Tropaeum Traiani

The Tropaeum Traiani or Trajanic Trophy is a monument in Roman Civitas Tropaensium (site of modern Adamclisi, Romania), built in AD 109 in then Moesia Inferior, to commemorate Roman Emperor Trajan's victory over the Dacians, in the winter of 101–102, in the Battle of Adamclisi. Before Trajan's construction, an altar existed there, on the walls of which were inscribed the names of the 3,000 legionaries and auxilia (servicemen) who had died "fighting for the Republic". (Latin: Tropaeum from Greek: Tropaion, source of English: "trophy").

Compared to Trajan's Column in Rome, erected to celebrate the same victories and a "product of Roman metropolitan art", the sculpted metopes have been described as in "barbarian provincial taste", carved by "sculptors of provincial training, reveal nga lack of experience infigurative representation, inorganic structure and a naive idiom that remains detached from the classical current".

Trajan's monument was inspired by the Augustus mausoleum, and was dedicated to Mars Ultor in AD 107–108. On the monument there were 54 metopes depicting Roman legions fighting against enemies; most of these metopes are preserved in the museum nearby. The monument was supposed to be a warning to the tribes outside this newly conquered province.

By the 20th century, the monument was reduced to a mound of stone and mortar, with a large number of the original bas-reliefs scattered around. The present edifice is a reconstruction dating from 1977. The nearby museum contains many archaeological objects, including parts of the original Roman monument. Of the original 54 metopes, 48 are in the museum and 1 is in Istanbul.

Trophy

The monument was dedicated with a large inscription to Mars Ultor (the avenger). The inscription has been preserved fragmentarily from two sides of the trophy hexagon, and has been reconstructed as follows:

MARTI ULTOR br>
IM (erator)CAESR DIVI

NERVA F(ILIUS) N VA

TRA]IANUS UG(USTUS) GERM(ANICUS)br>
DAC]I U PONT(IFEX) MAX(IMUS)

TRIB(UNICIA) POTEST(ATE) XIII

IMP(ERATOR) VI CO(N)S(UL) V P(ater) P(atriae)

?VICTO EXERC]ITU DCORUMbr>
?---- ET SARMATA]RUM

----]E 31.

The inscription, which calls Trajan ''Germanicus'' from his previous victories in Germany and ''Dacicus'' for his new conquest of Dacia, can be translated:

To Mars (mythology)#Mars Ultor, Mars Ultor,

Caesar the emperor, son of the divine Nerva,

Nerva Trajan Augustus, ''Germanicus'',

''Dacicus'', '' Pontifex Maximus'',

Plebeian tribune for the 13th time,

roclaimedEmperor y the armyfor the 6th time,

Consul for the 5th time, Father of the Fatherland,

Conquered the Dacian and Sarmatian armies ...

Image:Tropaeum Traiani from the North.jpg, The reconstructed trophy
Image:TropaeumTraianiTropy.JPG, the original trophy
Image:TropaeumTraianiTropyDetail.JPG, Detail of the trophy: Head of Medusa
Image:TropaeymTraianiTrophydetail.JPG, Detail of a falx on the trophy
Image:AdamclisiRoofTile.jpg , Roman roof stone tile used for the monument

Metopes

On the monument was a frieze comprising 54 metopes. 48 metopes are hosted in the Adamclisi museum nearby, and one metope is hosted by Istanbul Archaeology Museum, the rest having been lost (There is a reference from Giurescu that two of them fell into the Danube during the transport to Bucharest).

Image:AdamclisiMetope.jpg
Image:AdamclisiMetope2.jpg, Metope II
Image:AdamclisiMetope3.jpg
Image:AdamclisiMetope4.jpg, Metope VI: Trajan’s equestrian statue crushing the enemy under the legs of the horse (Gramatopol)
Image:AdamclisiMetope5.jpg, Metope IV The Suicide of Decebalus on the Tropaeum -Tiberius Claudius Maximus (according to M.P Spiedel) according to Mihai Gramatopol the metope was erroneously restored by E. Mironescu

