Trajan

1
Trajan
In your case, as you mounted the capital,
following due precedent, the citizens gathered
there for other reasons hailed you as Imperator!
At the time, it was thought that they were
addressing Jupiter, but events have proved that
the title was intended for you, and the omen was
interpreted by all. You alone were unwilling to
accept it , a sure sign that you would use it
right.- Plinys Panagyricus
Shane Burnett Latin G I,Caesar
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The Basics

• Born 18 September around 52 A.D.
• Born at Italica near Seville
• First emperor not born in Italy
• Born in Spain
• His father was a senator and commanded the 10th
  legion in the Jewish War
• He then became the governor of Syria, Baetica and
  Asia

3
Trajans Adoption and Overview of Rule

• Adopted by the emperor Nerva in 97 AD
• Ruled from 98-117 AD, 19 years
• He married Pompeia Plotina
• During rule, he kept happy the
• Military because he was a general
• Senate because he treated them with respect
• People because of his excellent building program
  and overall acceptability

4
Death and Transfer of Power

• Trajan died on August 11, 119 of a stroke at
  Traianopolis
• The next day, his adoption of Hadrian was
  announced
• Hadrian was his surrogate son throughout his
  childhood Trajan took him in as a child.
• Hadrians father was praetor and his mother was
  from a rich, old Roman family.

5
Trajans Coins
The reverse of this coin shows Trajans column.
It is a message to the Roman people of his power
and his building program. Also, the statue on the
top portrays him as a soldier.
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The Dacian Wars

• Trajan attacked Dacia in 101 AD
• The Dacians occupied much of the territory around
  modern day Romania
• The Dacian King Decebalus was ignoring the terms
  of peace

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Dacian Wars Continued

• After departing in 101, he led his troops north,
  striking into the heart of Dacian territory
• Decabalus proposed peace after losing much
  ground, and his terms were accepted
• Trajan returned to Rome
• This peace did not last, however, and Trajan once
  again departed for Dacia in 105

8
More Dacian Wars

• When Trajans troops arrived, he found that most
  of the Roman outposts had fallen
• The Romans advanced far into Dacian territory and
  this time, upon reaching the capital, there was
  no mercy
• Trajans army captured the city and so by the end
  of 106, all of Dacia was restored to Roman
  control.

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The Parthian War

• In 104, Trajan attacked Parthia
• Parthian-Roman relations where already severely
  strained
• The Parthians had placed a ruler of their choice
  on the throne in Armenia without consulting the
  Romans

10
Parthian Wars Continued

• Parthia was conquered in 116
• The land, while easy to conquer, was not as easy
  to hold
• There were many revolts among the conquered
  people and Trajan gradually resigned rule of the
  newly conquered land

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The Forum of Trajan

• The Forum of Trajan
• Most expensive forum in Rome
• Architect was Apollodorus of Damascus
• Expensive materials were used to build the forum,
  a message of the builders wealth
• The forum had at least 150 houses and offices

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Trajans Column

• This Column, the massive centerpiece of the Forum
  of Trajan tells the story of the Dacian Wars
• When Trajan and his wife died, their ashes were
  buried in the base of the column in gold
  containers
• A statue of the emperor himself once stood at the
  top but it has been replaced more recently by a
  statue of St. Peter

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Specifications of the Column

• Almost 100 feet or 30 meters high
• Made from fine marble
• Contributed by the Senate to the Forum
• Designed as a number of cubes on the ground floor
  with a spiral staircase going up

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Trajan Viewed Throughout History

• Trajan set the standard for Roman emperors
  throughout history
• As late as the fourth century, the Senate still
  prayed that an emperor could be As fortunate as
  Augustus and as good as Trajan
• Viewed well even by Christians, as showed by the
  poet Dante. Trajan was the only Roman emperor
  that escaped Hell

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Art Under Trajan

• In statues of Trajan, he was often portrayed
  either nude from the waist up or in traditional
  Roman soldier garb. This portrayed him in the
  heroic sense or as a soldier to the people.

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Bibliography

• Trajans Column This book was a good source for
  images and information on Trajans Column.
• Scarre, Chris Chronicle Of The Roman Emperors.
  London Thames and Hudson, Ltd 1995.This book was
  a good source for general information on Trajan
  and also had many useful diagrams.
• www.roman-emperors.org. This website is an in
  depth look at many facets of Trajans rule.Also
  useful is the link to a Roman Coin catalogue.
• www.perseus.tufts.edu. This website is useful in
  finding images, particularly photographs of
  buildings.
• www.OldRomanCoins.com. This is an extremely
  useful site for finding specific Roman Coins from
  all time periods.