Fountain of Trajan

Public Art: Fountain of Trajan

Also Known As : Trajan Fountain

Sculptor: unknown

Description: The 12metre high fountain was constructed in honor of the Roman Emperor Trajan. His statue once stood in the centre niche overlooking the once glorious pool but unfortunately, all that remains of the statue is one foot and the globe. The pool was 20x10m and was surrounded by Corinthian columns and statues of members of the Imperial Family including Dionysus, Aphrodite, Satry. These statues now reside in the Museum. The water flowed into the pool from a pipe in the pedestal under Trajan’s feet.

Date: The fountain was erected between 102 and 104 A.D.

Location: The fountain is located on Curetes Street, one of the three main streets of Ephesus in Turkey.

So Who Was Emperor Trajan? : Trajan (Tranjanus) was a Roman Emperor from AD 98-117 and his reign was known as the golden age. After defeating the Dacians (now Romania) he worked on improving the city of Rome’s infrastructure, initiating the draining of the Pontine marshes, improving seaports and reducing taxes. Trajan was the first Roman Emperor not to be born in Italy. He was born in a city in south-eastern Spain near Seville.

Things You May Not Know:

Emperor Trajan’s reputation was so squeaky clean that during and following his death every new emperor after him was honored by the Senate with the wish “felicior Augusto, melior Traiano” meaning “be luckier than Augustus and better than Trajan”.

During his reign, Trajan hosted an almighty three-month gladiator festival in the Colosseum in Rome. The gory event was attended by 5 million people, By the end of the festival,  over 11,000 slaves, criminals and gladiators lay dead.

Trajan died from dropsy (edema) an accumulation of fluid beneath the skin.

Trajan’s ashes were laid to rest underneath Trajan’s column, the monument commemorating his success.