FORUM Trajani
exceeded all the for∣mer; and the Gods themselves, says Ammianus Marcellinus, gazed upon it as one of the won∣ders of the World, and were amazed at it, seeing nothing but Heaven it self finer, and nothing else that came so near to it: Singula∣rem sub omni coelo structuram, etiam Numinum as∣sensione mirabilem. Apollodorus a skilful Archi∣tect, built it by Trajan's Order. In the mid∣dle of this place, was a Pillar a hundred and twenty eight foot high, and Men ascend to it by one hundred eighty five Steps, which were enlightned with forty five Windows. Round about this Pillar were ingraven the Atchieve∣ments of this Emperor, and the Victories he had obtained over the Daci. 'Tis the general opinion, that the Senate consecrated this Pil∣lar to him, while he was at War against the Parthians, and that he never saw it himself; but dying of a bloody-flux at Seleucia a City in Syria, his Ashes were brought to Rome, and set up in a golden Pilaster on the top of the Pillar, which is adorned with several repre∣sentations of Horses and military Standards gilded over, with these words written upon them, EX MANUBIIS.
This Forum was scituated between that of Nerva and the Capitol.