rd ▁century ▁and ▁closely ▁related ▁to ▁the ▁tri um phal ▁arch ▁of ▁Sept im ius ▁Sever us , ▁ere cted ▁soon ▁after . ▁ ▁The ▁figures ' ▁heads ▁are ▁dis pro port ion ately ▁large ▁so ▁that ▁the ▁vie wer ▁can ▁better ▁interpret ▁their ▁fa cial ▁expressions . ▁ ▁The ▁images ▁are ▁car ved ▁less ▁fin ely ▁than ▁at ▁Tra jan ' s ▁Column , ▁through ▁dr illing ▁holes ▁more ▁deeply ▁into ▁the ▁stone , ▁so ▁that ▁they ▁stand ▁out ▁better ▁in ▁a ▁contrast ▁of ▁light ▁and ▁dark . ▁ ▁As ▁villages ▁are ▁burn ed ▁down , ▁women ▁and ▁children ▁are ▁captured ▁and ▁disp la ced , ▁men ▁are ▁killed , ▁the ▁em otion , ▁desp air , ▁and ▁suffering ▁of ▁the ▁" bar b ari ans " ▁in ▁the ▁war , ▁are ▁represented ▁ac utely ▁in ▁single ▁scenes ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁figures ' ▁fa cial ▁expressions ▁and ▁gest ures , ▁whilst ▁the ▁em peror ▁is ▁represented ▁as ▁protagon ist , ▁in ▁control ▁of ▁his ▁environment . ▁▁▁▁▁ ▁The ▁symbol ic ▁language ▁is ▁altogether ▁clearer ▁and ▁more ▁express ive , ▁if ▁cl ums ier ▁at ▁first ▁sight , ▁and ▁leaves ▁a ▁wh olly ▁different ▁impression ▁on ▁the ▁vie wer ▁to ▁the ▁whole ▁art istic ▁style ▁of ▁ 1 0 0 ▁to ▁ 1 5 0 ▁as ▁on ▁Tra jan ' s ▁column . ▁ ▁There , ▁cool ▁and ▁so ber ▁balance ▁– ▁here , ▁drama ▁and ▁em path y . ▁ ▁The ▁p ict orial ▁language ▁is ▁un ambigu ous ▁– ▁imperial ▁domin