‘Trajan: Building the Empire, Creating Europe’ Exhibition at the Museum of the Imperial Fora at Trajan’s Market, Rome

On December 10, 2017December 10, 2017 By Paul Coby and Sally BlandfordIn Imperial, ItalyLeave a comment

Overall Impact: *** 3 stars – fascinating (but did he create Europe?)

Access *** 3 stars – Roman stairs and pavement!

Atmosphere ***** 5 stars – Italian design, dramatic lighting

Other *** 3 stars – does not quite hold together!

Exhibition is on 29th November 2017 to 16th September 2018

It is very welcome to have a focus on the Emperor Trajan, in many people’s view the “best” Roman Emperor. Adopted from outside the Imperial Family, he was the Emperor who expanded the borders to their greatest extent through the annexation of first Dacia and then Armenia, Assyria and Mesopotamia.

He is in many ways an attractive character who looks out at you from his realistic and unflattering portrait busts with a knowing and somewhat world-weary air.

The exhibition is superimposed on the excellent permanent exhibits and restoration of Trajan’s Markets, which contains artefacts from the Imperial Fora and their temples.

You enter through a recreation of the base of Trajan’s Column, which stands a mere 100metres distant. Inside, in deep darkness, a modern Trajan on film exhorts you in Italian and you see two glass vessels old enough that they could have contained the ashes of Trajan and his wife Plotina.

Then in the central hall of the markets there are plaster casts of scenes from the Column indicating his virtues as Creator and Conqueror.

The remarkably surviving Roman street that survives and runs past Trajan’s Market

Opening off the central hall are a number of rooms with exhibits relating to Trajan. The best, to our mind, are the model from the 1930s of an Imperial Triumph, including realistically downcast captives (carried aloft and presumably awaiting their unpleasant fate), and the recreations of the rebuilt Tropaeum from Adamklissi in Dacia (modern Romania), and images of the crude but vital representations of the Dacian Wars that formed its frieze, probably carved by specialists from the legion who fought there.

Two reconstructions of the Tropaeum at Adamklissi

There are well-explained casts of military tombstones and a room featuring busts of Trajan, his father, and his role model, Alexander. A “large headless statue of a man wearing a cuirass” found in his own Forum is not explicitly identified as Trajan but surely depicts him, particularly as the tabs round the bottom of the cuirass show the emblems of a number of different legions who served in his armies.

Further on are rooms featuring stunning models of the bridge over the Danube from the Dacian Wars, the bridge at Alcantara in Spain and Trajan’s Temple, the Trajaneum in Pergamum.

Model of the Trajanic-era Bridge at Alcantara in Spain

Going upstairs there are features on Trajan’s much-loved and influential wife Plotina, his sister Ulpia Marciana, and her niece Vibia Matidia, and their iconography, complemented by a feature on the activities of women during his reign. This is by far the best coverage of women in an antique exhibition we have seen, showing their role in the Imperial family and in society.

The small collection of stamps on ceramics recording businesswomen’s identities is particularly good. We also learn about Trajan’s frumentarium (a tax-funded social security scheme) for poor families.

Brick stamp from Julia Procula’s brick works

We then progress to a fascinating video about what may have been his house before he became Emperor, a site now only accessible by descending through a manhole into the depths below a car park. One can but hope that this will be restored and opened up to the public in the future, allowing us to admire the painted rooms. Then we see images off his rural palace at Arcinazzo in the mountains, highlighted by amazing and painstaking recreations of delicate plaster work and wall paintings.

Brilliantly restored plaster-work from Trajan’s Country Palace at Arcinazzo

So, as you can see from the above description; there is much here that is unmissable and every Romanist should try and visit it if possible.

However, we have three caveats, two minor and one major. Let’s get the two minor ones out of the way. The exhibition in each room is shoe-horned in amongst the already excellent Trajan’s Markets exhibits, so it is somewhat incoherent. Some rooms beyond the main hall are also very easy to miss, unless one picks up the very modest leaflet in the ticket hall, which forms the only English guide. Secondly, the catalogue is large and sumptuous – but entirely in Italian. As the good information panels in the exhibition itself are bilingual, it is a pity even that relatively brief material is not included in the catalogue. We would then have loved to buy it!

Thirdly, it is to our mind misconceived – although understandable in these uncertain times – to claim that Trajan “founded Europe”. He ruled and extended an Empire that spanned three continents – Europe, Africa and Asia – which was built around Mare Nostrum, the Mediterranean. Furthermore, he was a great Emperor – arguably indeed the best – but he was Emperor of Rome, all-powerful crusher of the Dacians and Persians, benefactor of the poor, builder of infrastructure, and supreme ruler of the Roman World. The Empire of AD117 was at its height a unitary super-state of the Ancient World and vastly different in almost all dimensions – economy, governance, culture and values – from the Europe of Charlemagne, Charles V or the present day. (It is therefore interesting that all three claim to be the heir of Rome!)

