98 – 117 AD

Laura TaronasNecropolis session 5

Born September 18th 53 AD in the Roman province of Hispania Baetica (modern day Andalusia).

His family, the prominent gens Ulpii, was of Italian origin.

His father, Marcus Ulpius Traianus, was a senator and general.

Began his career in the Roman army

76-77 AD: nominated as Consul

97 AD: made the adoptive son and successor of the current emperor, Nerva, in order to improve Nerva’s standing with the army.

January 27th 98 AD: Nerva dies and Trajan becomes emperor

March – May 101 AD: First campaign led against Dacian army at Tapae. The Roman army was victorious, but not without many casualties.

Winter 102 AD: The Dacian king initiates a counter attack, but this effort is repulsed by the Romans.

105 AD: Dacians begin an invasion of Roman territory.

The Romans countered the Dacians and eventually destroyed their capital city, causing the Dacian king to flee and commit suicide.

The Dacian wars were commemorated in Trajan’s column, which still stands in Rome today.

Defends Christians, telling Pliny the Younger to let them be unless they were openly practicing their religion.

Formalization of Alimenta: a welfare program that provided funds, food and subsidized education to orphans and poor children of Italy.

Complex including Trajan’s Forum, Trajan’s Market and Trajan’s Column

Alcántara Bridge in SpainRoads in Italia and Hispania

113 AD: Parthia places an unacceptable king on the throne of Armenia

Roman army marches on Armenia, removes the newly appointed king and annexes Armenia as a Roman province

115 AD: Roman army takes two northern Mesopotamian cities and Trajan begins organizing a province in Mesopotamia.

116 AD: Roman army captures Babylon, Seleucia and Pathian capital of Ctesiphon.

Babylon is made a new province and Trajan declares the conflict to be over.

Parthians resisted, causing Trajan to flee North in order to maintain the new provinces.

During the Parthian conflict, Trajan grew illAugust 9th 117 AD: Trajan dies of edemaTrajan’s adoptive son, Hadrian, becomes

emperor on August 10th 117 AD.

Benario, Herbert W. “Trajan.” De Imperatoribus Romanis: An Online Encyclopedia of Roman Emperors. 23 July 2003. <http://www.roman-emperors.org/trajan.htm>

Griffin, Miriam. “Nerva to Hadrian.” The Cambridge Ancient History: The High Empire, AD 70-192. Eds. Alan K. Bowman, Peter Garnsey and Dominic Rathbone. Cambridge University Press, 2000. Cambridge Histories Online. Cambridge University Press.09 July 2011 DOI:10.1017/CHOL9780521263351.003

Hammond, Mason. “Trajan.” Encyclopedia Britannica Online. 09 Jul. 2011. <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/602150/Trajan>.

”Marcus Ulpius Traianus.” Roman Empire Online. <http://www.roman-empire.net/highpoint/trajan-index.html>