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death. He used to say that "I ruled in such a way that I was able both to lay aside my rule and live safely as a private citizen." But being despised because of the goodness of his character and his advanced old age, he went up to the Capitol and cried out, "With good fortune for both the senate and the people, I adopt Marcus Ulpius Nerva Trajanus." Then he also proclaimed him Caesar, and wrote with his own hand to the man, who was then governor of Germany, "May the Danaans pay for my tears with your arrows." So Nerva, having ruled for one year and 3.65 four months, departed this life from an illness, having appointed Trajan as emperor. Trajan was of Iberian descent, and was in his forty-second year from his birth when he obtained supreme power, so that he was in the prime of both his mind and his body, and was neither filled with the rashness of youth nor dulled by old age. He honored the good, and being well disposed towards all, he neither feared anyone nor was he hated, nor did he pay attention to slanderers, nor was he quick to anger, and he abstained from the property of others as much as from unjust killings. And yet, being magnanimous and high-minded, he spent much on roads and on harbors and on public buildings. And since he rebuilt the hippodrome in Rome, which had been destroyed, making it larger and more beautiful, he inscribed upon it that he had made it adequate for the people of Rome. And he rejoiced more in being liked than in being honored, and he wished to be beloved by his subjects, but feared by his enemies. He had not, indeed, partaken of a literary education, but he both understood and practiced its work. Though overcome by wine, he remained sober, and though fond of boys, he harmed no one. And being fond of war and having achieved very many successes, he did not allow the soldiers to become arrogant, so firmly did he rule them. He had a wife, Plotina. He campaigned, however, against the Dacae, or Daci according to the 3.66 Ionians, as Appian says in the twenty-third book of his Roman History, neither tolerating giving them the money which they were receiving annually, and desiring to exact justice for what they had done. Therefore Decebalus, who ruled the Dacians, upon learning of Trajan's attack against his nation, was afraid, knowing the man to be a most able general. And when war broke out between them, the Romans killed many of the enemy, and no fewer of their own were wounded. And so numerous were the wounded that, when the bandages ran out, Trajan did not even spare his own clothing. And when he took the heights, though with difficulty, but he did take them, and came near their royal