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In the historical records of Westerners, Trajan is simply the Roman version of "Emperor Wu of Han".
Trajan was born on September 18, 53 AD, in Carda, Italy, Spain. His father was a descendant of vespasian and led legions to suppress Jewish uprisings twice. After Vespasian became emperor, the elder brothers not only entered the senate and became nobles, but also appointed governor of Syria in 75 AD, commanding a military force of nearly 100,000 people, including Egypt, Jerusalem, and Armenia. This status is about to catch up with the "acting emperor" Muchianus at that time.
As a second-generation soldier, Trajan began his military career as a teenager, following his comrades to kill the enemy and learning to command soldiers under the guidance of his father. At the age of 22, Trajan became the "chief captain" of the Syrian Legion. At the age of 24, he was sent to the Army of the Rhine for training. From the age of 27, Trajan's positions varied between officers and administrators: successively treasurers, magistrates, and governors of the Spanish province of Tarrago Nanchis.
In 90 AD, at the age of 36, Trajan finally gained the favor of Emperor Domitian and served as consul the following year. Two years later, he was officially appointed Governor of the Highlands Germans and became the "Feudal Governor" of the Empire.
On September 18, 96 AD, on the same day as Trajan's 43rd birthday, the young and powerful Domitian was stabbed to death. The next day, the 70-year-old nobleman Nerva accepted the "invitation" of the Senate and became the 12th emperor of the empire. Although the old emperor was very popular, he obviously did not have much ability to govern, and he did not actively deal with the culprits who assassinated the former emperor, nor could he appease the dissatisfaction of the Guards, and he was even imprisoned by the soldiers.
In order to prevent the situation from deteriorating further, and of course to save his old life, in October 1997, after the completion of the ritual ceremony in the temple of Jupiter, Nerva suddenly announced that he would adopt the former emperor's friend and former consul, Trajan, as an adopted son and share the imperial power with him.
This very abrupt decision startled everyone, including Trajan himself. It should be noted that at that time, although Trajan was not lonely and nameless, he was not a big person. Suddenly becoming the heir to the throne made him deeply uneasy in addition to his excitement. In addition, shortly after the assassination of the former emperor, the situation in the capital was still very dangerous. In order to be proper, Trajan decided to wait and see for a while. As a result, this wait-and-see was more than a year, not only the funeral of his adoptive father, but also his own enthronement ceremony.
Although he did not return to the capital, the new emperor did not do nothing. Like several Guards officers who had imprisoned Nerva before, he was tricked into going to Cologne and then had their heads cut off. For the entire next year, Trajan was drawing troops from the Rhine region to the Eastern Theater and building a large number of military facilities at the same time. After everything was done, the emperor finally returned to Rome in 1999.
It is estimated that it is well thought out, and Trajan after returning to the throne is very low-key, neither building a gorgeous palace, eating, wearing, traveling is also very simple, often walking to and from work, without a score. In addition, the relationship between the new emperor and the Senate was also very harmonious, and the parliamentarians were treated with courtesy and respect. During his 20 years in power, not a single elder was executed or exiled for "treason." This style is very similar to vespasian, which "takes taxes from the toilet".
Of course, the Roman emperor is also a position, if there is no performance, how low-key is unstable, the newly ascended Trajan naturally has "a lot of work": he legislated that the senators and nobles should invest at least 1/3 of the wealth in Italy to lock in wealth and maintain the prosperity of the capital. At the same time, he also distributed the "Yuying Fund" to all citizens, both to engage in charity and to encourage childbearing.
In addition, it is the compulsory course of every Roman emperor - the construction of civil engineering, the construction of bathhouses, colosseums, squares, bridges, roads and other infrastructure, which is a "visible" achievement, very intuitive. Rome has been built almost, but the provinces still have land, and there is still great potential for large infrastructure.
However, this kind of "good governance" is actually a small meaning, and for an emperor who has just ascended to the throne, the most important achievement is still war!
With the Vespasian fathers and sons putting down the Jewish uprising and the "Gallic Empire", Rome's borders had become fairly stable. By the time Domitian repaired the Germanic Wall, the Rhine defense line had become entrenched, and the occasional rebellion could be easily handled. But as the empire expanded eastward, the Roman provinces had crossed central Europe and reached eastern Europe, where they met their new rival, the Dacians.
Dacia was a tribe in romania that gradually developed into a slave kingdom. As early as the first century BC, under the leadership of King Brebista, Dacia continued to annex the surrounding tribes and small states, and its power became more and more powerful, posing a serious threat to the Roman border on the south bank of the Danube, and even Caesar did not dare to ignore it. But after brebista was assassinated in 44 BC, the country fell apart and fell into decadence for nearly a century.
More than 100 years later, Dacia gave birth to a brilliant tough guy king, De Caybarus. Under his leadership, Dacia not only reunified, but also annexed the middle Danube region from Hungary to Yugoslavia and prepared to establish a state on the north bank of the Danube. This move once again threatened Rome's eastern provinces, and conflict between the two sides was inevitable, and it was only a matter of time before the guns were fired.
