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Trajan

Trajan: emperor of the Roman world (r. 98-117).

Names:

18 September 53: Marcus Ulpius Trajanus Crinitus
October 97: Imperator caesar Nerva Trajanus
28 January 98: Imperator Caesar Nerva Trajanus Augustus
Germanicus (97), Dacicus (102), Optimus (114), Parthicus (116)
7 August 117: natural death

Successor of: Nerva

Relatives

father: Marcus Ulpius Trajanus
mother: Marcia
sister: Ulpia Marciana
married to: Pompeia Plotina

Early career

53 Born in Italica
c.74/75 Military tribune in Syria
78? Quaestor
84 Praetor
86-89 Commander of VII Gemina
91 Consul
96 Propraetor of Germania Superior

Main deeds

Adamclisi

97 Adopted by Nerva as caesar
98 Consul II (with Nerva); Nerva dies; Trajan recognized as emperor; visits Germania Inferior
99 Arrival in Rome
100 Consul III (with Sextus Julius Frontinus III); Pliny the Younger consul suffectus; foundation of Thamugadi
101 Consul IV (with Quintus Articuleius Paetus); begin of the Dacian War
102 First Dacian Triumph
103 Consul V (with M' Laberius Maximus II)
105 Begin of the Second Dacian War
106 Conquest of Dacia, annexation of Petra and the creation of the province Arabia Petraea
107 Second Dacian Triumph; debasement of the denarius; monument at Adamclisi
Dedication to Trajan, mentioning him "optimus" (Corinth)

108 Decenalia
109 Inauguration of the Aqua Traiana and the Baths of Trajan; monument of Adamklisi
112 Consul VI (with Titus Sextius Africanus); inauguration of the Forum of Trajan
113 Re-inauguation of the Temple of Venus on the Forum of Caesar
114 Arrival in Antioch; accepts the title Optimus; beginning of the war against the Parthian Empire; bad omens;^note[Macrobius, Saturnalia 1.23.14] conquest of Armenia; surrender of the Armenian king Parthamasiris^note[Cassius Dio, Roman History 68.19.]
115 Continued war, now against the Parthian king Osroes I; annexation of Armenia and conquest of Mesopotamia (Edessa and Nisibis)^note[Cassius Dio, Roman History 68.21-22.]
115/116 survives earthquake in Antioch;^note[Cassius Dio, Roman History 68.24-25.] revolt of the Jews
116 Continued war; capture of Babylon,^note[Cassius Dio, Roman History 68.26.4.] Ctesiphon,^note[Cassius Dio, Roman History 68.28.3.] and Seleucia;^note[Cassius Dio, Roman History 68.30.2.] spread of Jewish revolt; the situation in the new provinces in the east deteroriates; although Trajan overcomes these troubles, he decides that it is better to give the Parthians a king of their own and appoints Parthamaspates.^note[Cassius Dio, Roman History 68.30.3.]
117 Death without son or appointed successor; empress Plotina enables Hadrian's succession; Hadrian abandons all conquests east of the Euphrates