Trajan. A.D. 98-117., Rome - A.D. 109. AR Denarius. COS V P P SPQR OPTIMO PRINC.

When envisioning the Roman Empire at its apex, we often picture a colossal hegemon dominating everything from the mist-shrouded shores of Britannia to the sun-scorched sands of the Parthian frontier. Yet, Rome did not achieve these monumental proportions by mere chance. It required a unique martial visionary to push the empire's borders to their absolute zenith, and that sovereign was Marcus Ulpius Traianus—immortalized in history as Emperor Trajan. next...