Posted by Shazarch on 18 Mar 2021
Plutei of Trajan
2nd century CE, Roman Forum, Rome, Lazio
Archaeological artifact
The enigmatic marble balustrades known as the "Plutei of Trajan" surfaced from the depths of history in 1872, nestled between the ancient Roman Forum's Comitium and the Column of Phocas. Now, these relics from a bygone era grace the Curia Iulia with their presence, yet they guard their secrets zealously. The original purpose of these plutei is shrouded in mystery; some academics speculate they were once used to enclose the sacred grounds of the ficus Ruminalis and the statue of Marsyas. The historical scenes carved into the marble are equally cryptic, with the prevailing theory suggesting they depict Emperor Trajan's magnanimous acts: absolving the debts of the Roman populace and launching an alimenta, a welfare initiative for impoverished children. Despite the uncertainties surrounding their narrative and function, the plutei offer an invaluable archaeological window into the Roman Forum's southern expanse as it stood in the early 2nd century CE, a snapshot of antiquity captured in stone.