Image:AdamclisiMetope6.jpg
Image:AdamclisiMetope7.jpg, XXIV: the bodies of the Dacians thrown off the cliffs (Gramatopol)
Image:AdamclisiMetope8.jpg
Image:AdamclisiMetope9.jpg
Image:AdamclisiMetope10.jpg, tabula ansata on the right side of the boss on a soldier shield, metope XXIV from Tropaeum Traiani
Image:AdamclisiMetope11.jpg
Image:AdamclisiMetope12.jpg
Image:AdamclisiMetope13.jpg, Adamclisi, imperial metope X: Trajan between two adjutants (according to M. Gramatopol)
Image:AdamclisiMetope14.jpg, Metope XXXV: A Roman Legionary with a mail manica and spear with Dacian falxman
Image:AdamclisiMetope15.jpg, This metope was later reused as part of a fountain, then recovered and placed in the museum
Image:AdamclisiMetope16.jpg
Image:AdamclisiMetope17.jpg, Metope XXIV: the bodies of the Dacians thrown off the cliffs
Image:AdamclisiMetope18.jpg
Image:AdamclisiMetope19.jpg, Metope IX - Barbarian family in a four-wheel cart
Image:AdamclisiMetope20.jpg
Image:AdamclisiMetope21.jpg
Image:AdamclisiMetope22.jpg
Image:AdamclisiMetope23.jpg, Metope XLVIII: Germanic POW with Roman Soldier
Image:AdamclisiMetope24.jpg
Image:AdamclisiMetope25.jpg, Metope XXII: Emperor Trajan
Image:AdamclisiMetope26.jpg
Image:AdamclisiMetope27.jpg, Metope XLIV(Gramatopol) changed as Metope XXXIX: Marching "offduty" soldiers
Image:AdamclisiMetope28.jpg
Image:AdamclisiMetope29.jpg, XXXI: pursuing the Dacian archers hiding in the trees (Gramatopol)
Image:AdamclisiMetope30.jpg
Image:AdamclisiMetope31.jpg
Image:AdamclisiMetope32.jpg

Image:AdamclisiMetope34.jpg
Image:AdamclisiMetope35.jpg
Image:AdamclisiMetope37.jpg, Metope XX: Legionary with manica laminata and body defences of ' pteruges' and a corselet of scale, armed with sword, and a Dacian falxman; A Germanic warrior (Bastarnae?) sporting a Suebian knot lies injured on the ground
Image:AdamclisiMetope38.jpg
Image:AdamclisiMetope39.jpg
Image:AdamclisiMetope40.jpg
Image:AdamclisiMetope41.jpg
Image:AdamclisiMetope42.jpg, Emperor Trajan with a Lieutenant
Image:AdamclisiMetope43.jpg
Image:AdamclisiMetope44.jpg
Image:AdamclisiMetope45.jpg
Image:MetopeAdamclisi.jpg,
Image:MetopeAdamclisi2.jpg, Dacian, Sarmatian, and Germanic captives in the war against the Romans
Image:MetopeAdamclisi3.jpg, Dacian, Sarmatian, and Germanic captives in the war against the Romans
Image:MetopeAdamclisi4.jpg, Dacian, Sarmatian, and Germanic captives in the war against the Romans
Image:MetopeAdamclisi5.jpg, Dacian, Sarmatian, and Germanic captives in the war against the Romans
Image:MetopeAdamclisi6.jpg, Dacian, Sarmatian, and Germanic captives in the war against the Romans
Image:MetopeAdamclisi7.jpg, Dacian, Sarmatian, and Germanic captives in the war against the Romans
Image:MetopeAdamclisi8.jpg, Dacian, Sarmatian, and Germanic captives in the war against the Romans
Image:MetopeAdamclisi9.jpg, Dacian, Sarmatian, and Germanic captives in the war against the Romans
Image:MetopeAdamclisi10.jpg, Sarmatian, captives in the war against the Romans
Image:MetopeAdamclisi11.jpg, Dacian, Sarmatian, and Germanic captives in the war against the Romans
Image:MetopeAdamclisi13.jpg, Dacian, Sarmatian, and Germanic captives in the war against the Romans
Image:MetopeAdamclisi14.jpg, Dacian, Sarmatian, and Germanic captives in the war against the Romans
Image:MetopeAdamclisi15.jpg, Dacian, Sarmatian, and Germanic captives in the war against the Romans
Image:4545 - Istanbul - Museo archeol. - Rilievo traianeo dalla Romania sec. II d.C. - Foto G. Dall'Orto 28-5-2006.jpg, Traian Metope, Istanbul Museum
Image:MetopeAdamclisi3.jpg, Germanic captive

Roman General Tomb

Image:UnknownRomanGeneralTomb.JPG, Roman general Tomb
Image:UnknownRomanGeneralTomb2.JPG, Excavated Roman General Tomb

Legionaries Memorial

"''in honorem et in memoriam fortissimorum virorum qui pugnantes pro republica morte occubuerunt''"

1977 Reconstruction

The monument was restored based on a hypothetical reconstruction in 1977.

