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Trajan's Column and Mars Ultor

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 April 2016

Martin Beckmann
Martin Beckmann*
Affiliation:
McMaster University
*
beckmam@mcmaster.ca
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Abstract

This paper makes two arguments. The first is that Trajan deliberately orchestrated the dedication of his Column on 12 May, the anniversary of the dedication of the Temple of Mars Ultor, to coincide with the beginning of a new war against Parthia in a.d. 113. The second is that although most modern commentators focus on the function of Mars Ultor as avenger of Caesar, the evidence of his actual invocation from the late first century b.c. through the third century a.d. more strongly supports another interpretation: as agent of vengeance against foreign enemies, and against Parthia/Persia in particular.

Keywords

Trajan's ColumnForum of AugustusMars UltorParthian WarsCivil WarsRoman coinageludi circenses

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Type
Articles
Information
The Journal of Roman Studies , Volume 106 , November 2016 , pp. 124 - 146
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s) 2016. Published by The Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies 

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