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Trajan was the first Roman emperor to be officially honored with the title *optimus princeps*.
Answer: True
The Roman Senate officially bestowed the title *optimus princeps* upon Trajan, making him the only emperor formally honored with it, as evidenced by coins from 105 AD.
Trajan's family, the gens Ulpia, originated from a prominent Roman settlement in Hispania Baetica.
Answer: False
While Trajan was born in Italica, Hispania Baetica, his family, the gens Ulpia, originated from Tuder in the Umbria region of central Italy.
Nerva adopted Trajan as his heir primarily because Trajan was his closest blood relative and Nerva was childless.
Answer: False
Nerva adopted Trajan due to military pressure and Trajan's outstanding military merits, not primarily because of blood relation, as Nerva was childless and unpopular with the army.
Apollodorus of Damascus was a renowned architect responsible for designing Trajan's Forum and a massive bridge over the Danube.
Answer: True
Apollodorus of Damascus was indeed a gifted architect and engineer who designed Trajan's Forum and a massive bridge over the Danube, among other significant projects.
Trajan's marriage to Pompeia Plotina produced several children, ensuring a direct dynastic succession.
Answer: False
Trajan's marriage to Pompeia Plotina remained childless, meaning there was no direct dynastic succession through his offspring.
Trajan immediately rushed to Rome after Nerva's death to secure his accession and consolidate power.
Answer: False
Trajan delayed his arrival in Rome after Nerva's death, undertaking a lengthy tour of inspection on the Rhine and Danube frontiers, which some historians interpret as a sign of uncertainty or a strategic move.
Trajan genuinely shared governing power with the Roman Senate, as evidenced by his exhortations for them to participate in ruling the empire.
Answer: False
Despite outward appearances and exhortations for the Senate to participate, Trajan acted as an autocrat and did not share power in any meaningful way, a fact noted by contemporary sources like Pliny the Younger.
Trajan encouraged Greek intellectuals and notables to form independent political organizations like firemen corps to foster local autonomy.
Answer: False
Trajan was wary of independent political activity among Greek intellectuals and notables, viewing them as tools for local administration rather than encouraging autonomous organizations like firemen corps.
The *correctores* introduced by Trajan were imperial officials appointed to oversee military recruitment in the Greek cities.
Answer: False
The imperial *correctores* introduced by Trajan were appointed to audit the civic finances of technically free Greek cities and curb excessive spending and independent political activity, not to oversee military recruitment.
Trajan's Forum was primarily financed by the spoils from his Dacian victories.
Answer: True
Trajan's Forum was indeed largely financed by the spoils acquired from his Dacian victories, serving as a grand commemoration of these campaigns.
Trajan's policy towards Christians involved executing all who refused to recant, regardless of their citizenship status.
Answer: False
Trajan's policy differentiated based on citizenship: non-citizens who refused to recant were executed, while citizens were sent to Rome for trial, and anonymous denunciations were rejected.
The *alimenta* program, providing welfare to orphans and poor children, was formalized by Trajan and funded in part by the wealth from the Dacian Wars.
Answer: True
The *alimenta* program, a social welfare initiative providing cash, food, and subsidized education to orphans and poor children in Italy, was indeed formalized by Trajan and partly funded by the wealth acquired from the Dacian Wars.
Trajan's father, Marcus Ulpius Traianus, was a distinguished senator who played a key role in the ascent of the Flavian dynasty.
Answer: True
Trajan's father, Marcus Ulpius Traianus, was indeed a distinguished senator and general who was instrumental in the ascent of the Flavian dynasty.
Lucius Licinius Sura, a close friend of Trajan, was appointed governor of Judaea and later suppressed the Diaspora Revolt.
Answer: False
While Lucius Licinius Sura was a close friend and influential advisor to Trajan, it was Lusius Quietus who was appointed governor of Judaea and tasked with suppressing the Diaspora Revolt.
Trajan's administration addressed mismanagement in senatorial provinces by increasing the Senate's authority over local finances.
Answer: False
Trajan's administration addressed mismanagement in senatorial provinces like Achaea and Bithynia by *encroaching* on the Senate's authority, converting them into imperial provinces to deal with financial disorder and mismanagement, rather than increasing the Senate's power.
Dio Chrysostom viewed Trajan as an ideal king who ruled by means of 'friendship,' implying formal entry of local notables into Roman administration.
