▁Rel ief ▁▁ ▁The ▁spir al ▁picture ▁relief ▁tells ▁the ▁story ▁of ▁Marcus ▁A ure lius ' ▁Dan ub ian ▁or ▁Mar com ann ic ▁wars , ▁w aged ▁by ▁him ▁from ▁ 1 6 6 ▁to ▁his ▁death . ▁ ▁The ▁story ▁begins ▁with ▁the ▁army ▁crossing ▁the ▁river ▁Dan ube , ▁probably ▁at ▁Car n unt um . ▁ ▁A ▁Vict ory ▁separ ates ▁the ▁accounts ▁of ▁two ▁exped itions . ▁ ▁The ▁exact ▁chron ology ▁of ▁the ▁events ▁is ▁disput ed ; ▁however , ▁the ▁latest ▁theory ▁states ▁that ▁the ▁exped itions ▁against ▁the ▁Mar com anni ▁and ▁Qu adi ▁in ▁the ▁years ▁ 1 7 2 ▁and ▁ 1 7 3 ▁are ▁in ▁the ▁lower ▁half ▁and ▁the ▁success es ▁of ▁the ▁em peror ▁over ▁the ▁S arm ati ans ▁in ▁the ▁years ▁ 1 7 4 ▁and ▁ 1 7 5 ▁in ▁the ▁upper ▁half . ▁▁▁ ▁One ▁particular ▁episode ▁port rayed ▁is ▁histor ically ▁att ested ▁in ▁Roman ▁propag anda ▁– ▁the ▁so - called ▁" rain ▁mi racle ▁in ▁the ▁territory ▁of ▁the ▁Qu adi ", ▁in ▁which ▁a ▁god , ▁answering ▁a ▁prayer ▁from ▁the ▁em peror , ▁res c ues ▁Roman ▁troops ▁by ▁a ▁terrible ▁storm , ▁a ▁mi racle ▁later ▁claimed ▁by ▁the ▁Christians ▁for ▁the ▁Christian ▁God . ▁ ▁In ▁spite ▁of ▁many ▁similar ities ▁to ▁Tra jan ' s ▁column , ▁the ▁style ▁is ▁entirely ▁different , ▁a ▁for er un ner ▁of ▁the ▁dram atic ▁style ▁of ▁the ▁ 3