Rome's Optimus Princeps: The Spanish Emperor Who Conquered MORE Land Than Julius Caesar.

Emperor Trajan (98-117 CE) stands as Rome's greatest conqueror and most celebrated ruler, earning the rare Senate-bestowed title "Optimus Princeps" – the Best Emperor. The second of Rome's Five Good Emperors, this Spanish-born soldier rose from provincial origins to bring the Roman Empire to its greatest territorial extent. From his conquest of Dacia (modern Romania) that enriched Rome with vast gold reserves to his eastern campaigns that pushed Roman eagles to the Persian Gulf, Trajan combined military genius with administrative brilliance. His reign witnessed revolutionary social programs like the alimenta, which provided support for orphans and poor children, alongside massive building projects including Trajan's Forum, his famous Column, and the innovative Markets of Trajan that transformed Rome's urban landscape. This documentary explores how Trajan balanced military expansion with domestic prosperity, senatorial respect with autocratic power, and tradition with innovation to become the standard against which all future emperors would be measured.
For centuries after his reign, new emperors were greeted with the wish: "May you be luckier than Augustus and better than Trajan" – a testament to his enduring legacy. This provincial who became Rome's greatest emperor demonstrated that leadership excellence transcends origins and that effective governance requires both the sword and the stylus, conquest and compassion. Through his remarkable 19-year reign, Trajan proved that imperial power could serve the common good while expanding Rome's frontiers to their absolute zenith.

Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction
01:48 - Early Life and Career
09:42 - Middle Life and Career
14:38 - Reign as Emperor
32:04 - Legacy and Historical Assessment
37:24 - Trajan's Place in History