A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

TRAJANUS. TRAJANUS. 1167
was extended to other towns of Italy, where pro- Trajan, either being tired of paying this shameful
vision was made for supporting the children of the tribute, or having other grounds of complaint, depoor. This was the mode in which the Roman termined on hostilities. Decebalus was defeated, and
policy attempted to meet an evil, which grows up one of his sisters was taken prisoner, and many of
in all large towns, a population without the means his strong posts were captured. Trajan advanced
of subsistence (see the Tabula Alimentaria of as far as Zermizegethusa, probably the chief town
Velleia). Trajan also occupied himself with pro- of the Dacian king, and Decebalus at last sued for
visioning Rome, a part of Roman policy which peace at the feet of the Roman emperor; but
had been long established. There are only two Trajan required him to send ambassadors to Rome
ways of feedinlg a people; one way is to let them to pray for the ratification of the treaty. The
feed themselves by removing all obstacles to free- conqueror assumed the Ilame of Dacicus, and en.
dom of trade and freedom of communication; the tered Rome in triumph.
other is by taking from one to give to another, a Plinius (Ep. iv. 22) records a curious decision
system which is more agreeable to him who gains at Rome in the emperor's consilium. Trebonius
than to him who loses. Trajan punished the odious Rufinus, duumvir of Vienna, had put an end to
class of informers, a measure that will always be certain games in that town, which had been estapopular. blished by a testamentary bequest; the ground of
There was at Rome a tax of five per cent. not allowing their celebration was, that the games
(vicesima) on successions, that is, on property which were injurious to the morals of the people of Vienna.
came to a man by the death of another. This The case was carried by appeal to Rome, and the
mode of raising a revenue contains the principle of judgment of Rufinus was confirmed. When the
the state assuming that a man's title to property members of the consilium were asked their opinion
ceases with his life, for if the amount of the tax is Junius Mauricus said that lie wished such exhicarried high enough, the whole will go to the state. bitions could be stopped at Rome also. This was
It is not like a tax annually paid upon the annual the same iman who gave Nerva a rebuke [NERvA,
produce or value of land, which is only a contribu- p. 1167]. (Plin. Ep. iv. 22.)
tion of a portion of the fruits. Trajan (Plin. It was probably some time in A. D. 103, that
Pacney. c. 37, &c.) released from this tax on suc- Trajan made an artificial harbour at Centum Cellae
cessions those heredes who were not extranei, and (Civita Vecchia), the form of which is recorded on
also those who succeeded to a small hereditas. a medal: the operations of constructilng the port
Many of the public buildings at Rome were re- are described by Plinius (Ep. vi. 31). The port
paired by the emperor in the early part of his was called Trajanus Portus, but the old name of
reign, and lie added accommodation to the Circus Centum Cellae afterwards prevailed. In this year
for five thousand persons. or the following Pliiius was sent by Trajan as
In the year A. D. 100, various persons enjoyed governor of Pontus and Bithynia. with the title of
for a time the honour of the consulship; Sex. Legatus and Propraetor, and with Consularis PoJulius Frontinus, the author of a work on the testas. It was during his residence of about
aqueducts of Rome, Tertullus Cornutus, and C. eighteen months in this province that part of his
Caecilius Plinius Secundus. In this year Marius correspondence with Trajan took place, which is
Priscus, proconsul of Africa, was tried by the preserved in the tenth book of the letters of Plisenate for peculation in his province. Plinius and nius. He was particularly commissioned by the emCornelius Tacitus, the historian, were appointed by peror to examine the state of the reveinue and exthe senate to prosecute. Priscus made no defence, penditure of the towns, and to cut off all useless
and submitted to be convicted. He was banished, cost. The correspondence of Trajan with his gobut he still enjoyed himself in his exile (Juv. Sat. vernor shows the good sense and moderation of the
viii. 120). Caecilius Classicus, proconsul of Baetica, Roman emperor, his attention to business, his
was accused about the same time of pillaging the honest straightforward purpose. As to the treatpeople whom he had been sent to govern. lie died ment of the Christians in Bithynia, see PLINIIS,
or killed himself before judgment was given (Plin. C. CAECILIUS SECUNDUS.
Ep. iii. 9); but the matter was still prosecuted: An embassy from a Sarmatian king (A. D. 104)
the property which Classicus had before he was passed through Nicaea in Bithynia on their way to
governor was given to his daughter, and the rest Trajan (Plin. Ep. x. 14). In this year the remains
was distributed among those whom he had robbed. of Nero's golden palace were burnt, and Orosius
Some of the accomplices of Classicus were also adds (vii. 12) that it was a visitation upon Trajan
punished. The Panegyricus on Trajan, which is for his persecution of the Christians; but as it is
our authority for many of Trajan's acts up to this not proved to the satisfaction of all persons that
time, was pronounced by Plinius in A. D. 100, the Trajaii was a persecutor, perhaps the historian may
year in which he received the consular honour. be mistaken in his opinion. Besides, the burning
Some additions were made to the Panegyricus of Nero's palace, who set the first example of perafter it was pronounced (Plin. Ep. iii. 13, 18). It secution, does not seem to have been an approwas perhaps about this time that Hadrian, after- priate punishment for Trajan, even if he deserved
wards emperor, married Sabina, the grand-niece of punishment.
Trajan; and to this date or somewhere about this In this year Trajan commenced his second Datime we may refer a letter of Plinius (Ep. iii. 20), cian war against Decebalus, who, it is said, had
in which he says that all the senators on the day broken the treaty; and when Trajan required him
of electing the magistrates demanded the vote by to surrender himself, he refused, and prepared for
ballot (tabellas postulaverunt). resistance. The senate declared Decebalus an
In his fourth cousulship, A. D. 101, Trajan left enemy, and Trajan conducted the campaign in
Rome for his campaign against the Daci. Deceba- person. The Dacian attempted to rid himself of
lus, king of the Daci, had compelled Domitian to his formidable enemy by senlding two pretended
purchase peace by an annual payment of noiiey;and deserters to assassinate him when he swas ia