Answer: False
Dio Chrysostom viewed Trajan as an ideal king ruling by 'friendship,' which implied patronage and a network of local notables as mediators, but this was an *informal* arrangement, not a formal entry into Roman administration.
Which honorific title, meaning 'the best,' was officially bestowed upon Trajan by the Roman Senate?
Answer: Optimus
The Roman Senate officially bestowed the title *Optimus*, meaning 'the best,' upon Trajan, recognizing his virtuous rule and benefactions, and he was the only emperor formally honored with *optimus princeps*.
Where was Trajan born?
Answer: Italica, Hispania Baetica
Trajan was born in the *municipium* of Italica in Hispania Baetica, located in present-day Andalusia, Spain.
What was a key reason Nerva adopted Trajan as his heir?
Answer: Nerva was forced by the army to adopt the popular Trajan to secure their support.
Nerva, unpopular with the army and coerced by his Praetorian Prefect, adopted the militarily distinguished and popular Trajan to secure the army's support and prevent his own ousting.
Who was the gifted architect responsible for designing Trajan's Forum and a massive bridge over the Danube?
Answer: Apollodorus of Damascus
Apollodorus of Damascus, a gifted architect and engineer, was brought to Rome by Trajan and was responsible for the design of Trajan's Forum and the massive bridge over the Danube.
According to some historians, how did Trajan's accession to emperor differ from a typical orderly succession?
Answer: He delayed his arrival in Rome for a lengthy tour of inspection and ordered an execution.
Trajan's accession was marked by a delay in his arrival in Rome for a tour of the frontiers and the execution of Praetorian Prefect Aelianus, leading some historians to characterize it as a 'successful coup' rather than an an orderly succession.
What was Trajan's actual approach to sharing power with the Roman Senate, despite his outward appearance?
Answer: He acted as an autocrat and did not share power in any meaningful way.
Despite outwardly feigning reluctance and exhorting the Senate to participate, Trajan maintained autocratic control and did not genuinely share power with the Roman Senate.
What was the purpose of the imperial *correctores* introduced by Trajan?
Answer: To audit the civic finances of technically free Greek cities.
The imperial *correctores* were an authoritarian innovation by Trajan, appointed to audit the civic finances of technically free Greek cities and curb excessive spending and independent political activity.
What was a key feature of Trajan's Forum?
Answer: It incorporated a triumphal arch entrance and was largely financed by Dacian spoils.
Trajan's Forum, Rome's largest, was designed by Apollodorus of Damascus and featured a triumphal arch entrance, largely financed by the spoils from his Dacian victories.
How did Trajan's policy differentiate in prosecuting Christians based on their citizenship?
Answer: Non-citizens who refused to recant were executed, while citizens were sent to Rome for trial.
Trajan's policy towards Christians, as outlined in his correspondence with Pliny the Younger, distinguished between non-citizens, who were executed if they refused to recant, and citizens, who were sent to Rome for trial.
What social welfare program did Trajan formalize, partly funded by wealth from the Dacian Wars?
Answer: The *alimenta*, providing cash, food, and education to orphans and poor children.
Trajan formalized the *alimenta* program, a social welfare initiative that provided cash, food, and subsidized education to orphans and poor children in Italy, partly funded by the immense wealth acquired from the Dacian Wars.
Who was Trajan's father, instrumental in the ascent of the Flavian dynasty?
Answer: Marcus Ulpius Traianus
Trajan's father, Marcus Ulpius Traianus, was a distinguished senator and general who played a significant role in the ascent of the Flavian dynasty.
Trajan's primary motivation for conquering Dacia was to secure new agricultural lands for Roman settlers.
Answer: False
Trajan's primary strategic motivation for conquering Dacia was to eliminate it as an organized state posing a significant threat to Roman expansion and stability, rather than solely to acquire new agricultural lands.
King Decebalus of Dacia was captured alive by Roman cavalry and publicly executed in Rome after the Second Dacian War.
Answer: False
After the fall of Sarmizegetusa Regia, King Decebalus fled and committed suicide when cornered by Roman cavalry; his severed head was later exhibited in Rome.
The Tropaeum Traiani and Trajan's Column both served to commemorate Trajan's victories in the Dacian Wars.
