Roman Emperor: Life and Reign of Trajan Quiz

Answer: Italica

Italica was the first Roman settlement of Spain, and was located just north of the modern day town of Santiponce, and around 6 miles north-west of the modern day city of Seville. It was founded by Scipio Africanus, a Roman general in around 206 BC. As more and more Roman citizens settled in their new area, Trajan was born there in 53 AD.

The ruins of the Roman amphitheatre of Italica is situated in Santiponce. It was once the third largest Roman amphitheatre the Romans had built at the time, being constructed between 117-138 AD, during Hadrian's reign as Roman Emperor.

Answer: Marcia

Marcia's birth year is unclear but it was before the year 100, estimated by some sources between the years of 29-33 AD. Marcia descended from a family of the same name, Marcia, sometimes spelled Martia. They were one of the eldest noble households of Ancient Rome. Marcia's father was the Roman Senator Quintus Marcius Barea Sura, and her mother was Antonia Furnilla.

Answer: Nerva

Nerva had a brief reign as Roman Emperor from 96-98 AD. He had served the Roman Emperor Nero for most of his life, and became emperor himself aged 66. Nerva was very unpopular with the Praetorian Guard who revolted due to to the ageing emperor's lack of an heir. Fearing for his life, Nerva adopted Trajan and therefore had an heir.

It was an easy choice for Nerva. Trajan was respected and had risen to prominence during reign of Roman emperor Domitian, who reigned from 81 AD - 96 AD.

Answer: False

Trajan did not ignore his biological father, despite his adoption. Coins that Trajan had made deifying his biological father in 113 AD ascertain that. Marcus Ulpius Trajanus likely lived long enough to see his son become Roman Emperor.

Answer: Syria

In the Roman army, a military tribune was a military officer ranked below the Legatus (a high ranking officer) and above the centurion (commander of a century, or military unit). Trajan was a tribune during Marcus Ulpius Trajanus's time as Governor of Roman Syria. Roman Syria was a territory annexed by Roman military general and statesman, Pompey, in 64 BC.

After his father was no longer the Governor of Syria, he was transferred to an unspecified Roman province.

Answer: Aelius Afer

Aelius Afer (full name: Publius Aelius Hadrianus Afer) was a Roman senator who hailed from a well-established, well-connected and wealthy family. Like Trajan, he was born in Italica, but had Roman heritage. He was the son of Roman senator, Publius Aelius Hadrianus Marullinus and Ulpia (who was Trajan's paternal aunt). Aelius Afer married Domitia Paulina and had two children with her: Aelia Domitia Paulina (born 75 AD, died 130 AD) and Publius Aelius Hadrianus (born 76 AD, died 138 AD) who would later succeed Trajan as Roman Emperor as Emperor Hadrian in 117 AD.

It is unknown how Aelius Afer and his wife both died exactly, around 86 AD.

Answer: Pompeia Plotina

Pompeia Plotina's birth year is unclear, but she died between 121 AD - 122 AD. She was popular due to her interests in the people, using her power to improve living and social conditions for the poor. Keenly interested in philosophy, Plotina was particularly involved in helping the Epicurean philosophical school in Athens, Greece.

Although Trajan and Plotina were allegedly happily married, they had no children. Later authors later asserted that Trajan was in fact much more inclined towards men. Bisexual relations were common among the men of Upper Class Ancient Rome, but Trajan is reported to have been particularly partial to homosexuality. Cassius Dio was one of the earliest assertions of this. What strengthens this claim is that unlike the overwhelming majority of Roman Emperors, there is absolutely no trace of Trajan being romantically involved with any other women.

Answer: Decebalus

King Decebalus was the last King of Dacia (which is now present-day Romania, and parts of Moldova). He unified the tribes around Dacia against the Roman Empire. Little is known of his early life. Decebalus is known for fighting three wars against the Roman Empire, the first time occuring between 86-88 AD, during the reign of Domitian. This war (although bloody) ended with negotiations, and with Decebalus using Roman money from his client king status to renovate his defenses. Trajan's wars against Decebalus would be much more impactful. Decebalus was eventually tracked down by the Romans in 106 AD. Rather than be taken prisoner he committed suicide by slashing his own throat open. His death is depicted in Trajan's Column, which still stands in Rome.

The Dacian history and heritage is still very firmly part of the national identity of Romanians in the present day. Founded by businessman Iosif Constantin Dragan, the Statue of Decebalus is a rock carved statue of the face of Decebalus. Carved between 1994-2004, it lies over the Daube River near the Romanian city of Orșova. He is seen as a national hero in Romania.

