This article explores the depictions of architecture on the Columns of Trajan and Marcus Aurelius. Trajan's Column alone features depictions of over 300 architectural structures, the vast majority of which can be clearly associated with either Roman or Dacian culture, and which project a clear disparity between those cultures. 1 On both columns, destruction plays a crucial rôle in the contrast between Roman and indigenous architecture and cultures. On Trajan's, fully one-fourth of Dacian architectural structures are either on fire or threatened by fire. Both Roman soldiers and Dacian warriors participate in this destruction, filling 7 separate sequences that illustrate the annihilation and erasure of Dacian culture in the face of the Roman advance. The theme of architectural destruction as a metaphor for cultural erasure is echoed on the Column of Marcus Aurelius, but with important modifications that speak to differences in how the two monuments portray war, victory, and aggressive imperialism. 2 8 Hanoune 2000. Architectural depictions are mentioned briefly within the context of a broader discussion of the column as a whole:
More than 300 depictions of architectural structures appear throughout the Column of Trajan, illustrating both Roman and Dacian fortifications and settlements. Despite the prevalence of architectural depictions on the column, there has been littie attention specifically devoted to these important components of the frieze. While recent scholarship has focused on the composition and message of the column as a whole, for the most part this work has not contributed to the interpretation of architecture on the frieze. Previous discussions of the architectural repre sentations have focused almost exclusively on reconciling the pictorial record with the archaeological record and on explaining away what has been seen as a series of mistakes in the architecture on the frieze. This article demonstrates that the many features traditionally interpreted as misun derstandings actually form consistent patterns that draw a purposeful contrast between a supposedly superior Ro man culture and a primitive, barbarian Dacian culture.* * This article is derived from my master's thesis, written at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Sheila Dil lon and Nicola Terrenato gave much helpful advice as thesis committee members, for which I am very grateful. I would like to extend special thanks to my committee chair Moni ka Truemper, who has been an unfailing source of detailed reviews, advice, and enthusiasm throughout all stages of my thesis and this article. Thank you also to the editors and anon ymous reviewers of the AJA for their invaluable comments. Any mistakes that remain are of course my own. I am very grateful to Antonio Di Tanna and the Museo della Civilt? Ro mana for permission to use my photos of their casts in this article. I would also like to thank my family and everyone in the Department of Classics at the University of North Caro lina at Chapel Hill for their tireless enthusiasm and support over many years. In this article, I follow the scene divisions and numbering system established by Cichorius (1896,1900), the traditional reference system for the Column of Trajan frieze. A catalogue covering select architectural structures on the frieze of the Column of Trajan is available on the AJA Web site (http://www.ajaonline.org), under "Supplemental Data." 1 For a summary and discussion of the debate over the au thorship and artistic forces behind the Column of Trajan, see
Th is project has benefi ted from the help of many people. I am grateful fi rst and foremost to Editor-in-Chief Jane B. Carter and the anonymous reviewers for the AJA, whose many insights led to great improvements in my manuscript.
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