Answer: True
Both the Tropaeum Traiani and Trajan's Column were indeed constructed to commemorate Trajan's significant victories in the Dacian Wars, with the column depicting key moments of the campaigns.
The canal built by Trajan between the Danube's Kasajna tributary and Ducis Pratum was primarily for irrigation of agricultural lands.
Answer: False
The canal built by Trajan between the Danube's Kasajna tributary and Ducis Pratum was primarily for improving navigation and transport, especially for military reinforcements, by circumventing rapids and cataracts, not for agricultural irrigation.
By 105 AD, approximately half of the entire Roman army was concentrated on the Danube frontier for the Dacian Wars.
Answer: True
By 105 AD, approximately half of the entire Roman army, amounting to fourteen legions and auxiliaries, was indeed concentrated on the Danube frontier for the Dacian Wars, highlighting the scale of the campaigns.
The Second Dacian War was characterized by highly mobile cavalry skirmishes across open plains.
Answer: False
The Second Dacian War was characterized by fierce, mostly static warfare, with Roman forces systematically storming Dacian fortresses as they tightened their grip around Sarmizegetusa Regia, rather than mobile cavalry skirmishes.
What was the primary strategic motivation behind Trajan's conquest of Dacia?
Answer: To eliminate Dacia as an organized state posing a strategic threat to Rome.
Trajan's primary strategic motivation for conquering Dacia was to neutralize it as an organized state capable of forming alliances and posing a significant threat to Roman expansion and stability.
What was the fate of King Decebalus after the fall of Sarmizegetusa Regia?
Answer: He fled and committed suicide when cornered by Roman cavalry.
After the Roman capture of his stronghold, Sarmizegetusa Regia, King Decebalus fled and ultimately committed suicide when cornered by Roman cavalry, with his head later displayed in Rome.
Which two monuments were constructed to commemorate Trajan's victories in the Dacian Wars?
Answer: The Tropaeum Traiani and Trajan's Column
The Tropaeum Traiani in Moesia and Trajan's Column in Rome were both constructed to commemorate Trajan's decisive victories in the Dacian Wars.
What was the purpose of the canal built by Trajan between the Danube's Kasajna tributary and Ducis Pratum?
Answer: To circumvent rapids and cataracts for improved navigation.
The canal constructed by Trajan between the Danube's Kasajna tributary and Ducis Pratum was designed to circumvent rapids and cataracts, thereby improving river navigation and facilitating military transport.
By 105 AD, what proportion of the entire Roman army was concentrated on the Danube frontier for the Dacian Wars?
Answer: Approximately half
By 105 AD, approximately half of the entire Roman army, consisting of fourteen legions and auxiliaries, was concentrated on the Danube frontier for the Dacian Wars.
What was the nature of warfare during the Second Dacian War?
Answer: Fierce, mostly static warfare focused on storming fortresses.
The Second Dacian War was characterized by fierce, largely static warfare, with Roman forces systematically besieging and storming Dacian fortresses, culminating in the capture of Sarmizegetusa Regia.
The annexation of the Nabataean Kingdom in 106 AD was the first instance of Rome provincializing a client kingdom in Asia west of the Euphrates.
Answer: False
The annexation of the Nabataean Kingdom in 106 AD was significant because it was the *last* client kingdom in Asia west of the Euphrates to be provincialized, completing a trend towards direct Roman rule.
Trajan's Parthian campaign was primarily provoked by economic motives, specifically to gain direct control over the Indian trade route terminus at Charax.
Answer: False
While some modern historians suggest economic motives, the primary provocation for Trajan's Parthian campaign in 113 AD was Parthia's installation of an unacceptable king on the Armenian throne, challenging Roman hegemony.
Trajan's Parthian campaign involved a meticulous planning phase, including the concentration of ten legions in the Eastern theatre.
Answer: True
Trajan's Parthian campaign was indeed meticulously planned, involving the concentration of ten legions in the Eastern theatre and significant logistical preparations by provincial authorities.
Lusius Quietus was a Parthian general who led a revolt against Trajan's forces in Mesopotamia.
Answer: False
Lusius Quietus was a distinguished Roman cavalry general who served Trajan in the Dacian and Parthian Wars, leading Roman columns, not a Parthian general leading a revolt.
Trajan successfully captured the Parthian capital of Ctesiphon during his 116 AD campaign.
