Agricultural columns are raised for explaining the rules of agriculture.
An astronomical column is a cylindrical or conical obser vatory, built hollow, with a winding staircase ascending to an armillary sphere at the top, for observing the motions of the heavenly bodies. Such is the Done order, erected at the Hotel de Soissous. at Paris.
Boundary or limetrophus column showed the limits of a kingdom, or conquered country. Such was that erected by Alexander the Great at the extremities of the Indies, men tioned by Pliny.
A chronological column bears an inscription of historical events, arranged in order of time. There were two columns of this kind at Athens, whereon was inscribed the history of Greece, digested into Olympiads.
A funeral column is placed over a tomb, supporting an urn, or bearing some inscription relative to the deceased. Its shaft is frequently covered with symbols of grief and mor tality.
A gnomonic column is a cylinder, on which the hour of the day is represented by the shadow of a style. There are two kinds of gnomonic columns: in the one the style is fixed, and the hour-lines are projected on the cylindric surface ; in the other, the style is moveable, and the hour-lines are drawn to the several heights of the sun in different seasons of the year.
An historical or triumphal column is usually adorned with basso-relievos, winding spirally upwards around the shaft, and showing the history of some great personage. The most celebrated ancient triumphal columns are those of Trojan and Antoninus Pius at Rome, and Pompey's Pillar, near Alex andria, Egypt ; of modern ones we have three in London— the Monument erected in memory of the Great Fire, that erected in honour of the Duke of York, and another in memory of Lord Nelson, in whose honour there is an earlier one at Edinburgh ; there is likewise a celebrated column termed Buonaparte's Column, in Paris.
Trojan's Column is of the Doric order, and constructed of marble ; the Ewe throughout its length is covered with sculptures arranged in a spiral line, running up the shaft, representing his martial exploits; its total height, including a base or pedestal of 19 feet, is 132 feet, and the diameter of the shaft at its junction with the base 13 feet.
The column of Antoninus is similar to that of Trojan both in its style and general character, though not equal to it in execution. Its height is 122 feet, including a pedestal of 26 feet, and the diameter of the shaft 11 feet 6 inches.
Pompey's Pillar at Alexandria is of the Corinthian order, and is 92 feet in total height. The shaft, which is 66 feet in height, is of a single block of granite, and polished.
Of the columns in London, the Monument is the most celebrated. It is of the Doric order, and has a fluted shaft; its total height is 202 feet, and the diameter of the shaft at its base 15 feet.
At Constantinople were two triumphal columns, similar to those of Trojan and Antoninus; that of Constantine is entirely destroyed, and of the other, erected to Arcadius, by Theodosius, only the pedestal and the first course of the shaft remain. Historical columns may also be called memo rial, honorary, or triumphal columns.
An indicative column is placed on the sea-coast, for show ing the rise and fall of the waters. Of this kind is the Kilo metre, at Grand Cairo, which shows the rise and fall of the Nile.
Itinerary columns are constructed with several faces, and placed at the intersection of two or more roads, to point out the different routes by ant inscription placed on each face.
The lactary column was erected in the herb-market at Rome, on a hollow pedestal, wherein young children, aban doned by their parents. out of poverty or inhumanity, were exposed to he brought up at the public expense.
A legal column, among the was raised in inseribeiwith the fundamental laws of the slate.
A manubiary column is built in imitation of a tree, and adorned with trophies taken from an enemy.
.1Icnian columns a balcony or meniana. This kind of column takes its name from one Menias, who having sold his house to Cato and Flaccus, when consuls, to be converted into a public edifice, reserved to himself the right of raising a column on the outside, to bear a balcony, whence he might see the public shows. We are informed of this circumstance by Suetonius and Ascanius.
Military columns were raised equidistantly on the high ways from Rome to the several cities of the empire, and described their distance from the middle of the Roman Forum, as a centre, where the first military column was raised by order of Augustus. This column was of white marble, of a cylindrical form, and massive proportions, sup porting a globe, the same as is now seen on the balustrade of the staircase of the Capitol at Rome. This column was called nziliariuna aureum, as having been gilt, or at least the ball, by order of Augustus. It was restored by the Emperors Vespasian and Adrian, as appears from the inscriptions.
A military column, among the Romans, was engraven with a list of the forces in the Roman army, ranged in order by legions, and intended to preserve the memory of the number of soldiers, and of the order observed, in any military expe dition. Another kind of military column, used by the Romans, stood before the temple of Janus, at the foot whereof the consul declared war, by throwing a javelin towards the enemy's country. This column was called co/umna bellica.
A phosphorical column is a hollow column, built on a rock, or the tip of a mole, or other eminence, to serve as a light house, or lantern, to a port.
A rostral column was a triumphal column, adorned with the beaks and prows of galleys, in memory of a naval victory. The first rostra] column was erected in the Capitol, on occa sion of the defeat of the Carthaginians by C. Duilius. Augustus constructed four columns with the prows of the ships taken from Cleopatra.
A statuary column supports a statue.
Symbolical columns represent some particular country, by appropriate attributes.
A zoophoric column is a kind of statuary column, bearing the figure of some animal.
There are also other columns, denominated hydraulic, or used as fountains.