Image:AdamclisiCrossSection.svg, Cross-section of the reconstructed Monument
Image:TropeumTraianiHypotesis3.jpg, Three different hypothetical reconstructions of the monument
Image:FotoJacobi CetateaTropaeum 021.jpg, 1896 picture
File:Adolffurtwangleradamclisi003.jpg, Adolf Furtwangler picture
File:Adolffurtwangleradamclisi006.jpg, Adolf Furtwangler picture
File:AdolfFurtwanglerAdamclisi001.jpg, 1903 Adolf Furtwangler view of reconstructed monument.

Archeological research

In 1837, four Prussian officers, hired by the Ottoman Empire to study the Dobruja strategic situation, performed the first excavations. The team was composed by Heinrich Muhlbach, leading Friedrich Leopold Fischer, Carol Wincke-Olbendorf and Helmuth von Moltke the Elder. They tried to reach the center of the monument by digging a tunnel, nothing was found after the digging.Vasile Barbu, Cristian Schuster Grigore G. Tocilescu si "Cestiunea Adamclisi" Pagini din Istoria Arheologiei Romanesti

The monument was also visited by C. W. Wutzer from Bonn University, who recorded a short description of the monument and of some local legends.

The monument was researched by Grigore Tocilescu, O. Benford and G. Niemann, between 1882–1895,Cimec http://www.cimec.ro/scripts/muzee/id.asp?k=246 George Murnu in 1909, Vasile Parvan stop the researches in 1911, Paul Nicorescu studied the site between 1935–1945, Gheorghe Stefan and Ioan Barnea in 1945. From 1968 the site was researched under Romanian Academy supervision.

Civitas Tropaensium

Image:TropaeumTraianiCityWall.jpg, Tropaeum Traiani City wall
Image:TropeumTraiani 14.jpg, A smaller trophy found at Adamclisi, a smaller copy of the original monument which was installed at the eastern city gates during the eras of Constantine and Licinius.

References

Sources

*Adolf Furtwängler: Das Tropaion von Adamklissi und provinzialrömische Kunst. (München, Verlag der K. Akademie, 1903
Das Tropaion von Adamklissi und provinzialromische Kunst: Furtwängler, Adolf, 1853-1907: Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming
*Florea Bobu Florescu, Das Siegesdenkmal von Adamklissi. Tropaeum Traiani. Akademieverlag, Bukarest 1965.
*Wilhelm Jänecke, Die ursprüngliche Gestalt des Tropaion von Adamklissi. Winter, Heidelberg 1919.
*Adrian V. Rădulescu, Das Siegesdenkmal von Adamklissi. Konstanza 1972 und öfter.
*Ian A. Richmond: Adamklissi, en Papers of the British School at Rome 35, 1967, pp. 29–39.
*Lino Rossi, A Synoptic Outlook of Adamklissi Metopes and Trajan’s Column Frieze. Factual and Fanciful Topics Revisited, en Athenaeum 85, 1997, pp. 471–486.
*Luca Bianchi, Il trofeo di Adamclisi nel quadro dell'arte di stato romana, in Rivista dell'Istituto Nazionale d Archeologia e Storia dell'Arte 61, 2011, pp. 9-61 Ahttp://arche-o.nolblog.hu/page/2/
*Brian Turner. 2013. "War Losses and Worldview: Re-Viewing the Roman Funerary Altar at Adamclisi." ''American Journal of Philology'' 134.2:277-304. DOI
War Losses and Worldview: Re-Viewing the Roman Funerary Altar at Adamclisi

External links

{{Coord, 44.102, N, 27.955, E, display=title, source:dewiki

Dacia in art
Buildings and structures in Constanța County
Nerva–Antonine dynasty
2nd-century Roman sculptures
Victory monuments
Roman sites in Romania
Tourist attractions in Constanța County
Historic monuments in Constanța County