When did Trajan's Parthian campaign take place?
Trajan's Parthian campaign took place from 114 to 117. The Roman emperor decided on the campaign in 113 and marched first on Armenia in 114 before dying in 117.
Questions about Trajan's Parthian campaign
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What were the economic motives behind Trajan's Parthian campaign?
Many modern historians argue that economic motives drove this choice because breaking down trade systems could lower import prices and limit the drain of precious metals. Pliny the Elder described the Gangetic Plains as one of the gold sources for the empire while other scholars reject these motives entirely viewing the campaign as triggered by prestige alone.
Who was Lusius Quietus during Trajan's Parthian campaign?
Lusius Quietus commanded a unit from his native Mauretania during the Dacian Wars and later recovered Nisibis and Edessa from rebels. He became governor of Judaea after Trajan turned eastern armies over to him and discharged his commission successfully so the Kitos War in Judaea was named after him.
Where did Trajan capture Seleucia and Ctesiphon?
Trajan sailed down the Euphrates from Dura-Europos through Ozogardana and dragged his fleet overland into the Tigris where he captured Seleucia. He then took the Parthian capital of Ctesiphon before wintering in Antioch during 115/116.
Why did Trajan die during his Parthian campaign?
Trajan died in 117 before he could renew the war because his health started to fail him during the siege of Hatra. It is possible he suffered heat stroke while in blazing heat and retreated north to retain what he could of new provinces.