Trajan was a Roman emperor who ruled from A.D. 98 until his death in A.D. 117. Born in Italica (Seville in modern-day Spain), Trajan was the first Roman emperor born outside of Italy. He was also one of the first emperors to be chosen, rather than to inherit power as part of a ruling family. Before he was emperor, Trajan was an army commander, senator, and governor of upper Germany. These experiences helped him gain the support of both the sitting emperor, Nerva, who named him as his successor, and generals of the Roman army. After Nerva’s death in A.D. 98, Trajan prioritized protecting and expanding the Roman Empire. He twice defeated the people from the region of Dacia, where modern-day Romania is located. He used the bountiful plunder from these victories to fund public works projects in Rome. These included a spacious new forum with two libraries and a massive stone column called Trajan’s Column. The column was covered in carvings depicting the victory over the Dacians and still stands today. It is one of the largest monuments to survive the fall of Rome. During his 19-year reign, Trajan expanded the Roman Empire to its farthest territorial limits up until that date. The empire stretched from Scotland down to Northern Africa and swept east across the Mediterranean as far as Mesopotamia, or modern-day Iraq. Trajan ruled strictly, but fairly, and struck an effective balance between making conquests and maintaining a high quality of life for his people. Trajan died in A.D. 117 after falling ill while defending the empire’s extensive borders.

Traianus imperator Romanus, qui regnavit ab A.D. 98 usque ad mortem ejus, anno a.D. Fuit etiam unus ex primis imperatoribus eligendus magis, quam ut imperium ex familia regnantis possideat. Priusquam imperaret, Traianus erat militiae praefectus, senator et praefectus Germaniae superioris. Quae res eum tum sedentem imperatorem Nervam, qui eum successorem et duces exercitus Romani appellasset, adfuit. Post Nervam mortem anno 98, Traianus prioritatus est imperium Romanum tutans et dilatans. bis populum e regione Daciae vicit, ubi hodie Romania sita est. Ex his victoriis munificus usus est ad publica opera Romae incepta. Hi amplum forum novum comprehenderunt cum duabus bibliothecis et columna lapidea ingenti, quae Columna Traiani appellatur. Columna in anaglyphis de Dacis victoriam depingendis velata hodieque stat. Una ex maximis Romae ruinis monumenta superesse. Regnante XIX-anno, Traianus imperium Romanum ad ultimos territorii fines usque ad hanc diem dilatavit. Imperium e Scotia usque ad Africam septemtrionalem extenditur et orientem per Mare Mediterraneum usque ad Mesopotamiam seu Iraq hodie hodiernam rapit.Trajanus imperavit rigore, sed commode, et inter victorias aequa- bili libra percussit, et pro populo vitae qualitatem obtinens. Trajanus mortuus est anno A.D. 117 male, quum fines imperii amplos defenderet.