Answer: True
During his 116 AD campaign, Trajan's forces successfully captured several key Parthian cities, including Babylon, Seleucia, and the capital, Ctesiphon.
Upon reaching the Persian Gulf, Trajan declared Mesopotamia a new province and erected a statue of himself on the shore.
Answer: False
Upon reaching the Persian Gulf, Trajan declared Babylon a new province, not Mesopotamia as a whole, and indeed had his statue erected on the shore, while also sending a laurelled letter to the Senate.
The 'Diaspora Revolt' was a widespread uprising by Jewish communities in the Western provinces of the Roman Empire.
Answer: False
The 'Diaspora Revolt' was an uprising by Jewish communities primarily in the *Eastern* provinces of the Roman Empire, specifically Egypt, Cyprus, Cyrene, and Northern Mesopotamia.
Trajan delegated the suppression of the Jewish revolts to Lusius Quietus, who was appointed governor of Judaea.
Answer: True
Trajan did indeed delegate the suppression of the Jewish revolts to Lusius Quietus, who was appointed governor of Judaea in early 117 AD, leading to the conflict known as the 'Kitos War'.
The Via Traiana Nova was a military road built to facilitate Roman control and movement in the newly annexed province of Arabia.
Answer: True
The Via Traiana Nova was indeed a military road constructed to facilitate Roman control and movement in the newly annexed province of Arabia, extending from Aila to Bosrah.
The Parthian-appointed king Parthamasiris was deposed and later executed by Trajan's orders during the Armenian campaign.
Answer: False
The Parthian-appointed king Parthamasiris was deposed during Trajan's Armenian campaign and later murdered while in Roman custody, an incident described by Fronto as a breach of Roman good faith, rather than a direct execution by Trajan's orders.
The coin issued by Trajan with 'REX PARTHIS DATUS' signified the complete and permanent annexation of Parthia as a Roman province.
Answer: False
The coin with 'REX PARTHIS DATUS' symbolized the reduction of Parthia to client kingdom status under Roman authority, with the installation of Parthamaspates as a client ruler, not its complete and permanent annexation as a Roman province.
What was the significance of the annexation of the Nabataean Kingdom in 106 AD for the Roman East?
Answer: It was the last client kingdom in Asia west of the Euphrates to be provincialized.
The annexation of the Nabataean Kingdom, which became the province of Arabia Petraea, was significant as it marked the provincialization of the last client kingdom in Asia west of the Euphrates, completing a trend towards direct Roman rule in the East.
What was the primary provocation for Trajan's Parthian campaign in 113 AD?
Answer: Parthia's decision to install an unacceptable king on the throne of Armenia.
The primary provocation for Trajan's Parthian campaign in 113 AD was Parthia's unilateral decision to install a king on the Armenian throne without Roman approval, challenging the established shared hegemony.
Which of the following cities did Trajan's forces capture during his push into Parthia proper in 116 AD?
Answer: Babylon, Seleucia, and Ctesiphon
During his 116 AD campaign into Parthia proper, Trajan's forces successfully captured the major cities of Babylon, Seleucia, and the Parthian capital, Ctesiphon.
What was the 'Diaspora Revolt' that occurred around AD 116-117?
Answer: An uprising by Jewish communities in the Eastern provinces of the Roman Empire.
The 'Diaspora Revolt' was a widespread ethnic and religious uprising by Jewish communities in the Eastern Roman provinces, including Egypt, Cyprus, Cyrene, and Northern Mesopotamia, occurring around AD 116-117.
Who was appointed governor of Judaea by Trajan to suppress the Jewish unrest during the Diaspora Revolt, leading to the conflict being known as the 'Kitos War'?
Answer: Lusius Quietus
Trajan delegated the suppression of the Jewish revolts to Lusius Quietus, who was appointed governor of Judaea in early 117 AD, and whose name is corrupted in rabbinic sources as 'Kitos,' giving the conflict its alternative name.
What was the significance of the Via Traiana Nova in the annexation of Nabataea?
Answer: It was a military road facilitating Roman control in the new province.
The Via Traiana Nova was a military road constructed from Aila to Bosrah, crucial for facilitating Roman military movement and control within the newly annexed province of Arabia.
What was the fate of the Parthian-appointed king Parthamasiris during Trajan's Armenian campaign?
