Trajan
Biography
Born in Hispania, Trajan was the first emperor from outside Italy. He conquered Dacia in two wars, commemorated by Trajan Column in Rome, and the gold of Dacia funded a vast building program including his forum and market. His war against Parthia briefly took Mesopotamia, bringing the empire to its greatest extent. The Senate honored him as Optimus, the best. He died on campaign and was succeeded by Hadrian.
Related Monarchs
Constantine the Great
306-337At the Milvian Bridge 312, in hoc signo vinces, Constantine won the empire. The Edict of Milan 313 legalized Christianity, Nicaea ...
Augustus
27 BC-14 ADOctavian, Caesar heir, won Actium 31 BC against Antony and Cleopatra. He kept republican forms, princeps, first citizen, while hol...
Marcus Aurelius
161-180The last of the five good emperors, Marcus wrote the Meditations in campaign tents on the Danube, private Stoic notes that became ...
Hadrian
117-138Hadrian abandoned Trajan conquests, fixed defensible borders, the Wall in Britain, 73 miles, still standing. He traveled the empir...