Roman Empire, Trajan (98-117 AD), AR Denarius

116-117 AD, Rome mint

€ 375.00 VAT margin scheme

Article code: 24-1506

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Trajan, Emperor of Rome from 98-117 AD. The weak and aging Emperor Nerva chose the popular general Trajan as his heir and successor in order to avoid a civil war.

In contemporary accounts he is described as intelligent, a wise and just ruler, and a moral man.

One of his major successes was his ending the Dacian Wars by defeating the powerful Dacian King Decebalus. He built a massive bridge over the Danube river to allow the Roman army to easily cross the river. For more than 1000 years this bridge was considered to be the longest bridge in the world.

The capital of Dacia was sacked and the Dacian gold mines now supplied the Roman Empire with more resources. To celebrate his great success Trajan hosted a 3-month spectacle at the Colosseum.

Trajan devalued the Roman currency in 107 AD. The result was that Trajan was able to mint a lot more coins than other Emperors, allowing him to indulge in massive building programs and start a welfare program (alimenta)

Trajan was successful in the Parthian Wars, but after he fell ill in 117 AD he had to sail back home. He died of a stroke in the city of Selinus (modern-day Turkey) on August 8 of the year 117 AD.