{"schema":"https://ver.cy/schemas/card/1.0.0","id":"vr.tr.rostral-column","code":"thing-q1112897","url":"https://ver.cy/models/thing/q1112897/","name":"rostral column","alternateNames":[],"kind":"thing","status":"published","version":"0.2.0-wave.3","language":"en","classifiers":{"family":"Thing Registry","category":"Physical world and living systems","entryKind":"thing","plane":"PHY","domain":["PHY.BLT"],"industry":[],"navPath":"","tags":[],"facets":{}},"whatItIs":"A commemorative column decorated with the prows or rostra of captured ships, erected to celebrate naval victories, originating in ancient Rome with the column of Gaius Duilius after the Battle of Mylae in 260 BC and revived in modern monuments such as the Rostral Columns of Saint Petersburg on the Spit of Vasilievsky Island, which also served as beacons, and rostral columns in other cities; the rostral column is a type of victory column and a symbol of maritime power.","purpose":"Let an agent explain rostral columns and their origin, relay notable examples from architectural and historical sources, describe their symbolism, and distinguish rostral columns from other victory columns and lighthouses.","scope":{"in":[],"out":[],"boundaries":[]},"distinguishingFeatures":["Ship prow decoration","Naval commemoration","Roman origin","Neoclassical revival"],"structure":{"bundles":[{"id":"understand","name":"Understand","description":"What a rostral column is.","layers":[{"id":"definition","name":"Definition","description":"Definition and origin.","findings":[{"id":"definition-finding","name":"Definition","description":"Definition.","questions":[{"text":"What is a rostral column, and how did the Roman practice of displaying rostra begin?","kind":"definition"},{"text":"Is the question about rostral columns in general, a specific column or another monument type?","kind":"boundary"}]}]},{"id":"symbolism","name":"Symbolism","description":"Symbolism.","findings":[{"id":"symbolism-finding","name":"Symbolism","description":"Symbolism.","questions":[{"text":"What do rostra and rostral columns symbolise about naval power?","kind":"definition"},{"text":"Which entry fits rostrum?","kind":"action"}]}]}]},{"id":"examples","name":"Examples","description":"Examples.","layers":[{"id":"rome","name":"Rome","description":"Ancient Rome.","findings":[{"id":"rome-finding","name":"Rome","description":"Rome.","questions":[{"text":"What is known of the column of Duilius and other Roman rostral monuments?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which references are standard?","kind":"provenance"}]}]},{"id":"modern","name":"Modern","description":"Modern columns.","findings":[{"id":"modern-finding","name":"Modern","description":"Modern.","questions":[{"text":"What are the Rostral Columns of Saint Petersburg and other modern examples, and how were they used as beacons?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which entry fits the specific column?","kind":"action"}]}]}]},{"id":"study","name":"Study","description":"Architecture and art.","layers":[{"id":"architecture","name":"Architecture","description":"Design.","findings":[{"id":"architecture-finding","name":"Architecture","description":"Architecture.","questions":[{"text":"How are rostral columns designed and decorated, and who designed the notable ones?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which sources are cited?","kind":"provenance"}]}]},{"id":"conservation","name":"Conservation","description":"Conservation.","findings":[{"id":"conservation-finding","name":"Conservation","description":"Conservation.","questions":[{"text":"How are rostral columns conserved and lit today?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which entry fits monument conservation?","kind":"action"}]}]}]},{"id":"context","name":"Context","description":"Culture.","layers":[{"id":"culture","name":"Culture","description":"Culture.","findings":[{"id":"culture-finding","name":"Culture","description":"Culture.","questions":[{"text":"How do rostral columns appear in city identity, festivals and art?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which entry fits Saint Petersburg landmarks?","kind":"action"}]}]},{"id":"related","name":"Related","description":"Related monuments.","findings":[{"id":"related-finding","name":"Related","description":"Related.","questions":[{"text":"How do rostral columns relate to triumphal arches and other victory monuments?