The column of Marcus-Aurelius, on the Via Lata, tells the highlights of his wars in a succession of spiral bas-reliefs. In order to make the scene more visible, the figures are bigger than those of Trajan’s Column.

















Trajan’s Column (in the centre of the picture) was 38 m high and consisted of 200 m of spiraling bas-relief telling the Emperor Trajan’s exploits against the Dacians. On the top Trajan’s bronze statue must have shone in bright colors. Two libraries were built nearby and terraces were installed above the libraries to better view the work. Here from a higher angle the column embedded in the great complex of Trajan’s Forum.














The column of Antoninus Pius, and his whole mausoleum in the Campus Martius. Generally these mausoleums contained the ashes of the Emperor and his family. You will have a global view of these mausoleums in the section “Mausoleums”.