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He annexed the entire area of modern Iraq and incorporated it into the Empire. An anecdote is told that when Trajan saw the Persian Gulf, he wept because he was too old to conquer the rest of the known world. In 116, while in Antioch, the Emperor nearly died in an earthquake and a series of revolts broke out across the Roman territories in the east.<ref>Cassius Dio, 10, 19</ref> A severe Jewish revolt broke out in several areas of the eastern Mediterranean. Trajan was ill and old and decided to journey back to Rome, but he died in 116 AD, in Asia Minor. The Emperor had no children and adopted Hadrian an experienced soldier and governor. After Trajan’s death, Hadrian became ruler of the Roman World.

The conquest of Dacia, a powerful military force in the Balkans and a real rival of Rome, was a significant achievement. The Dacians had been a problem for the Romans since the time of Julius Caesar. However, no Roman Emperor had been effectively able to contain them. The conquest of Trajan from a military point of view was remarkable as the kingdom consisted of fortified settlements in a mountainous region.<ref>Cassius Dio, 10, 23</ref> It has often been argued that Domitian helped to weaken the Dacians before the conquest in 106 AD. The addition of the old Dacian kingdom to the Empire initially strengthened Rome. The gold mines of the area boosted the economy as did the new lands that were acquired.