The goal of this assignment is to get you to look at the benefits and perils of using non-text primary sources, in this case art. Specifically, I’ve asked you to look at different scenes from the Column of Trajan.
1. Look at scenes about your topic and see what it tells you about the subject. Can you figure out weapons? What they’re wearing? What they’re doing? How do the various scenes support (or not) the information you’ve read in your textbook (Matyszak. Legionary) and elsewhere?
2. Once you’ve done that, it’s time for the harder part. Art is not created, nor does it exist, in a vacuum. When it’s created, why it’s created, how it’s created, what it’s made from, all affect the finished product. As you look at your scenes, think about why Trajan had the column created, why the particular scenes that are shown might have been chosen (for example: look at the Dacians. How are they portrayed? ), how the choice of a column affected the design, etc.
3. Once you’re ready to post, be sure to give proper credit for the scene and the cartoon, if you use one. Mr. Peter Rockwell has kindly given us permission to use his pictures in our blog. Directly under each image, you need to use the caption feature to give credit. For help using the caption feature see: http://en.support.wordpress.com/images/#insert-an-image-from-the-web – the easiest way is to click on the highest resolution image available then copy the URL.
4. The caption should give the following information: Scene number if available, subject of image. Used with permission. Copyright Peter Rockwell. Via http://URL of the image you used.
5. You also need to credit the image at the end of your post using the correct APA or MLA style.
For example:
Scene 110. Legionaries foraging. Used with permission. Copyright Peter Rockwell. Via http://www.stoa.org/trajan/images/hi/2.27.h.jpg
Legio I Lynx Fulminata 
