Overview

"Last, largest and most splendid of the early imperial forums, the Forum of Trajan (AD 112) was the acknowledged showpiece of the Roman Empire. Yet, despite its formidable ancient reputation, the Forum of Trajan has only once in the present century been the subject of a close academic study. This three-volume publication, the result of 25 years' work, aims to remedy this failing. It includes a history of the site, an examination of all previous scholarship, a modern reconstruction of it in architectural renderings, and much more. After describing the Forum as a whole - its construction, history, use in antiquity, destruction and excavations - these volumes focus on the buildings, the essential architectural ""texts"" for all further study. The author discusses the largest building in the Forum, the law court known in antiquity as the Basilica Ulpia. Illustrations document the most important architectural elements and the present state of the site. Restored plans, sections and elevations in both colour and black and white depict Parker's reconstructions, as well as those of previous scholars. Four exterior and interior views of the principal buildings, restored in colour, provide lively visual impressions of the spatial effects and detailing. For scholarly consultation, a catalogue raisonne of the major surviving fragments, 12 appendices that discuss technical problems involved in the reconstructions, and a microfiche with 416 illustrations are also included. Volume One features 157 illustrations, including significant general photographs of the site, historical photographs of the excavations of 1928-34, new photographs of architectural fragments and 11 full-colour reconstructions of the excavated buildings. Volume Two contains most of the remainder of the 859 illustrations, amongst then new photographs of the site and reproductions of drawings made by scholars and architects of the 19th and 20th centuries. A folder attached to the back cover houses the microfiche. The portfolio volume holds 35 drawings, 24 in black and white that include a plan made after the excavations of 1928-34 and a new site map prepared in 1986-87, and 11 three-colour technical reconstructions of the excavated buildings."

Full Product Details

9780520226739

Table of Contents

Reviews

A monumental publication on a great monument. Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians

Author Information

James E. Packer is Professor of Classics at Northwestern University.

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