Trajan's Eastern Campaign (Ætas ab Brian)
From Alternative History
History of Rome-After Ætas ab Brian
| This article covers a war or battle
|
| This article is a stub
|
| Trajan's Eastern Campaign | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | 862(109)-870(117) | ||||||||||||||||
| Result | defeat of Armenian and Parthian armies, annexation of Armenia | ||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
Trajan had initially intended to conquer Parthia as well as Armenia, however despite Roman victories later in the campaign, the act of drawing troops from the provinces in the nearer east caused insurrections, notably in Judea. Trusted generals from further west managed to prevent the loss of any provinces but there was great pressure on Trajan to end the campaign and return the garrisons. With a favourable peace concluded with the Parthians in 870(117) just outside Ctesiphon and Armenia under Roman control to help guard mesopotamia, the troubled provinces were quieted. Soon after, Trajan died of one of the plagues of the east.
Legionaries coming back from the campaign were usually of two types, they were either weary of war and travel, or invigorated by exposure to foreign lands and customs. The returning legions also brought plagues, but the turbulent Parthian court and lack of rebel leadership gave Rome the time to keep the east settled.