palace, Decebalus sent ambassadors, agreeing to hand over both the weapons and the war-machines and the engineers, and to do anything else that might be demanded; and coming to the emperor, he threw himself upon the ground and did obeisance to him. Then Trajan, returning to Italy, took Decebalus' ambassadors with him. And they, having been brought before the senate, and having laid down their arms and clasped their hands in the manner of captives, said many things and supplicated; and so, having obtained a truce, they received their arms back again. And Trajan both celebrated a triumph and was named Dacicus. Not that, being warlike, he neglected other matters or judged less, but he held court on the tribunal in many places and on many occasions. But when it was reported to him that Decebalus was again causing a revolt and not abiding by the treaties, he 3.67 again marched against him. And Decebalus, being defeated in strength, planned to overcome him by deceit. And knowing that Trajan was approachable and received anyone who wished to speak with him, he sent false deserters, in order that, if they were able, they might assassinate him. But one of them, being suspected, was arrested, and when examined revealed the secret plot. And the emperor, having bridged the Ister, and having accomplished this deed that can be neither admired nor described worthily, and having crossed the river by means of this bridge, with difficulty and danger he conquered the Dacians, but he did conquer them. And Decebalus, in despair, killed himself. And from there the nation of the Dacians and the

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θάνατος. ελεγε δὲ οτι "ουτως ηρξα ωστε δύνασθαι καὶ τὴν ἀρχὴν ἀποθέσθαι καὶ ἀσφαλῶς ἰδιωτεῦσαι." διὰ δὲ τρόπων χρηστότητα καὶ γῆρας βαθὺ καταφρονούμενος, ἀναβὰς εἰς τὸ Καπιτώλιον ἐξεβόησεν "ἀγαθῇ τύχῃ τῆς τε βουλῆς καὶ τοῦ δήμου, Μάρκον Ουλπιον Νερούαν Τραιανὸν εἰσποιοῦμαι." ειτα καὶ Καίσαρα ἀνεῖπεν αὐτόν, καὶ αὐτοχείρως ἐπέστειλε τῷ ἀνδρὶ τῆς Γερμανίας αρχοντι τότε "τίσειαν ∆αναοὶ ἐμὰ δάκρυα σοῖσι βέλεσσιν." αρξας ουν ὁ Νερούας ἐφ' ενα ἐνιαυτὸν καὶ μηνῶν 3.65 τετρακτύν, μετήλλαξε τὴν ζωὴν νοσήσας καὶ αὐτοκράτορα τὸν Τραιανὸν προβαλόμενος. Τραιανὸς δὲ τὸ γένος ειλκεν ἐξ ̓Ιβηρίας, δεύτερον ἐπὶ τεσσαρακοστῷ ετος αγων ἀπὸ γενέσεως οτε τῆς αὐταρχίας τετύχηκεν, ωστ' ἐν ἀκμῇ αὐτὸν ειναι καὶ τῆς ψυχῆς καὶ τοῦ σώματος, καὶ μήτε θράσους ὑπὸ νεότητος πίμπλασθαι μήθ' ὑπὸ γήρους ἀμβλύνεσθαι. ἐτίμα δὲ τοὺς ἀγαθούς, καὶ ευ πρὸς πάντας διατιθέμενος ουτ' ἐδεδοίκει τινὰς ουτε μὴν ἀπηχθάνετο ουτε προσεῖχε τοῖς διαβάλλουσιν ουτ' ην ὀξύρροπος πρὸς ὀργήν, τῶν τε χρημάτων τῶν ἀλλοτρίων ισα καὶ φόνων τῶν ἀδίκων ἀπείχετο. καίτοι μεγαλόφρων καὶ μεγαλογνώμων γενόμενος καὶ ἐν