The Forum of Trajan was the last of the Imperial fora constructed in Rome between 106-112 AD. It was commissioned by Emperor Trajan and overseen by the architect Apollodorus of Damascus. The forum featured a large central plaza surrounded by structures like the Basilica Ulpia and Temple of Trajan. It also included the famous Trajan's Column, which spiraled up over 38 meters and depicted Trajan's military victories in reliefs. The forum was built on a grand scale using money from Trajan's conquest of Dacia and served as a monument celebrating his achievements and projecting the power and identity of the Roman Empire.

1. THE FORUM OF TRAJAN

2. • Trajan’s Forum (Latin: Forum Traiani , Italian: Foro di Traiano) was the last
of the Imperial fora to be constructed in ancient Rome
• The architect Apollodorus of Damascus oversaw its overall construction

3. • Location – IV Templum Pacis
• Built In – 106-112 AD
• Built By - Emperor Trajan
• Type Of Structure – Imperial Fora

4. MAP OF ANCIENT ROMA

5. IMPERIAL FORA
• The Imperial Fora (Fori Imperiali in Italian) are a series of monumental
fora (public squares) constructed in Rome over a period of one and a
half centuries, between 46 AD and 113 AD.
• Julius Caesar was the first to build in this section of Rome and
rearranged both the Forum and the Comitium, another forum type
space designated for politics,religion and economy in Rome
• During the early 20th century, Mussolini restored the Imperial Fora as
part of his campaign to evoke the past glories of ancient Rome.

6. MAP OF THE IMPERIAL FORA

7. HISTORY OF TRAJAN
• Built on the order of the Emperor Trajan with the spoils of war
from the conquest of Dacia, which ended in 106
• The Forum was believed to have been inaugurated in 112 AD
while Trajan’s Column was erected and then inaugurated in 113
AD
• To build the monumental complex, extensive excavations were
required: workers eliminated the sides of the Quirinal and
Capitoline hills that closed the valley occupied by the Imperial
Forums

8. • All the structures were built of stone except for the two
libraries
• Public space filled with niches of sculptures in them that
commemorated off great military and political leaders of Rome.
• The purpose of the fora was to establish and perpetuate
messages about identity and ideology of each emperor

9. PLAN OF THE TRAJAN FORUM

10. FORUM OF TRAJAN

11. STRUCTURE
• The forum consisted of a vast portico lined piazza measuring 300 m
(980 ft) long and 185 m (607 ft) wide ,with exedrae on two sides
• Main entrance is at the north end of the piazza , which was cobbled
with rectangular blocks of white marble and decorated by a large
equestrian statue of Trajan
• Constantius II , while visiting Rome in 357 was amazed by the huge
equestrian statue of Trajan
• The main part of the forum was a large open space about 300 ft X
380 ft
• North of the basilica was a smaller piazza , with a temple dedicated
to the deified Trajan on the far north side facing inwards

12. • Directly north to the Basilica
Ulpia on either side of the forum
were two libraries , one housing
Latin documents while the other
Greek.
• Between the two libraries stood
the 38 m (125 ft) Trajan’s
column

13. • The entire point of the column was to see the story of
Trajan’s great military exploits , specifically the two
campaigns where he defeated the Dacians
• Consists of sculptures of captured Dacians throughout the
Imperial Forum
• Its design has inspired numerous victory columns of both
the ancient and the modern times
• The structure is about 30 m (98 ft) in height ,25 m (115 ft)
including its large pedestal
• The capital block of the Trajan’s column weighs 53,3 tons

14. • Ancient coins indicate preliminary plans to top the column with
a statue of a bird , perhaps an eagle but after construction , a
statue of Trajan was put in place that disappeared in the middle
ages
• On Dec. 4 , 1587 , the top was crowned by Pope Sixtus V with a
bronze figure of St. Peter which remains to this day
• The column shows 2,662 figures and 155 scenes with Trajan
himself appearing 58 times

15. COLUMN OF TRAJAN

16. BASILICA ULPIA
• Basilica ulpia was an ancient Roman civic building located in the
Forum of Trajan
• It separates the temple from the main courtyard in the Forum
of Trajan with the Trajan’s column to the northwest
• Named after the Roman emperor Trajan, whose full name was
Marcus Ulpius Triananus
• Composed of a great central nave with four side aisles with
clerestory windows to let light into the space divided by rows of
columns and two semi circular apses ,one at each of the ends
with the entry of the basilica located on the longitudinal side

17. • The columns and walls were of precious marbles with the
50m(164 ft) high roof was covered by gilded bronze tiles
• It was later used by Constantine as the basis for the layout of
the new Christian churches

18. THE TEMPLE OF TRAJAN
• Dedicated to Trajan and his wife Plotina after his deification by
the Roman Senate by his adoptive son and successor, Hadrian
• An enormous monolithic granite column (2m in dia.) with a
white marble capital (2.12 m high)
• The temple was enormous in dimensions and surrounded by a
portico

20. ULPIAN LIBRARY (BIBLIOTHECA ULPIA)
• Considered one of the most prominent and most famous libraries of
antiquity,(The library of Alexandria of the ancient city of Rome)
• The only Roman library to survive until the Fall of Rome in the mid
5th century
• Roman imperial libraries wiConstantius II , while visiting Rome in 357
was amazed by the huge equestrian statue of Trajan
• Housed Latin and Greek collections housed separately across a small
colonnaded courtyard that enclosed the column
• Two level structure with high vaulted ceilings to ake advantage of
natural lighting
• Interior walls divided into bays by columns “set opposite pilasters
that framed the niches which held the books and scrolls

21. • There were 3 steps between the columns that
enabled access to a walkway in front of the
book cases
• Estimated amount of scrolls held are
approximately 10,000 for both Latin and
Greek libraries

22. POST ROMAN HISTORY
• In the mid 9th century, the marble
cobble blocks of the piazza were
systematically taken for reuse due to
the good quality of lime
• They were replaced with concrete,
showing that the piazza was still in
use as a public space

23. PRESENT DAY SCENARIO
• In modern day context, only a
section of the markets and the
column of Trajan remain
• A number of columns which
historically formed the Basilica Ulpia
remained on site and have been re
erected
• The construction of the Via dei Fori
Imperiali in 1933 covered a number
of these columns which remain
visible under the arches on which
the rad runs

24. THANK YOU!