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Tertiary sourceBook1913

Trajan (Catholic Encyclopedia, 1913)

Klemens Löffler · 1913

A short 1913 reference entry on Trajan by Klemens Löffler, noting his birth in Spain and his reign as emperor.

Gives a concise reference summary of Trajan's birth, adoption, reign and major achievements, which students can compare with primary records.

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Source: Wikisource

About this source

What it is

This is a short reference entry on Trajan from the Catholic Encyclopedia, published in 1913. Klemens Löffler wrote it. The entry is about 608 words long and begins by giving Trajan's birth at Italica in Spain and his death in 117. It describes him as one of the ablest Roman emperors, and it says he was adopted in 97 by the Emperor Nerva.

Why it matters

Encyclopedia entries like this one summarize earlier sources for readers of their own time. This entry says Trajan gained a large amount of territory for the empire, built much of the boundary wall between Roman and Germanic lands, and campaigned against the Dacian king Decebalus. It also covers his encouragement of commerce and industry. Because it was written in 1913, it reflects how a scholar of that period understood Trajan.

Look closer

  • Which of Trajan's achievements does the writer praise, and which does the writer mention only briefly?
  • How does the entry describe Trajan's character, and what evidence does it give for that description?
  • What might a reader need to check in another source before trusting this summary?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Trajan on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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