Answer: Danube

Trajan's bridge was constructed near the present-day cities of Kladovo, Serbia and Drobeta-Turnu Severin, Romania. Trajan established this bridge in order to ensure that his legions had a regular supply line in Dacia, where they had conquered. Around a century and a half later, Roman Emperor Aurelian (reigned 270-275) abandoned the province of Dacia, and with his withdrawal in 271 he had Trajan's bridge demolished.

Answer: Jordan and Saudi Arabia

The Nabataean Kingdom was a state of classical antiquity, the home of the Nabataeans, an ancient Arab people who resided around the Southern Levant and the north of Arabia. The Nabataean Kingdom's capital was Petra, a city built in 1 BC.

Before Trajan annexed the Nabataean Kingdom in 106 AD, it was ruled by Rabbel II Soter, the last king of the Nabataeans. He reigned from 70 AD to 106 AD. Trajan renamed the Nabataean Kingdom TO Arabia Petraea.

Answer: Welfare program

Trajan expanded a welfare program which was in its early stages, at the hands of his predecessor, Nerva. It existed from 98 AD-272 AD, and assisted poor children and orphans across Italy, providing food, money and education. Trajan mainly paid for this with his war loot from the Dacian campaigns, but he also imposed a tax for this, and encouraged philanthropy for the poor children of Rome.

Answer: Pliny the Younger

Pliny the Younger was born in 61 AD. He was an author, lawyer and magistrate of Ancient Rome, and was the governor of Bithynia and Pontus (present-day Turkey) when he wrote to Trajan, regarding his wish to deal with the expanding Christian community. Neither Pliny nor Trajan mention any crimes the Christians had committed other than their faith, in this letter. Pliny asserted that a Christian would be asked to be denied their faith three times, upon the third refusal they would be executed. Pliny asked Trajan for advice on how old a Christian person must be in order to be condemned to death, and whether younger Christians such as children should be treated differently. He also asked should a Christian be pardoned if they denied their faith, and then detailed the trials of Christians he had judged.

Trajan's reply instructed Pliny to not hunt Christians to put on trial. He did however say that those proven to be practicing Christianity must be punished, and should those accused deny they were Christians and submit proof they were not of that faith, be pardoned. Pliny's letter is the oldest known surviving account of the Pagans view of Christianity.

Answer: Kitos War

The Kitos War was a Jewish rebellion that lasted from 115-117 AD. This revolt arose when Trajan (and most of his military) were in the middle of Trajan's Parthian campaign, by the eastern border of the Roman Empire. The Parthian Empire was an ancient Iranian empire which was in power from 247 BC-224 AD. In 115 AD, Jews across Cyprus, Egypt, Crete and Cyrenaica (present-day Libya) rose up and slaughtered Roman citizens.

Trajan was forced to withdraw from his Parthian campaign in order to return and put a stop to the Jewish rebellion. He likely saw this as a temporary delay to his military ambitions, but this was to be the last time Trajan ever saw the field of battle. Two years after the beginning of the Kitos War, Trajan died in 117 AD.

Answer: Parthamasiris

Parthamasiris of Armenia was a prince of the Parthian Empire, who then became a client King in 113 AD. That year his uncle Osroes I of Parthia, ousted Axidares (Parthamasiris' brother) from the Armenian throne in order to appease Trajan. As this same uncle had put Axidares on the throne without Rome's consent, Trajan saw this as an affront, and wished for a new King of Armenia as a sign of good faith. Osroes obliged and installed Parthamasiris on the throne.

When Trajan and his army arrived in Parthia in 114 AD, Parthamasiris hoped to convince the Roman Emperor that he should be allowed to keep his kingship. Trajan refused this, instead annexing Armenia as a Roman Province. Trajan continued with his Parthian campaign, and ordered for Parthamasiris to be sent back home to Parthia from Armenia. However, while on his way home, Parthamasiris disappeared. Historians have speculated that Trajan possibly had quietly ordered him to be murdered.

Answer: Selinus

Trajan was 64 years old when he died in Selinus. He was sailing to Italy from Syria after becoming ill, and stopped in Selinus - which is now the town of Gazipaša, southern Turkey. Trajan's health had deteriorated in the middle of 117 AD, and this was not hidden.

A bronze statue of him appearing thin and ageing was erected in the Roman Baths of Ankara, during this time. Historians agree that the cause of Trajan's death was likely a stroke. Trajan's successor was his adoptive son Hadrian, who was 41 years old when he become Roman Emperor.