The Columns of Trajan and Antoninus, and the obelisks

AMong other faire Antiquities in Rome, there are two Columnes of Marble, all cut full of Histories, very good imbust worke. The one is called Antonianas Columne, the other Traians Columne: and for that Traians Columne is the wholest, I will speake somewhat thereof. This Columne, as men say, the Emperour Traian caused to be made, which is all of Marble, and made of many pieces; but so closely iorned together, that they séeme to bee all one piece: and to giue the particular measure thereof, I will begin at the foots of the Basement thereof: And first, the degrée or step in the first rest, is thrée Palmes high, the Plinthus of the Base, is a Palme and eyght minutes high; the carued or grauen Base is as much: the flat of the Basement is 12. Palmes and sixe minutes high: the grauen Cornice is a Palme and an halfe high. The place where the Feston hangeth in, is two Palmes and ten minutes high: the whole Base of the Columnes, is sixe Palmes and 28. minutes, and is deuided in this manner: the Plinthus where the Eagle standeth vpon one corner (but you must imagine that there is one at euery corner) is thrée Palmes and ten minutes high: the Thorus aboue it, is thrée Palmes and eyght minutes high: the Cincte is ten minutes high. The height of the Columne, that is, the body, is 18. Palmes and 9. minutes: the Astragall with the Quadrants or lists vnder the Echine, is 10. minutes. The height of the Echine, is 2. Palmes and 2. minutes: the height of the Abacus, is 2. Palmes & 11. minutes: about vpon this Columne, there is a Pedestal of a round forme, through the which men crept frō the winding Stayres, and may goe easily round about, because the plaine ground thereof, is 2. Palmes and a halfe broad: the height of this Pedestall is 11. Palmes; but the Base is two Palmes, and the Cornice aboue, is a Palme high. The Crowne aboue the Pedestall, is thrée Palmes and a halfe high: the thickenesse of this Pedestall, is 12. Palmes and ten minutes: the thickenesse of the Columne aboue, is 14. Palmes, and the thicknesse below, is 16. Palmes: the roundnesse marked A. in flat forme, sheweth the thicknesse aboue: and the Circle marked B. is the thicknesse below. The vndenesse of the winding Stayres, is 3. Palmes, and the Spill foure Palmes. The bredth of the Basement, is 24. Palmes and 6. minutes; in the which space are cut two Compartements, wherein is contained an Epitaph, vnder which many Trophees are cut: and in the Epitaph are these letters hereunder written.

S. P. Q. R. / IMP. CAESARI DIVINERVAE. F. NERVAE. / TRAIANO AVG. GERMANIC. DACICO / PONT. MAX. TRIB. POT. XVII. COS. VI. PP. / AD DECLARANDVM QVANTAE ALTITVDINIS / MONS ET LOCVS SIT EGESIVS.

This Columne is histographied with excellent good cut worke, and drawne along with Berries; it is also flinted in Doricall manner: in the flintings the Figures are made in such sort, that rising vp or bearing out of the Figure, the forme of the Columnes and flinting, is nothing disparaged; betwéene which Figures there stand some Windowes, which giue light to the winding Stayres: and although the said Windowes are placed orderly, yet they hinder not the Historie at all, and yet they are 44. in number, and I will shew the whole Columne in the Figure following: but these are the members thereof, openly written and set downe. All these members are measured with the olde Romane Palme, as you find it before vpon the round.

I Haue before sufficiently spoken of the bredth of Traians Columne, and of the particular maner thereof, now I will shew the whole Columne proportioned as it is: So then, the Columne marked with T. representeth Traians Columne: but from whence the Obelisces spring or procéede, and how they were brought to Rome, and to what end they serue, I will not speake of, for that Pliny declareth it at large: onely I will set the measure here, and shew the forme of some things which I haue séene and measured within Rome: And first, the Obelisce, marked O. is without the Capena, and is all grauen and cut with Egyptian letters: the thicknesse thereof in the foote, is ten Palmes and a halfe: the height is 80. Palmes: and this onely was measured with the ancient Palme: but the other thrée by it were measured by a moderne or vsuall Ell of 60. minutes, whereof the line that is betwéene the Obelisces, is the halfe, and is deuided into 30 parts. The Obelisce marked P. standeth in Vaticano (that is) at S. Peters, and is of Egyptian stone: in the top whereof (they say) the Ashes of the Emperour Gaius Caesar stand: the thicknesse thereof below, is 4. Elles and 42. minutes: the height is 42. Elles and a halfe: the part aboue, is thrée Elles and foure minutes thicke: and vnder at the foote standeth these letters.

DIVI CAESARI. DIVI IVLII. F. AVGVSTO. TI. / CAESARI DIVI AVGVSTI. F. AVGVSTO SACRVM.

The Obelisce marked Q. lyeth at S. Rochus, broken in the middle of the stréet in thrée pieces, and • say likewise, there lyeth buried in the earth a Ladie called A l• Augusta: the thickenesse beneath of the said Obelisce on each Facie, is two Elles and 24. minutes: the height is 26. Elles and 24. minutes: the thickenesse aboue, holdeth an Ell and 35. minutes: the Basement was all of one piece, and the Obelisce marked R. is in circo Antonino Caracalla, and is broken, as you sée in the forme. The thickenes of the Obelisce, is two Elles and 25. minutes below, and aboue one Ell and 33. minutes: the height is 28. Elles, and 16. minutes: and all the Pedestals are proportioned thereafter. And although (paraduenture) there are more of them in Rome, which I haue not séene, yet these which I haue séene, are here set downe to your sight, as being hast knowne.