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Titus died in 81 AD, after a short yet prosperous two year reign. The
empire was left to his brother, Domitian. Domitian, another emperor
whose madness was revealed when given power, had little conquest or
success to his name when he was assassinated in 96 AD. The only
achievement during his reign was that of the governor of Britain, who
succeeded in a number of expeditions further north. Upon Domitian's
death however, a time of prosperity and greatness came over the
empire. 96 AD marked the ascension of Marcus Nerva, as well as the
start of "The Five Good Emperors". Each of these five
emperors achieved power based on their success and skill, rather than
by blood.
Nerva died two years later in 98 AD, choosing as an heir the
commander of the Rhine, Marcus Ulpius Trajanus. Trajan was a soldier
at heart, as was proven by the grand expanse of land he conquered
during his time as emperor. Trajan was the first emperor since
Augustus to actively attempt to expand the empire. in 101 AD he waged
campaigns across the Danube and into the kingdom of Dacia, which had
been raiding Roman lands. A peace settlement was made in 103 AD, but
after Dacia's treachery another war was waged. The kingdom was
annihilated in 104 AD, and the land fully resettled by 106 AD. In 114
AD he began campaigns against the Parthian Empire in the east, Rome's
long time rival, after Parthia claimed control over Armenia. Rome
marched into and annexed all of Armenia that year, giving the empire
access to the Caspian Sea. Trajan then battled through Mesopotamia,
south of Armenia, for the next two years and captured land all the
way to the Persian Gulf by 116 AD. This was the greatest extent of
territory the Roman Empire would ever have. |