ὁδοῖς καὶ ἐν λιμέσι καὶ ἐν δημοσίοις οἰκοδομήμασιν ἐδαπάνα πολλά. καὶ ἐπειδὴ τὸν ἐν τῇ ̔Ρώμῃ ἱππόδρομον φθαρέντα ἀνήγειρε μείζω τε καὶ περικαλλέστερον, ἐπέγραψεν αὐτῷ οτι ἐξαρκοῦντα τῷ τῶν ̔Ρωμαίων δήμῳ ἐποίησε. καὶ μᾶλλον εχαιρε φιλούμενος η τιμώμενος, καὶ ἀγαπητὸς ηθελεν ειναι τοῖς ὑπηκόοις, τοῖς πολεμίοις δὲ φοβερός. τῆς μὲν ουν ἐν λόγοις παιδείας οὐ μετέσχηκε, τὸ δ' εργον αὐτῆς καὶ ἠπίστατο καὶ εἰργάζετο. οινου δ' ἡττώμενος νήφων ην, καὶ ἐπτοημένος περὶ μειράκια οὐδένα ἐλύπησε. φιλοπόλεμος δὲ γεγονὼς καὶ πλεῖστα κατωρθωκὼς οὐκ εια τοὺς στρατιώτας ὑπερφρονεῖν, ουτως ἐγκρατῶς αὐτῶν ηρχεν. ην δ' αὐτῷ γυνὴ Πλωτῖνα. ̓Εστράτευσε μέντοι ἐπὶ ∆ᾶκας, η ∆ακοὺς κατὰ 3.66 Ιωνας, ὡς ὁ ̓Αππιανὸς ἐν τῷ εἰκοστῷ τρίτῳ λόγῳ τῆς ̔Ρωμαϊκῆς ἱστορίας φησί, μήτε χρήματα α ἐπετείως ἐλάμβανον διδόναι αὐτοῖς ἀνεχόμενος καὶ δίκας εἰσπράξασθαι τῶν πεπραγμένων αὐτοῖς ἱμειρόμενος. πυθόμενος ουν ὁ ∆εκέβαλος, ος ηρχε ∆ακῶν, τὴν τοῦ Τραιανοῦ κατὰ τοῦ εθνους ὁρμήν, εδεισεν, εἰδὼς τὸν ανδρα στρατηγικώτατον. καὶ πολέμου συρραγέντος σφίσι πολλοὺς μὲν τῶν πολεμίων ἀπέκτειναν οἱ ̔Ρωμαῖοι, οὐ μείους δὲ καὶ αὐτῶν ἐτραυματίσθησαν. τοσοῦτοι δ' ησαν οἱ τραυματίαι ὡς ἐπιλιπόντων τῶν ἐπιδέσμων μηδὲ τῆς ἑαυτοῦ ἐσθῆτος φείσασθαι τὸν Τραιανόν. ἐπεὶ δὲ τά τε ακρα, δυσχερῶς μέν, κατέλαβε δέ, καὶ πέλας τῶν βασιλείων ηλθεν αὐτῶν, πρέσβεις ὁ ∆εκέβαλος πέπομφε, συντιθέμενος τά τε οπλα καὶ τὰ μηχανήματα καὶ τοὺς μηχανοποιοὺς παραδοῦναι, καὶ απαν ετερον ο αν ἀπαιτοῖτο ποιῆσαι· καὶ πρὸς τὸν αὐτοκράτορα ἐλθὼν ἐς ουδας κατακλιθεὶς αὐτῷ προσεκύνησεν. ειτα εἰς τὴν ̓Ιταλίαν ὁ Τραιανὸς ἀναζεύξας καὶ τοὺς τοῦ ∆εκεβάλου πρέσβεις ἐπήγετο. οιπερ εἰσαχθέντες εἰς τὸ συνέδριον, καὶ τὰ οπλα τε ἀποθέμενοι καὶ τὰς χεῖρας συνάψαντες ἐν αἰχμαλώτων σχήματι πολλά τε ειπον καὶ ἱκέτευσαν· καὶ ουτω σπονδῶν τυχόντες αυθις τὰ οπλα ἀπέλαβον. Τραιανὸς δὲ καὶ ἐθριάμβευσε καὶ ∆ακικὸς ὠνομάσθη. οὐχ ὡς ἀρήιος δὲ τῶν αλλων ἠμέλει η ηττον ἐδίκαζεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ πολλαχοῦ καὶ πολλάκις ἐπὶ βήματος εκρινεν. ̔Ως δὲ ἀπηγγέλλετο αὐτῷ ὁ ∆εκέβαλος αυθις νεωτερίζων καὶ ταῖς συνθήκαις οὐκ ἐμμένων, αὐτὸς 3.67 καὶ πάλιν πρὸς ἐκεῖνον ἐστράτευσε. καὶ ὁ ∆εκέβαλος ἡττώμενος ἰσχύϊ, δόλῳ αὐτοῦ περιγενέσθαι διεμελέτησε. καὶ εἰδὼς εὐπρόσιτον οντα Τραιανὸν καὶ τὸν βουλόμενον εἰς ὁμιλίαν δεχόμενον, ψευδαυτομόλους ἀπέστειλεν, ιν', εἰ δυνηθεῖεν, αὐτὸν διαχρήσαιντο. εις δ' ἐκείνων ὑποπτευθεὶς συνελήφθη, καὶ ἐτασθεὶς ἐξέφηνε τὸ ἀπόρρητον. γεφυρώσας δὲ τὸν Ιστρον ὁ αὐτοκράτωρ, καὶ εργον τοῦτο διαπραξάμενος μήτε θαυμασθῆναι ἀξίως μήτ' ἐξηγηθῆναι δυνάμενον, διὰ τῆς γεφύρας τε ταύτης τὸν ποταμὸν περαιωθείς, μόλις μὲν καὶ κινδυνωδῶς ἐκράτησε τῶν ∆ακῶν, ἐκράτησε δ' ουν. καὶ ὁ ∆εκέβαλος ἀπογνοὺς διεχειρίσατο ἑαυτόν. κἀντεῦθεν τὸ εθνος τὸ τῶν ∆ακῶν καὶ ἡ