Answer: He was deposed and later murdered while in Roman custody.
During Trajan's Armenian campaign, the Parthian-appointed king Parthamasiris was deposed and subsequently murdered while in Roman custody, an event that was later criticized as a breach of Roman good faith.
What did the coin issued by Trajan with the inscription 'REX PARTHIS DATUS' symbolize?
Answer: The reduction of Parthia to client kingdom status under Roman authority.
The coin inscribed 'REX PARTHIS DATUS' ('a king is given to the Parthians') symbolized the formal deposition of the Parthian king Osroes and the installation of Parthamaspates as a client ruler, signifying Parthia's reduction to client kingdom status under Roman authority.
Trajan died in Rome shortly after returning from his Parthian campaign.
Answer: False
Trajan died in the city of Selinus (modern Gazipaşa in Cilicia) in 117 AD, while sailing back to Italy from his Parthian campaign, not in Rome.
Historical tradition suggests Trajan's wife, Pompeia Plotina, played a crucial role in securing Hadrian's succession after Trajan's death.
Answer: True
Historical tradition indeed attributes a crucial role to Trajan's wife, Pompeia Plotina, in securing Hadrian's succession by allegedly fabricating adoption documents after Trajan's death.
Hadrian's first major act as emperor was to continue Trajan's policy of territorial expansion by consolidating control over Mesopotamia.
Answer: False
Hadrian's first major act as emperor was to reverse Trajan's expansionist policy by abandoning Mesopotamia and restoring Armenia and Osrhoene to Parthian hegemony, acknowledging Rome had overstretched.
Ancient sources universally praised Trajan, but Enlightenment historians like Edward Gibbon expressed some doubts about the militarized character of his reign.
Answer: True
Ancient sources indeed offered unanimous praise for Trajan, but Enlightenment historians such as Edward Gibbon and Theodor Mommsen later expressed reservations about the militaristic and expansionist nature of his rule.
Trajan was depicted with a beard in Roman iconography, setting a new fashion for emperors.
Answer: False
Trajan was consistently depicted clean-shaven in Roman iconography, continuing a tradition. It was his successor, Hadrian, who later popularized the fashion of emperors wearing beards.
In Romanian culture, Trajan is considered a founder of the nation due to his role in the Dacian Wars and the subsequent Daco-Roman culture.
Answer: True
In Romanian culture, Trajan is indeed revered as a foundational figure, credited with orchestrating the Dacian Wars that led to the Daco-Roman culture and the Latin-based Romanian language, marking the ethnogenesis of the nation.
The main literary source for Trajan's political history is the *Panegyricus* by Pliny the Younger, which provides an objective account.
Answer: False
While Pliny the Younger's *Panegyricus* is a contemporary source, it is adulatory and focuses on ideology rather than objective fact. The main literary source for Trajan's political history is Book 68 of Cassius Dio's *Roman History*.
Where did Trajan die in 117 AD?
Answer: Selinus, Cilicia
Trajan died of a stroke in the city of Selinus (modern Gazipaşa in Cilicia) in 117 AD, while en route back to Italy from his Eastern campaigns.
What was Hadrian's first major act as emperor regarding Trajan's conquests?
Answer: He abandoned Mesopotamia and restored Armenia to Parthian hegemony.
Hadrian's first major act as emperor was to reverse Trajan's expansionist policies by abandoning Mesopotamia and restoring Armenia and Osrhoene to Parthian hegemony, recognizing the overextension of the empire.
Which Roman emperor made beards fashionable for emperors, a departure from Trajan's clean-shaven depiction?
Answer: Hadrian
Trajan, like most emperors before him, was depicted clean-shaven. It was his successor, Hadrian, who introduced the fashion of emperors wearing beards.
How is Trajan generally regarded in Romanian culture?
Answer: As one of the founders of the Romanian nation and Daco-Roman culture.
In Romanian culture, Trajan is revered as a pivotal historical figure and one of the founders of the Romanian nation, due to his role in the Dacian Wars and the subsequent development of Daco-Roman culture and the Latin-based Romanian language.
Which literary source is considered the main source for the political history of Trajan's rule?
Answer: Book 68 of Cassius Dio's *Roman History*
Book 68 of Cassius Dio's *Roman History*, surviving primarily through Byzantine abridgements, is considered the main literary source for the political history of Trajan's rule.