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which entry fits victory column?","kind":"action"}]}]}]}]},"agentConduct":{"may":["Describe the history of rostral columns from ancient Rome to modern monuments.","Report restoration and access information from the authority responsible for a monument.","Distinguish rostral columns from other commemorative columns."],"mustNot":["Encourage climbing or damaging a monument.","Give stale restoration status as current.","Glorify war or conquest beyond what the monument records.","Misattribute a column's design or date."],"requiresHuman":["Any intervention on a protected monument."]},"ethics":{"considerations":["Victory monuments recall battles where many died on both sides.","Historic monuments are irreplaceable and fragile."],"affectedParties":["Residents and visitors","Future generations","Descendants of those commemorated"]},"owners":{"steward":"The public: held in common, under the heritage authority of the city.","roles":[],"masterSystems":["Heritage listing registers"]},"relations":[{"target":"Q1930585","type":"parent","note":"registry parent class"},{"target":"victory column","type":"related","note":"in registry terms"},{"target":"rostrum","type":"related","note":"ship prows"},{"target":"ancient Rome","type":"related","note":"with the column of Duilius"},{"target":"Rostral Columns","type":"related","note":"in Saint Petersburg"}],"interaction":{"identity":{"applicability":"required","items":["Vercy registry: vr.tr.rostral-column","Wikidata: Q1112897 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1112897)"]},"properties":{"applicability":"required","items":["Saint Petersburg columns height: 32 m","Saint Petersburg columns built: 1810 year - by Thomas de Thomon","column of Duilius: 260 BC year - original"]},"recognition":{"applicability":"required","items":["Victory column with ship prows","Column of Duilius in Rome, Rostral Columns of Saint Petersburg, later examples","Other victory columns lack rostra; lighthouses are functional towers","A tall column with sculpted ship prows projecting from the shaft."]},"capabilities":{"applicability":"required","items":["explain the type and origin","relay notable examples","describe symbolism","distinguish from other columns"]},"hazards":{"applicability":"required","items":["Confusing rostral columns with other columns","Stale information on restorations","Weathering of monuments"]},"interfaces":{"applicability":"required","items":["Heritage protection of historic monuments","UNESCO World Heritage status of central Saint Petersburg"]},"context":{"applicability":"required","items":["Commemorating naval victories.","ancient Roman rostral columns","Neoclassical rostral columns such as those in Saint Petersburg","rostral columns in France, the United States and elsewhere","rostral columns as beacons or lighthouses"]}},"sources":[{"title":"Wikidata item Q1112897: rostral column","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1112897","note":"identity and sense of the item"},{"title":"Wikipedia: Rostral column","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rostral_column","note":"general description of the item"}],"openQuestions":["Should the Saint Petersburg columns be a separate entry?","How should architectural sources be linked?","How should the Roman original be recorded?"],"resources":{"spec":"/models/things/publications/thing-q1112897/spec.json"},"provenance":{"origin":"thing registry research (pass 2)","builtFrom":["models/things/publications/thing-q1112897/spec.json"],"providers":["Claude"],"researchStatus":"unreviewed","generatedAt":"2026-09-13T03:52:47Z","builder":"tools/build_cards.py@1.0.0"},"completeness":{"sections":{"classifiers":"filled","whatItIs":"filled","purpose":"filled","distinguishingFeatures":"filled","structure":"filled","agentConduct":"filled","ethics":"filled","owners":"filled","relations":"filled","interaction.identity":"filled","interaction.properties":"filled","interaction.recognition":"filled","interaction.capabilities":"filled","interaction.hazards":"filled","interaction.interfaces":"filled","interaction.context":"filled","sources":"filled"},"notes":{"_gate":"Published through the thing publication gate 1.0 on 2026-10-06T19:51:53+00:00: completeness 1.00; sense: Wikidata description; 2 live sources; review by codex: pass"},"score":1.0}}