Traianus (magister peditum) facts for kids
Traianus was a Roman general who served under Emperor Valens. He is known for his military leadership and for dying alongside Emperor Valens in the famous Battle of Adrianople in 378 CE.
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Early Career in Egypt
From 367 to 368 CE, Traianus held an important military position in Roman Egypt. During this time, he helped protect a religious leader named Lucius of Alexandria. Traianus also received orders to rebuild a large public building called the Caesareum, and he began this project on May 1, 368 CE.
Fighting in the East
Between 371 and 374 CE, Traianus served as a senior military commander in the eastern parts of the Roman Empire. Here, he worked with an Alamannic king named Vadomarius to fight against the Sasanids, a powerful empire to the east.
At the end of one winter, the Sasanid king, Shapur II, gathered his army and moved into Roman territory. Emperor Valens sent Traianus and Vadomarius to keep the Sasanids in check, but to avoid a full-scale battle. However, a clash happened at a place called Vagabanta. The Sasanid cavalry forced the Roman foot soldiers into a fight. The Roman infantry first tried to pull back but then managed to defeat the enemy. After some back-and-forth battles, the generals on both sides agreed to a truce and withdrew their forces for the summer.
A Difficult Mission
In 374 CE, while Traianus was leading Roman troops in Armenia, he received a secret and difficult order from Emperor Valens. This order involved the Armenian King Pap. Traianus managed to gain King Pap's trust and invited him to a dinner. During this event, King Pap died.
The Gothic War
Later, Traianus was promoted to a very high military rank, becoming a commander of the infantry. He was then sent to a region called Thracia to fight in the Gothic War. In 376 CE, a group of Goths had been allowed to enter Roman territory. However, they were treated unfairly by Roman officers and rebelled.
The Goths, led by Fritigern, began marching towards the city of Adrianople. Emperor Valens was in Syria at the time, preparing for another war. He decided to send two of his generals, Profuturus and Traianus, to Thracia with fresh troops.
The two generals decided to use their experienced Armenian troops to fight the main Gothic army. They managed to push the Goths into valleys, hoping to defeat them by cutting off their supplies and starving them. However, the Roman forces were much smaller than the Goths. When expected reinforcements did not arrive, the generals Profuturus, Traianus, and Richomeres agreed that Richomeres would be the main commander.
Battle of the Willows
At a place known as Ad Salices, which means "Near the Willows," in a region called Dobruja, the Romans and Goths fought a major battle. The Goths, including their families, had built strong defenses using wagons. The Romans forced them into an open-field battle. At first, the Roman left side struggled, but with help from local troops, they managed to keep fighting until nightfall. Both sides suffered heavy losses in this bloody battle.
When news of the battle reached Emperor Valens in the East, he sent more troops and a new commander to replace Traianus and Profuturus. When Traianus returned to Constantinople, Valens accused him of not being brave enough. However, with the support of other senior generals, Traianus argued that the Emperor's own actions had caused many of the problems.
Final Battle and Death
In 378 CE, Traianus was temporarily removed from his command. But he was soon called back into service. Traianus joined Emperor Valens, who wanted to defeat the Goths before his nephew Gratian arrived with the Western Roman army.
Valens and his army fought the Goths in the Battle of Adrianople on August 9, 378 CE. During the battle, the Roman battle lines broke apart, and soldiers began to flee. Traianus famously cried out that the Emperor had been left alone by his guards. Another general tried to bring reserve troops to help the Emperor, but it was too late. Traianus and Emperor Valens were among the many who died on the battlefield that day.
Images for kids
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Roman Emperor Valens, who Traianus served and died with at the Battle of Adrianople (378 CE).
