Roman Emperor. Latin Trajan Marcus Ulpius Traianus. Resulting from a rich family of Bétique (Spain of the South), Trajan is the first emperor of provincial origin. He is also the second emperor of the dynasty antonine, whose principle of succession is the adoption of worthiest.
Thus the emperor Nerva (26-98) associates with the direction of the Empire this large soldier and this authoritative chief who is Trajan: it ordered the legions of Germanic when Nerva adopted it into 97. It succeeds Nerva into 98.
The policy of Trajan By its integrity, its simplicity, its membership of the preserving layers, it will be able to attract itself the admiration of the Latin historians (Tacit, Pline) and senatorial medium. Its popularity will have been worth besides to him the title of princeps Optimus, “best of the princes”.
The centralization of the power
Trajan is based on the senate to only appear to be attached to the model of Auguste and especially by fear of the low plebs and the army; it fills the senate of honors, informs it, consults it, the administration of the Treasury and part of the interior matters leaves him. But, at the same time, Trajan develops the imperial administration (installation by Tibère, Claude and Vespasien), which causes a centralization of the power with a fictitious maintenance of the old institutions. By this skew and the use of the imperial worship, Trajan accentuates the despotism of the Roman State.
The financial reorganization
The latent economic crisis since Tibère worsens under Trajan. Indeed, Italy continues to buy with the East; this capital flight precipitates the decline of the Western provinces. Trajan initially seeks to solve the financial problems: it tries to seize the treasures daces, and organizes a true prospection for minerals (gold, money) in all the Empire. Then it practices a reorganization of the taxes and encourages a better exploitation of the imperial field, thus hoping to stimulate the economic revival of the provinces of Occident. This search for money does not exclude a policy from prestige (imposing constructions in Rome: forum, thermal baths, Trajane column, etc; end of work of the port of Ostie).
New conquests
With an army very few, for lack of money, but well trained, Trajan tries new colonizations: Dacie (105-107), Arabia nabatéenne (105), Arménie (114), Assyrie and Mésopotamie (116-117). The Jewish insurrection (117) compromises this expansionist policy; the advent of the emperor Hadrian (117) marks a return to a policy of territorial fold and consolidation of the borders. This wise policy is besides more in keeping with the economic weaknesses of an empire shaken by the opposition between Eastern rise and the decline of the provinces of Occident.
Trajan dies during its campaigns in Asia, leaving a prosperous empire and to the maximum of its territorial extension.
The builder Under the reign of Trajan (98 to 117 apr. J. - C.), architecture and the statuary reflect, as well in Rome as in the provinces, the ambition of the emperor to increase the power and the size Romans. Attentive with the development of art and the implementation of great work of public utility, likely to excite the national feeling, Trajan was assisted by an architect originating in Syria, Apollodore of Damas, which could adapt the formulas stylistics of the tradition Hellenistic and Eastern with the spirit practices Roman. Among the many achievements which one owes in Apollodore, the construction of the forum of Trajan (finished into 113) is most outstanding.
As of year 104, Apollodore had established its reputation of engineer while launching on the Danube, close to Drobéta, a gigantic stone bridge (1 ' 100 meters length) with wood apron, work of art which facilitated the penetration in territory dace. The Roman bridge of Alcántara (Spain), the second artificial harbor of Ostie, the oratory of Philae (small island on the Nile in High-Egypt) are other important achievements which date from the reign of Trajan. The emperor also founded, into 100, the Roman colony of Timgad (Algeria), equipped with a forum, an arc of Trajan, a theater, a capitole and thermal baths.