The Rise and Reign of Emperor Trajan of Rome

Introduction: Origins and Early Life

Marcus Ulpius Trajanus was born on "the fourteenth day before the kalends of March" — that is, September 18th — probably in the year AD 52, at Italica near Seville, Spain. Being of Spanish origin made him the first emperor who did not come from Italy, even though he descended from an old Umbrian family from Tuder in northern Italy. Having chosen to settle in Spain, the family was not a purely provincial one.

Trajan was the son of a senator, consul, and governor of Asia and Syria. His father, also named Marcus Ulpius Trajanus, commanded the Tenth Legion "Fretensis" in the Jewish War of AD 67–68. He became consul in AD 70 and in AD 75 became governor of Syria, one of the key military provinces in the empire, and later served as governor of the provinces of Baetica and Asia. Very little is known of Trajan's mother, Marcia. His sister, Ulpia Marciana, had a granddaughter who married Hadrian. Trajan himself married Pompeia Plotina.

Military Career and Rise to Power

Trajan served as a military tribune in Syria during his father's governorship. He gained the office of praetorship in AD 85 and soon won command of the Seventh Legion "Gemina," based at Legio (León) in northern Spain. In AD 88/89 he marched this legion into Upper Germany to help suppress the rebellion of Saturninus against Domitian. This swift action, though it arrived too late, won him the goodwill of the emperor.

Nerva, Domitian's successor, made Trajan governor of Upper Germany in AD 96. In AD 97, Nerva sent a handwritten note to Trajan informing him of his adoption as heir. Trajan then summoned the leaders of an earlier mutiny by the Praetorian Guard to Upper Germany and had them executed upon arrival. Such ruthless and decisive action earned him a formidable reputation throughout the empire.

When Nerva died in AD 98, Trajan embarked on a tour of inspection of the legions stationed along the Rhine and Danube frontiers, strengthening his support among the soldiers. He arrived in Rome in AD 99 to jubilant crowds. The new emperor entered the city on foot, in the manner of a private citizen, embracing each senator and walking among ordinary people. He entered the palace as if it were just another house. This was the beginning of a great age for Rome — the reign of Optimus Princeps, the best of emperors.

Character and Governance

Such modesty helped Trajan gain even greater support during the first year of his reign. He won additional respect when he promised the Senate that he would always keep them informed about the affairs of government, and when he declared that the emperor's right to rule was compatible with the freedom of the people who were governed. Pliny the Younger, acting on behalf of the Senate, once thanked him for "restoring freedom to the Empire."

Although an educated man, Trajan was not particularly scholarly. He loved hunting and mountain climbing. He possessed a true sense of dignity and humility, which made him, in the eyes of the Romans, an emperor of genuine virtue. The empire adored him so much that he often roamed the streets with only a light bodyguard.

In spite of all his virtues, Trajan was not without flaws. He overindulged in wine and had a liking for young boys. Moreover, he seemed to truly enjoy war — though much of this passion was simply due to the fact that he was extraordinarily good at it. He was undoubtedly a brilliant general and was popular with his soldiers, particularly because he was willing to share in the hardships of his troops.