War History Summary 19 - Roman-Persian Wars 2: Trajan's Eastern Campaign

The conflict between Rome and Parthia continued even after the Roman Empire began. In the 1st century AD, who would control the Armenian throne became a key issue. During Emperor Nero's reign, Roman general Corbulo was dispatched to the East to wage war over Armenia, and the crisis was eventually resolved through a compromise between Rome and Parthia. Later, Emperor Trajan pursued a more aggressive policy. In 113 AD, he attacked Armenia and Mesopotamia, capturing the capital Ctesiphon and advancing to the Persian Gulf. However, the conquered territories were vast, and with continuous rebellions, Roman rule did not last long. Upon his accession, Hadrian abandoned Trajan's conquests and retreated to the Euphrates frontier. This process demonstrated that it was more important for Rome to stably maintain its existing borders than to expand its territory in the East.