To understand why the Roman emperor Trajan was in Antioch during the winter of 114-115, one has to first understand the history of Roman-Persian relations and of Trajan’s reign itself. Let’s start with the latter. Trajan was born in the province of Baetica in southern Spain. His family was probably prominent within Baetica, but his father was the first to serve in imperial administration. He started his career as the governor of the small province, and later served in the army of the governor Vespasian (the guy who built the colliseum) during the first Roman-Jewish war. Trajan’s father was then given patrician status by Vespasian when Vespasian ascended to the throne and he served as co-consul for the year 70AD. He was appointed as governor of Syria and later; he served as governor of Asia (very roughly modern-day Turkey.) Trajan grew up in Rome and in the eastern provinces with his father. There is very little known about his early life.
From 75 AD to 97 AD, Trajan steadily rose through various military and civil positions until he commanded a legion in Spain. In 97AD the emperor Domitian, regarded today as an effective but ruthless ruler, was assassinated and declared a tyrant. The praetorian guard and the senate decided to appoint the ailing senator Nerva to the Imperial throne. Nerva was a capable and intelligent statesman, but he was already ill when he took the throne and in October of 97AD Nerva was nearly killed in a palace revolt as the Praetorian Guard demanded he name a successor. The Praetorians also made Nerva kill the assassins of Domitian. Under pressure to make a decision, Nerva decided to adopt the popular Trajan as his legal son. Nerva also promoted Trajan and gave him command of the German legions on the border. Nerva died months later and Trajan succeeded him without much incident, thus founding the adoptive Nerva-Antonine dynasty which would later be considered as the golden age of Rome.
At the outset, Trajan made it clear that he intended to be a different type of emperor. Instead of returning to Rome right away to be formally vested with the Imperial powers, he instead stayed in Germany and campaigned against various “barbarians” across the Rhine for about a year and a half. In 99AD he returned to Rome and was celebrated for his victories in Germany, even though he did not conquer any territory. He executed the Praetorians, who had forced Nerva to kill the assassins of Domitian.
Trajan is credited with several domestic achievements, although it should be known that most of them were not particularly innovative. The most notable exception to that would be his alimenta program. The alimenta provided food, education, and income to poor children and orphans throughout Italy, but nowhere else. Trajan paid for this through the plunder from his Dacian wars and from estate taxes imposed on wealthy landowners. This welfare program remained in effect for over 150 years until it was terminated by Emperor Aurelian in 272 AD amid economic, political, and military turmoil in the late third century.
He also initiated vast infrastructure projects all across the Empire, but especially in Rome itself. He reclaimed wastelands, built harbours, roads, and aqueducts in all corners of the empire. It was a period of unprecedented infrastructural expenditure. Many of the surviving imperial era buildings date from the reign of Trajan. In Rome, there is Trajan’s column and Trajan’s forum. In Spain, there is the massive Segovia aqueduct. The statue of Trajan on top of his column was replaced with one of St. Peter in 1588. These three structures are just a few examples of the many buildings constructed under Trajan that remain standing to this day.
(From left to right) Trajan’s column, Trajan’s forum, and the Segovia aqueduct.
Over two campaigns during 101AD and 104-105AD, Trajan successfully conquered the Kingdom of Dacia (modern-day Transylvania and Romania) and annexed it as a Roman province. Domitian had attempted to invade Dacia years earlier but was defeated by the highly capable king of Dacia, Decebelus. Decebelus avoided capture by committing suicide. The new province of Dacia enriched the Empire greatly, as it had considerable natural resources. Dacian mines provided enormous amounts of valuable raw materials such as gold and salt. The province also provided a natural buffer against the nomadic groups of southern Russia; this way, any raids would be isolated to Dacia and not in the Imperial heartlands. Additionally, the conquest of Dacia was the first major territorial gain for the Empire in decades.
In 110AD, the Persia deposed the pro-Roman King of Armenia. Trajan was outraged, and so he decided to launch a campaign to restore him in 113-114AD. However, when the Romans were victorious, Trajan made the bold decision to annex Armenia directly as an Imperial province instead of restoring his client King. He then defeated the Persian army in upper Mesopotamia and annexed that territory as well. Moving towards the Persian gulf and the Persian capital of Ctesiphon, he reportedly wept because he was too old to replicate the successes of Alexander the Great.
During the winter of 115AD, Trajan and his adoptive son Hadrian wintered in Antioch with his massive battle-hardened army. It is within this context that The Malignancy takes place. Neither Hadrian nor Trajan play important roles within The Malignancy, although Hadrian does meet Ashton. I thought it was necessary to make this post anyway because it helps to highlight the geopolitical situation in the region at the time. Further, I just find it interesting and I think other people will find it interesting as well. Hopefully, I didn’t waste my time.
Thanks for reading!
Liam
Comments