: Following his victory in the Dacian Wars, Trajan hosted one of the most massive celebrations in Roman history. He sponsored 123 days of public festivities at the Colosseum, featuring roughly 10,000 gladiators and 11,000 wild animals.
: He was so highly regarded for his fairness and benevolence that the Senate officially bestowed upon him the title Optimus Princeps , meaning "the best ruler". For centuries after his death, new emperors were inaugurated with the wish that they would be "luckier than Augustus and better than Trajan". Marcus Traianus
One of the most compelling stories regarding the emperor involves his legendary . After leading a massive military expansion that brought the Roman Empire to its maximum territorial extent, Trajan reached the shores of the Persian Gulf. Watching a ship depart for India, the elderly emperor is said to have wept because he felt he was too old to follow in the footsteps of Alexander the Great and repeat his achievements in the East. Key Stories and Facts : Following his victory in the Dacian Wars,
: He pioneered the Alimenta , a state-funded welfare program that used the spoils of his wars to provide food and education for orphans and poor children across Italy. Historical Sites in Rome For centuries after his death, new emperors were
: After being adopted as heir by the unpopular Emperor Nerva, Trajan did not rush back to Rome. Instead, he stayed on the Germanic frontier for nearly a year to ensure the loyalty of the legions. He famously summoned the Praetorian Guard members who had bullied Nerva and, according to historian Cassius Dio, "put them out of the way" to restore order.