Trajan

One of the most important emperors of Rome who at the same time was the first Roman emperor of Hispania was Trajan , who even after his death was categorized by Hadrian as a god . He was the second emperor who belonged to the Antonine dynasty and was in charge of ruling the empire from 98 to 117.

What did

Trajan was one of the most important Roman emperors because with his attitude and with his effective way of governing the people, he managed to improve the entire administration of the empire, carry out a large number of public works and establish a series of new initiatives that even provided protection. to the larger families and to those who were orphans. It was the emperor who, through his military campaigns , managed to push the borders of his empire to maximum expansion .

Biography of Trajan

Marucs Ulpius Traianus , better known as Marco Ulpio Trajano , was born on September 18, 53 . His family was of Italian descent and his birth occurred in the province of Hispania Bética . His father was for a time the governor of Syria and from a very young age he participated in various battles . He received Roman education and excelled in the field of physical exercise from a young age, at which point he began to feel great admiration for military life.

In 97, he was adopted by Emperor Nerva, who named him emperor before dying. He married Pompeii Plotina , but they had no children , which is why he decided to adopt Publio Elio Adriano , who was his nephew and ward, however, the young man never showed good gifts to govern.

Death

His death occurred in the middle of a campaign in the East when at that time, according to historians, he suffered a stroke . His ashes are found resting in Trajan’s Column .

Trajan’s government

Trajan’s government began after Emperor Nerva passed away as he had previously adopted it. Since he began his government, he focused on carrying out several important military campaigns with the aim of expanding the Roman Empire . One of his first conquests was the city of Dacia , a place to which Rome had to pay a very high compensation every year to the king in order to avoid looting.

When he came to the throne, he was not willing to allow Rome to continue paying large amounts of money in tributes so in the year 101 he decided to leave for Viminacium with an important military plan, this is how the troops of Rome managed to control the area and were subsequently agreed to a peace treaty.

As for his economic measures , he caused the currency of the Roman Empire to be devalued , which made it possible for him to mint a large number of coins. He drafted the Food Law through which the needs of poor people and orphaned children were met through state income.

His foreign policy was basically a policy of conquest whose main objective was to be able to expand the empire to the Indian Ocean. Little by little he managed to triumph over Mesopotamia , Syria , Persia and Armenia, making these provinces pass into the hands of the Roman people. He also built two new provinces, Assyria and Mesopotamia and managed to fix the border of Rome on the Tigris .

Physical characteristics

There are no exact data on its physical characteristics.

Personality

Trajano had a very affable personality but at the same time he knew very well what to do so he was strong when necessary, very intelligent and intellectual . He had a problem with his personality that made him feel attracted to minors and in fact, he became obsessed with some of them. Many experts consider that her personality problems related to homosexuality and pedophilia came from her Hellenic culture.

Importance

Trajan is considered one of the most important and most precious emperors that have existed in the history of Rome and in the world. His reputation was practically flawless . He was an emperor who had the support of his people and the aristocracy , who managed to solve a large number of economic problems and who united his people with a common goal.

Acknowledgments

Due to his great work and his dedication to the Empire, he was named with the title of Optimus Princeps, which in Spanish means ” the best of princes ” by the Senate that existed at that time. This decoration was also given in recognition for his hard work in all his conquests and for his great power of diplomacy and good treatment , as well as for all the great constructions that he could carry out and for having been an emperor who always cared about his people .

Trajan’s works

Some of his main works are mentioned below:

• He promoted the construction of many public buildings in Rome such as the Trajan Column and the Trajan Market .
• He built several monuments in Hispania.
• He ordered the construction of the Vía Nova Trajana highway, which was in charge of connecting the Red Sea with Vostra.
• He was the person responsible for annexing the Nabataean kingdom , a place that served as a trade route at the time.
• He made it possible through the battle against the Parthians to annex the regions of Mesopotamia and Armenia .
• He achieved an important expansion of the Roman Empire .

Phrases

There are no records of popular or recognized phrases that have been mentioned by the emperor Trajan.

Presence in popular culture

In popular culture there have been some documentaries about its history and a film called ” Column ” in which the conquest of Dacia (now Romania) by the emperor Trajan is narrated . It explains in detail how the Romans managed to conquer the city led by this important emperor. A documentary known as Trajan: Emperor of Rome filmed in 2003 shows the life of the emperor in three chapters and in it you can see the moments of greatest glory of the emperor and his life.

Curiosities

Some curiosities of the Emperor Trajan were the following:

• Trajan is considered the last of the greatest emperors of Rome and was the first to be born in Hispania .
• He was so popular and loved among his people that he was even forgiven for having one of the worst vices because he was attracted to children and young people.
• During the siege against Hatra , a place located in the Arabian desert , Trajan was almost killed by a projectile which killed one of his bodyguards while riding.