Trajan’s Bridge – Analysis of Apolodorus’ Design Concept
Abstract
For Trajan’s bridge it could be said, and with good reason, that when it was built it represented one
of the architectural wonders of Europe at that time. Trajan’s bridge is one of the few architectural creations about whose appearance we can judge with a level of reliability. According to written sources and its preserved remains and, primarily, on the basis of the renowned representation on Trajan’s column, we know that the support elements of the bridge, both on the river bank and in the riverbed, were masonry structures. Above the masonry pillars in the riverbed there was the wooden latticed structure of the bridge, many details of which were represented on the aforementioned column in Rome. One of the most interesting issues regarding the bridge itself is the method of its construction in Roman times. Considering the twenty pillars placed in the Danube riverbed using caissons and the 55 meter span between each pillar, the construction of the bridge was, in itself, a great archite...ctural achievement. The significance of the bridge’s structure is still great in contemporary analyses of Roman bridge construction and wooden scaffolding.
Keywords:
Bridge / wooden and masonry structures / scaffolding / Roman antique architecture / Apollodorus / TrajanSource:
Illyricvm Romanvm : Studiola in honorem Miloje Vasić, 2020, 22-39Publisher:
- Belgrade : Institute of Archaeology
Funding / projects:
Note:
- Monographs No. 73
Institution/Community
Археолошки институт / Institute of ArchaeologyTY - CHAP AU - Bjelić, Igor PY - 2020 UR - http://rai.ai.ac.rs/handle/123456789/692 AB - For Trajan’s bridge it could be said, and with good reason, that when it was built it represented one of the architectural wonders of Europe at that time. Trajan’s bridge is one of the few architectural creations about whose appearance we can judge with a level of reliability. According to written sources and its preserved remains and, primarily, on the basis of the renowned representation on Trajan’s column, we know that the support elements of the bridge, both on the river bank and in the riverbed, were masonry structures. Above the masonry pillars in the riverbed there was the wooden latticed structure of the bridge, many details of which were represented on the aforementioned column in Rome. One of the most interesting issues regarding the bridge itself is the method of its construction in Roman times. Considering the twenty pillars placed in the Danube riverbed using caissons and the 55 meter span between each pillar, the construction of the bridge was, in itself, a great architectural achievement. The significance of the bridge’s structure is still great in contemporary analyses of Roman bridge construction and wooden scaffolding. PB - Belgrade : Institute of Archaeology T2 - Illyricvm Romanvm : Studiola in honorem Miloje Vasić T1 - Trajan’s Bridge – Analysis of Apolodorus’ Design Concept EP - 39 SP - 22 UR - https://hdl.handle.net/21.15107/rcub_rai_692 ER -
@inbook{ author = "Bjelić, Igor", year = "2020", abstract = "For Trajan’s bridge it could be said, and with good reason, that when it was built it represented one of the architectural wonders of Europe at that time. Trajan’s bridge is one of the few architectural creations about whose appearance we can judge with a level of reliability. According to written sources and its preserved remains and, primarily, on the basis of the renowned representation on Trajan’s column, we know that the support elements of the bridge, both on the river bank and in the riverbed, were masonry structures. Above the masonry pillars in the riverbed there was the wooden latticed structure of the bridge, many details of which were represented on the aforementioned column in Rome. One of the most interesting issues regarding the bridge itself is the method of its construction in Roman times. Considering the twenty pillars placed in the Danube riverbed using caissons and the 55 meter span between each pillar, the construction of the bridge was, in itself, a great architectural achievement. The significance of the bridge’s structure is still great in contemporary analyses of Roman bridge construction and wooden scaffolding.", publisher = "Belgrade : Institute of Archaeology", journal = "Illyricvm Romanvm : Studiola in honorem Miloje Vasić", booktitle = "Trajan’s Bridge – Analysis of Apolodorus’ Design Concept", pages = "39-22", url = "https://hdl.handle.net/21.15107/rcub_rai_692" }
Bjelić, I.. (2020). Trajan’s Bridge – Analysis of Apolodorus’ Design Concept. in Illyricvm Romanvm : Studiola in honorem Miloje Vasić Belgrade : Institute of Archaeology., 22-39. https://hdl.handle.net/21.15107/rcub_rai_692
Bjelić I. Trajan’s Bridge – Analysis of Apolodorus’ Design Concept. in Illyricvm Romanvm : Studiola in honorem Miloje Vasić. 2020;:22-39. https://hdl.handle.net/21.15107/rcub_rai_692 .
Bjelić, Igor, "Trajan’s Bridge – Analysis of Apolodorus’ Design Concept" in Illyricvm Romanvm : Studiola in honorem Miloje Vasić (2020):22-39, https://hdl.handle.net/21.15107/rcub_rai_692 .