The Religious Musicians and Soundscapes Represented on Trajan’s Column

This article examines the musicians and the soundscapes portrayed on the Column of Trajan, specifically focusing on those found in scenes depicting religious activities. In the six scenes of this type on the Column, there are two distinct artistic conventions. There are sacrifices without a procession, featuring only a tibicen wearing a toga, and there are sacrifices with a procession, where the tibicen remains the same but the musical presence is strengthened by cornicines and tubicines in military garb. By analysing these musicians, and by comparing them to other historical reliefs, it is found that the creators of the Column used the musicians carefully to further strengthen the ideological message of Roman superiority in general and the greatness of Trajan in particular, in part through using the musicians to signify that the sacrifices have a clear military background.