A journey through 35000 years of rulers & civilizations
SCENE CONTEXT
Addressing the Troops
After the religious ceremony, the narrative returns directly to military command. Trajan stands prominently above the assembled army, accompanied by senior officers, while soldiers and standard-bearers gather before him.
Such an imperial address—an adlocutio—was both practical and symbolic. The emperor could communicate orders, encouragement or recognition to the troops, while the visual gathering of officers, standards and soldiers reinforced the unity of the army under his personal command.
RECONSTRUCTION NOTES
Fact
Trajan is shown standing with officers and facing assembled Roman troops. The soldiers include men represented in both lorica segmentata and lorica hamata, while several standard-bearers stand prominently among them. Coulston specifically identifies Trajan in a muscled cuirass and sagum, standard-bearers with animal skins, and both auxiliary and citizen-soldier equipment within the scene. The continuation of the group includes further legionary and auxiliary figures, including rectangular shields decorated with wreath motifs.
Interpretation
The scene is commonly interpreted as an imperial adlocutio—Trajan addressing his army before further operations. The Column does not preserve the words of any speech, so we should not reconstruct a specific message. What the relief communicates securely is command: Trajan occupies the focal position, officers stand beside him, and the army faces him with its standards displayed.
That distinction is important for AHistory: we can call the event an adlocutio, but we should not invent a “speech before battle.
Reconstruction
The reconstruction distinguishes the emperor and senior officers through richer military dress while keeping the assembled soldiers visually organized around their armour, shields and standards. Red cloaks, metallic armour and painted shield details are evidence-informed choices; the original colours of this particular relief are not preserved.
WHAT HAPPENS IN THIS SCENE
Trajan addresses a formation of Roman soldiers after the preceding religious ceremonies. Senior officers accompany him while legionaries, auxiliaries and standard-bearers face the imperial command group. The scene shifts the narrative from divine preparation to military leadership: the rites have been completed, and the army is now ready to move forward
SCENE DETAILS
1
Muscled Cuirass — Armour of Command
Trajan and several senior officers wear muscled cuirasses, armour shaped to reproduce an idealized male torso. On the Column, this distinctive equipment visually separates the imperial command group from many of the ordinary soldiers and reinforces their rank, authority and martial status.
RECONSTRUCTION
Scene No.
8
REAL WORLD EXAMPLES
A surviving bronze muscled cuirass shows how the anatomical chest and back could be formed in metal.
.png){kind=small}
Bronze muscled cuirass · Grotticelle near Canosa, South Italy · c. 330–320 BC · Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg · inv. 1910.448.a-b.
2
Animal-Skin Standard Bearers
Roman standard-bearers stand out from the surrounding troops through the animal skins worn over their helmets and shoulders. Combined with their standards, this distinctive appearance made them immediately recognizable within the formation and emphasized their special military role. On the Column, the exact species of the animal is not always certain, so the safest description is simply “animal-skin” rather than a more specific identification.
RECONSTRUCTION
Scene No.
8
REAL WORLD EXAMPLES
A Pompeian wall painting shows an animal skin worn over the head and shoulders.
Hercules and Omphale · House of Marcus Lucretius, Pompeii (IX.3.5) · 1st century AD · Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli, inv. 8992.
3
Cornu — Curved Military Horn
Roman military musicians carry the cornu, a large curved bronze horn used to transmit audible signals across formations. Its long tube bends around the player’s body and is reinforced by a transverse support bar, allowing the instrument to be carried while standing or moving. On the Column, cornicines appear alongside standards and assembled troops, emphasizing the organized communication system of the Roman army.
RECONSTRUCTION
Scene No.
8
REAL WORLD EXAMPLES
Surviving bronze cornua
Roman bronze cornua · Pompeii · before AD 79 · Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli · inv. 5652 and 5653.
4
Pteryges — Fringed Protective Skirt
Below the cuirass, Trajan and several senior officers wear rows of hanging strips known as pteryges. These flexible elements covered the hips and upper thighs while preserving freedom of movement, and they also formed an important part of the formal visual appearance of elite military dress. On the Column, they help distinguish the emperor and senior officers from many of the ordinary soldiers around them.
RECONSTRUCTION
Scene No.
8
REAL WORLD EXAMPLES
Cuirassed warrior wearing rows of pteryges below the armour
Cuirassed warrior · House of the Trojan Sacellum / House of the Lararium of Achilles (I.6.4), Pompeii · Second Style · c. 80–20 BC · Archaeological Park of Pompeii.