeches
 
recorded events

Reading an Ancient Comic Strip

The victory of the Roman emperor Trajan over the Dacians in back-to-back wars is carved in numerous scenes that spiral around a 126-foot marble pillar in Rome known as Trajan’s Column. It’s a tale that reads like an ancient comic strip.

Reading Trajan’s Column

Carved into the structure are 2,662 figures in 155 scenes. Trajan appears in 58 of them. Viewers were meant to follow the story from bottom to top standing in one place rather than circling the column 23 times, as the frieze does. Key scenes could be seen from two main vantage points (A and B in the graphic).

Graphic of Trajan’s Column broken down by the type of activity in each scene Graphic of Trajan’s Column broken down by the type of activity in each scene

Reading Trajan’s Column

Carved into the structure are 2,662 figures in 155 scenes. Trajan appears in 58 of them. Viewers were meant to follow the story from bottom to top standing in one place rather than circling the column 23 times, as the frieze does. Key scenes could be seen from two main vantage points (A and B in the graphic).

Breakdown of Activity

by length of scene

Romans vs. Dacians

Trajan’s army included not only professional soldiers but also auxiliaries, conscripts, and mercenaries from across the empire. Most of the Dacians are dressed in trousers, tunics, and cloaks, while the Sarmatians, allies of the Dacians, are shown in armor.

Romans

Trajan’s army included not only professional soldiers but also auxiliaries, conscripts, and mercenaries from across the empire.

Dacians

Most of the Dacians are dressed in trousers, tunics, and cloaks, while the Sarmatians, allies of the Dacians, are shown in armor.

Illustration of a Roman helmet

To reveal more of the warriors, sculptors scaled down some of the shields and cut away Roman helmets.

Illustration of a Roman citizen soldier

Citizen soldier

Illustration of a Dacian helmet

Dacian helmets appear on the pedestal and column, but only as spoils of war, never on warriors.

Illustration of a Dacian warrior

Dacian warrior

Illustration of a Moorish cavalryman

Moorish cavalryman

Illustration of a Roman auxiliary infantryman

Auxiliary infantryman

Illustration of a Sarmatian cavalryman

Sarmatian cavalryman

Illustration of a Dacian noble

Dacian noble

Illustration of a Roman armored officer

Armored officer

Illustration of a Roman eagle standard

Eagle standard

Illustration of a northern Dacian

Northern Dacian

Illustration of a Dacian wolf standard

Wolf standard