Paul and Sally

Trajan’s Market at dusk. In reality these were more likely offices than markets.

The Ara Pacis in Rome

On April 23, 2017 By Paul Coby and Sally BlandfordIn Imperial, ItalyLeave a comment

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Overall 5***** uniquely interesting memorial of Age of Augustus (and his PR machine)

Display 5***** super display of the altar and explanations; coloured lighting at night

Access 5***** we liked windows in the controversial cover building; good disabled access

Atmosphere 4**** not particularly numinous, being rather clinical and art-historical

Other 5***** Our first site with 3 ***** main criteria!

The Ara Pacis Augustae was commissioned by the Roman Senate in 13BCE to commemorate Augustus’ return to Rome after his three years re-ordering Gaul and Spain. It was consecrated in 9BCE. It was located on the open Campus Martius to the north of Rome, to the west of the Via Flaminia, and dedicated to Pax – the Goddess of Peace.

The exterior is decorated with allegorical and historical panels in the upper part, including scenes of Augustus and his family processing to a sacrifice. The men are in priestly clothing and there are women and children in the procession. The historical scenes have seated figures of Roma and Pax, with the discovery of Romulus and Remus and possibly the sacrifice by Aeneas. The lower part has natural themes with intertwined vines, flowers and wildlife.

This is an important example of Augustan propaganda, combining nature and prosperity with themes of traditional Roman religion and establishing his family as Rome’s ‘first family’. It shows how tightly he controlled the Respublica 20 years after Actium.

From the outset the Ara Pacis began to sink into the marshy ground and it was only rediscovered in the C16th. Parts were excavated over time until, in 1937, Mussolini decided to re-assemble the Altar to mark the 2,000th anniversary of Augustus’ birth, and to place it next to Augustus’ Mausoleum to create a fascist ‘Augustus Theme Park’.

The hastily constructed 1930s cover building decayed and a new replacement by Richard Meier opened in 2006 to great controversy. We rather liked it, as the Altar is displayed with lots of natural light and is visible from outside the building.

Model with original arrangements – Ara Pacis to left background on Campus Martius, with Augustan Mausoleum in foreground, and Pantheon in background.

Mausoleum of Augustus

On March 5, 2017April 15, 2017 By Paul Coby and Sally BlandfordIn Imperial, ItalyLeave a comment

Overall 2 ** it’s in terrible state – but gets the ranking because of what it is!

Display 0 nothing, what a shocker

Access 1 * you can’t go in but can get a view from the fascist square around it

Atmosphere 1 * gloomy neglect

Other 5 ***** Just think who it was for – one of the major figures of World History and it’s next door to the re-located but, magnificent Ara Pacis in it’s modern Museum.

The Mausoleum of Augustus was built by Augustus in 28BCE on the Campus Martius, close to the Tiber north of Rome.

Intriguingly it was one of the first – not the last – projects initiated by Augustus in Rome, just after assuming unchallenged power over the ‘Republic’, after his Victory at Actium in 31 BCE. He lasted until 14AD. Does this suggest an element of pessimism in his character or just careful planning?

Just imagine if Octavian as he then was had died in Egypt of disease in 30BCE, it seems highly likely that the Roman Republic would have continued to tear itself apart with Civil Wars and the apparent inevitability and stability of the Roman Empire created by Augustus and Agrippa might never have happened. Thus the 5 stars in the ‘other’ category. Just think what if…..

It was circular in plan and consists of concentric rings of brick. It was planted with cypresses and probably capped with with a status of Augustus. There were burial spaces in vaults inside and granite obelisks flanked the arched entry.

We know that Marcellus, Agrippa, Drusus, Octavia Minor, Gaius Caesar, Lucius Caesar were interred there before Augustus. After him the ashes of Livia (his wife), Germanicus, Agrippina, Nero and Drusus sons of Germanicus, Caligula, Tiberius, Claudius, Britannicus and Nerva were interred there.

There is a story that in Alaric’s Sack of Rome in 410, that the ashes of the imperial family were scattered on the ground as the Goths made off with the urns. However there appears to be no corroboration for this. The Mausoleum was used as castle in the middle ages, became successively a bull ring and a theatre, until cleared by Mussolini with the newly reconstructed Ara Pacis alongside. After the War it was allowed to fall into shame-fall neglect, although at last renovations seem to be underway, financed by a Telco.

At present the site is closed during reconstruction works.