In 85 A.D., Dacia preemptively took action. Decabalus launched a surprise attack on the province of Misia, and the Roman army was caught off guard, defeated and killed along with the governor. The emperor at that time, Domishan, was furious when he heard the news, personally led 5 legions to march in person, and won the first battle. However, when the Roman army crossed the Danube River and attacked north to the capital of Dacia, it was attacked by the enemy, losing the strength of a semi-legion, the commander was killed, and the army was defeated.
In 88 AD, Domitian prepared for revenge, and he attacked again across the Danube under the command of Julianus. The Roman army performed quite well in this battle, leading the enemy to a wide plain, scrapping the raids and ambushes that the Dacians were good at, and directly killing them with white-knife battles. Later, due to "weather reasons", the Roman army stopped the attack. The following year, the two countries formally negotiated peace.
It was also helpless to come to this hand, because there was a rebellion in the Germanic region at that time, and the Parthians in the east also got a fake Nero to prepare to fish in the water, and in order to prevent the enemy from being attacked, Domitian had to choose to compromise.
After the signing of the peace treaty, Rome released the imprisoned Dacian captives, and one person gave 2 Ass "severance pay" and sent them out of the country. This move was widely interpreted by Roman society as "spending money for peace", which caused Domitian's reputation to plummet.
As a close friend of the former emperor, Trajan certainly knew the ins and outs and stakes, but he was under pressure, and in fact, he was more than Domitian: although he had been guarding the border, to be honest, Trajan had never fought a big battle. In order to secure the throne, he could not take revenge on Dacia, and he must also establish a great achievement in opening up the territory. And once he fails, his fragile diji is very likely to collapse in an instant. Therefore, for this new monarch from a foreign province, the Battle of Dacia can only be won, not defeated.
In 101 AD, after three years of meticulous preparation, Trajan personally led 200,000 soldiers and horses (including a large number of sappers) to launch an all-out attack on Dacia. After crossing the Danube, the course of the war was by no means smooth, and due to bad weather, away combat, unfamiliar terrain, and decambarus's thoughtful and effective defense system, the Roman expedition was difficult, heavy losses, and difficult.
However, with the strong financial support of Rome and the determination of the emperor not to back down, the Roman legions with large numbers, complete arms, well-equipped and well-supplied still had an overwhelming advantage. They not only endured the casualties caused by the enemy's surprise attacks, but also forcibly cut down trees and bridges to pave the way while marching and fighting, and forcibly transformed the occupied areas into supply lines little by little, so that the source of troops, equipment, and logistics materials could continue to reach the front line from the empire itself.
Throughout the invasion, the Roman army was like a slow-moving but advancing crocodile, devouring Dacia's territory, resources and living forces in one mouth. In the face of the huge gap in resources and strength, the scheming Decay Barus finally could not resist. In the spring of 102 AD, after more than a year of stubborn resistance, the capital of Daciania was first captured by the Romans, the king's sister and a large number of nobles were captured, and Decabarus was forced to surrender and plead for peace.
In order to keep the throne, Decay Barus was forced to agree to the conditions of having the Roman army stationed near the capital, handing over weapons, and dismantling the military fortresses on the north bank of the Danube, and obediently became a "friendly alliance" of the Roman Empire.
After two years of pause, in 105, the lively Decabalus could not sit still again, and he launched an attack on the Roman garrison near the capital. However, at this time and another time, in the last war, Rome had paved the communication line to Dacia, and also built a "Trajan Bridge" from the Danube River to the capital of Dacia, and was familiar with Daccia's combat routines. At this time, the emperor was not panicked, but there was a bit of a taste of "waiting for you for a long time", so he calmly dispatched troops and generals, and once again rode in person.
After the battle, the Roman army was like a bamboo, attacking the city all the way and pulling out the wall, unstoppable. They broke through the castles and camps on the way, burned down the villages they encountered, and the soldiers were very excited when they saw what they were robbing. In the turn, the capital of Dacia was once again captured, and Decabarus fled in a hurry in pursuit of the Romans. Finally, in a forest, the desperate king stabbed his sword into his chest and was cut off.
After the war, in order to completely eliminate the hidden dangers, the native residents, slaves, and nobles of Dacia were almost all removed, and the country was exhausted. Subsequently, the tribes on the outskirts of Dacia were forcibly driven into the country. After the exchange of blood, the Roman government appointed the governor to administer the "New Dacia" directly. At the same time, Latin was vigorously promoted to these new subjects who were mixed and did not speak the language, and "Roman patriotism" education was carried out. Under the rectification, Dacia was made a Roman province from the inside out.
In addition, while the Dacian War was in progress, the Roman army also "went along" to kill the weak kingdom of Napatia and establish an Arab province.
