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Emperor Trajan (53-117 AD) has traditionally been regarded as one of the greatest Roman Emperors’(ruled from 98 to 117 AD), but modern historians have argued that his legacy was not wholly at best mixed. Trajan reign led to both positive. This article will discuss the importance of this Emperor and his impact impacts on the Roman Empire. It will argue that his conquests while not always beneficial to the Empire did help to strengthen it for many decades.  His conquest in While Trajan's foreign invasion Dacia, Arabia, and Mesopotamia was of created real benefit to the Empire. However, his conquests in conquest of Parthia were transitory was ephemeral and wasteful. On the domestic side, Trajan was a dynamic administrator, and he did much to reverse some of the abuses that had developed under previous Emperors such as Domitian. MoreoverAdditionally, his domestic policies helped to improve the socio-economic condition in Italy. While the Rome benefitted from many of his conquests and policies, his invasion of Parthia almost led to disaster and his gains were short-lived. After Trajan's death, Hadrian was forced to abandon Parthia.

In 98 AD , Trajan became Emperor after the death of Nerva. Trajan proved to be an energetic ruler and immediately reduced the influence of the Praetorian Guard.<ref> Mommsen, Theodor A History of Rome Under the Emperors (London: Routledge, 1999), p 113</ref> He secured support by offering donations to the legions and the population of Rome and reduced taxes. Trajan was very much After a buildera series of civil wars that had weakened that Empireand he the Empire, Trajan helped to finance many public buildings structures and ordered the building of many aqueducts and . He also prohibited wasteful expenditure on festivals. He Trajan also initiated a series of social welfare reforms.  Trajan also successfully overhauled the administration of the Empire and ended abuses by Senators. His domestic policy achievements are impressive, but his main focus was always on military glory. He abandoned the policy of Augustus, of not seeking to expand the Empire.<ref>Suetonius, Life of Augustus, xxv</ref> Only Britain was added to the Empire since the death of the first Emperor. Trajan was determined to expand Rome’s borders, and for the first time in a century, he pursued an active policy of conquest.