Basilica of San Vitale Ravenna

On October 25, 2015October 25, 2015 By Paul Coby and Sally BlandfordIn Church, ItalyLeave a comment

Overall ***** 5 stars – original building and superb mosiacs

Display 3 – very good guide books available, little on site

Access 4 – open and accessible on UNESCO trail

Other Marks the re-imposition of Roman orthodoxy

San Vitale was begun in 526 under Ostrogothic rule, by the Orthodox (Roman) Bishop Ecclesius. It was finished under Bishop Maximian who was sent out from Constantinople after the reconquest by Belisarius. It was paid for by Julius Argentarius. Maximian is definitely depicted in the courtiers behind Justinian in the mosaic in the apse, as Julian may be.

San Vitale is octagonal in plan, preceded by a narthex, flanked by two towers and appears to be heavily influenced by contemporary architecture in Constantinople, where Ecclesius had long resided. The apse is as usual semi-circular on the inside and polygonal on the outside. Above the main body of the Church is a polygonal lantern. It is supposedly is of the same design as the Imperial Audience Chamber in Constantinople. There are no parallels of this design in Italy.

On entering S. Vitale on a sunny day you are struck by the varied play of light and dark, with shafts of sun-light slanting down and illuminating the columns, capitals and above all causing the mosaics to shine and sparkle.

The main glory of S. Vitale are the magnificent mosaics, which testify to the brilliance of the artists and craftsmen of 6th Century Ravenna. It is tempting to describe them but no words can do them justice, nor indeed photos or professional portraits. You just have to see them!

The Presbytery mosaics are all about the Sacrifice of the Eucharist. Thus the triumphal arch leading into the Presbytery is decorated with 15 busts of Christ, the Apostles and Ss. Gervais and Protassius, said to be the sons of S. Vitale. In the ceiling at the centre stands the Mystic Lamb supported by four praying angels. On the side walls next to figures of the evangelists, prophets and Moses are scenes of sacrifice from the Book of Genesis – the Hospitality of Abraham and the Sacrifice of Issac, and the Offered Sacrifces of Abel and Melchizedek.

In the Apse the figure of Christ sits on a blue globe flanked by two angels. The right hand angel offers the crown of martyrdom to S. Vitalis and the left hand offers a scroll to Bishop Ecclesius, the Church founder who carries a model of the Church itself. Interestingly Christ wears the Imperial purple and the angels traditional Roman dress.

Perhaps the most famous mosaics, are the panels facing each other on the side walls of the apse. On the right is the Emperor Justinian in purple with a golden halo, surrounded by court officials, Bishop Maximian is named and speculatively one of the men is Julius Argentarius the patron, and possibly on his right General Belisarius, who re-conquered Ravenna in 540. Palatine Guards with chi-rho symbol on their shields are also shown. Opposite is the Empress Theodora with her court ladies. In typical Byzantine fashion the Emperor and Empress are shown face on looking impassively forward. Showing the Imperial Family in the same way as saints, prophets and angels expresses the authority of both the Emperor and the Church and inextricably links them. This is something first seen in the now lost mosaics of St John the Evangelist.

St John the Evangelist, Ravenna

On October 25, 2015December 13, 2015 By Paul Coby and Sally BlandfordIn Church, ItalyLeave a comment

Overall ** 2 stars – remarkable survival

Display 2 limited information for visitors, hard to use QR codes

Access 3 open and accessible but not on UNESCO trail

Other Hugely significant but heavily restored and bombed!

St John the Evangelist was founded by the Augusta Galla Placidia after 425, when she and her children survived a storm on the passage back from exile in Constantinople to Ravenna, and made a vow to the Evnagelist that if they survived she would build a Church to him.

Alas not much survives from the original structure although the columns, capitals and bases, re-used from a 3rd Century are part of Galla’s building. The magnificent mosaics on the apse were destroyed in 1568, but a detailed description was made before that date.

Nave and Apse sadly devoid of mosaics

The mosaics centred on an enthroned figure of Christ with a passage from Matthew 5.7. There were also two panels showing the storm at sea, and representations of the Imperial Family. In medallions above were inages of 10 of Galla Placidia’s relatives going back to Constantine and probably including her deceased son by Athaulf, Theodosius. Beneath the enthroned Christ was a large scale image of the then Bishop of Ravenna, Peter Chrysologus, with his hands in prayer. Peter was flanked by images of Theodosius II, Emperor of the Eastern Empire and Eudocia and their children Arcadius and Eudocia, who was married to Valentinian III, Galla’s son. This was a startling mixture of Christ, the Imperial Family and the Bishop of Ravenna. A combination that was to be followed in Ravenna mosaics in the future at S. Vitale and S. Apollinare in Classe.

An interesting post-script to St John the Evangelist is that the floor from c1215 was excavated following the serious bomb damage of 1944, and panels line the walls. Interestingly and possibly uniquely in the West, these celebrate the sack of Constantinople by the 4th Crusade in 1204, the Crusaders having been lead astray by the Doge of Venice.

Roman Sites

Category: Italy