The victory in the Dacian War not only washed away the shame of "reparations" in the Domitian era, but also confirmed Trajan's status as a "great man". The expansion of the empire's territory made him a great emperor comparable to Caesar. The emperor's mood at this time can be described as refreshing and exploding.
To celebrate the victory, the capital's major arenas held 123 days of gladiatorial competitions between people and people, people and animals, and animals and animals. Most of the gladiators who were thrown in were prisoners of Dacia, and there were more than ten thousand beasts thrown in. Amid the corpses and blood of the losers, the carnival of the Roman Empire culminated.
In the next 7 years, no war broke out in the empire, and Trajan once again devoted his energies to "Civil Rule": the great infrastructure was restarted, and in addition to countless sculptures, roads, bridges and ports, "image projects" such as the "Trajan Bathhouse", "Trajan Square", and "Trajan JiGong Pillar" were also built.
In addition, whenever a province was affected by a disaster, the emperor would always tolerate the reduction of local taxes. He also led by example, advocating that the elderly nobles donate money, materials, relief funds, libraries, and even buildings to the country, and expanded the scope of the Yuying Fund. With the blessing of Rome's powerful national strength, the whole country presented a prosperous scene of joy and excitement. At this time, Trajan was about to be 60, and he was very satisfied with such a rich and powerful Rome, but he was not satisfied, because he still had a higher dream - to destroy Parthia!
From the end of the Republic, Parthia had been the greatest obstacle to Rome's eastward advance. In the century-long history of conflict, the first three and the last three have all fought wars with this eastern power. The struggle for control of Armenia has worsened relations between the two countries to the culmination.
By the time of Nero, through the mediation of the Roman general Kolbro, the two countries had entered into a peace treaty: Rome recognized Armenia as part of the Parthian sphere of influence, but the canonization of the Armenian king had to be crowned by the Roman emperor before it could take effect. In this new model of getting along, the two sides maintained peace for nearly 70 years.
However, in 112 AD, the then Parthian king Osroes, without applying to Rome, deposed the Armenian king Axidares and made his brother Paltamasiris the new king. The "new king" immediately launched an attack on the "current king", and Axi was defeated and asked Rome for help.
Tula was overjoyed to hear the news, and he finally hoped for a reason to destroy Parthian in one fell swoop. After more than a year of dispatching troops, the Roman side gathered 9 legions and a large number of auxiliaries, with a total strength of 100,000. On October 27, 113, the old emperor personally led a large army and launched an expedition against Parthia.
The following spring, Trajan arrived in Armenia, kicking away both the old and new kings and directly annexing the younger brother. Over the next two years, the Romans marched from the Tigris to the upper Euphrates, capturing all of Mesopotamia and capturing the Parthian capital of Ctesiphon, Sasu, and the Persian Gulf. These occupied areas were integrated by Rome into the two provinces of Mesopotamia and Assyria.
This expedition broke the record of the expansion of successive Roman rulers to the east, which can be called "unprecedented". At this point, Trajan had added five provinces to the empire, and looking forward to his brilliant military achievements, the 63-year-old emperor was satisfied, and without hesitation, accepted the titles of "Supreme Emperor" and "Parthian Conqueror" of the Senate, becoming the "great man" he dreamed of.
However, the Empire has also been facing the dilemma of backyard fire on the way to the east. At the end of 116, as soon as Trajan had returned to Antioch for the winter, an uprising broke out throughout Mesopotamia, and Parthia, which had been stripped in half, also waged guerrilla warfare against the Romans under the leadership of the exiled monarchs. The Roman invading army, which went deep alone, fell into the ocean of "people's war", and was beaten to the point of being overwhelmed and embarrassed.
The momentary reversal of the situation reveals a harsh truth: Trajan's conquest of the East has far exceeded the limits allowed by the empire's ability to rule. Even if the rebellion could be put down, how many armies and financial resources could Rome devote to maintaining its rule over the East?
The trouble did not stop there, in the same year of the Roman Crusade, in Egypt, Cylanga, Cyprus, Syria and other places, there was also a second Jewish uprising. The rebellion in the eastern provinces fueled the jewish rebellion, which smashed and robbed everywhere, killed and set fires, and gradually became a burning force.
The ensuing blows devastated the emperor's self-confidence and hurt his "dragon body" even more. At the end of July 117, after barely controlling the situation, the seriously ill Trajan decided to stop the crusade, and after he left the mess to Hadrian, he and his wife returned to Rome. But before he reached his destination, the old emperor's condition began to deteriorate. On August 19, Trajan, a patriarch, died at the age of 64.
After Trajan's death, his achievements in the Two Rivers Valley quickly disappeared, but this did not prevent his descendants from giving him high praise: under his rule, Rome's national strength and territory reached an unprecedented peak. In addition, his brave, resolute and never-flinching personality is also quite remarkable. But Trajan was also a human being, and he also had a common problem with the authoritarian monarch. If he hadn't been blinded by his military achievements, he probably wouldn't have launched a crusade so hastily.
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