Marcus Ulpius Trajanus was born around AD 53 in Italica, in today's province of Seville. He was the first Roman emperor born outside Italy — and to many, the best Rome ever had.
Under his rule (AD 98–117) the Empire reached its greatest territorial extent, from the Atlantic to the Persian Gulf. The Senate proclaimed him Optimus Princeps, “the best of rulers.”
The gold of a reign
His gold aurei circulated across the Mediterranean, celebrating victories and public works. Today they are coveted pieces: the portrait of a Hispanic ruler who governed the known world, struck in metal that has not devalued in nearly two millennia.