Trajan's Parthian campaign

In 113, Roman emperor Trajan decided that the moment was ripe for a final resolution of the eastern question. He sought to defeat Parthia and annex Armenia as a province. This decision marked a deliberate change in Roman policy toward its ancient rival. The war initially succeeded, but setbacks later ended in withdrawal. Many modern historians argue economic motives drove this choice. After annexing Arabia, Trajan built Via Traiana Nova from Bostra to Aila on the Red Sea. Charax on the Persian Gulf remained the sole western terminus of Indian trade outside direct Roman control. Breaking down this system could lower import prices and limit the drain of precious metals. Some scholars suggest trade between Rome and India might have been more balanced than previously thought. Pliny the Elder described the Gangetic Plains as one of the gold sources for the empire. Other historians reject these motives entirely. They view the campaign as triggered by territorial annexation and prestige alone. Cassius Dio attributed the motive solely to expansionist dreams. Emissaries from the Kushan Empire attended commemorative ceremonies for the Dacian War. These events may have kindled speculative dreams about booty among Greco-Roman intellectuals like Plutarch. One source claimed only about 70,000 Roman soldiers were necessary to conquer India. A powerful circle of conservative senators from Hispania supported an expansionist policy. Sura was all-powerful within this group. For Romans, their empire was unlimited in principle. Trajan simply took advantage of an opportunity to make idea and reality coincide.

The Armenian Annexation

Trajan marched first on Armenia in 114. He deposed the Parthian-appointed king who was later murdered while kept in custody. Fronto described this incident as a breach of Roman good faith. The emperor annexed Armenia to the Roman Empire as a province. He received acknowledgement of Roman hegemony from various tribes in the Caucasus. This process kept him busy until the end of 114. A Roman column under legate Lusius Quietus crossed the Araxes river into Media Atropatene. Quietus commanded a unit from his native Mauretania during the Dacian Wars. His campaign likely aimed to extend the defensible border eastward toward the Caspian Sea. It also extended northward to the foothills of the Caucasus mountains. The land of the Mardians lay within present-day Ghilan. These actions consolidated territory between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Permanent garrisons were placed along the way to secure the area. The chronology of subsequent events remains uncertain but generally believed to be early 115. Trajan launched a Mesopotamian campaign marching down towards the Taurus mountains. He organized a province including the Kingdom of Osrhoene where King Abgar VII submitted publicly. According to Cassius Dio, the deal was sealed by the king's son offering himself as Trajan's paramour.

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.

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.

Trajan's Parthian campaign

The Armenian Annexation

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Common questions

When did Trajan's Parthian campaign take place?

What were the economic motives behind Trajan's Parthian campaign?

Who was Lusius Quietus during Trajan's Parthian campaign?

Where did Trajan capture Seleucia and Ctesiphon?

Why did Trajan die during his Parthian campaign?

Conquest Of Mesopotamia

Diaspora Revolt And Setbacks

Siege Of Hatra And Death

Legacy And Historical Debate