Abstract
The Romans constructed the Tropaeum Traiani – or Trophy of Trajan – in the province of Moesia Inferior c. 109 CE following the First and Second Dacian War at the beginning of the second century CE. Since the earliest archaeological excavations and research of the Tropaeum Traiani in the nineteenth century, classical scholars have debated the original design and function of the monument; included in the many architectural intricacies of the trophy was a fifty-four metope arrangement displayed in a circular narrative. The thesis provided hereafter expands upon the preexisting theories proposed about the Tropaeum Traiani to achieve several conclusions. First, a discussion of the Tropaeum Traiani requires a detailed examination of the metopes; this research paper examine the previous analysis of the metopes and provides an additional interpretation to individually debated scenes, as well as the narrative arrangement as a whole. Second, this research paper surveys the physical geographical position of the Tropaeum Traiani within Dobrudja to illustrate the calculated and intentional measures taken by the Roman designers to ensure maximum visibility for both Roman and native audiences.