Trajan (53-117 AD)

Marcus Ulpius Traianus was the first emperor born outside Italy - a soldier from the provinces who rose through the ranks on merit alone. When the emperor Nerva adopted him as successor, Rome didn't receive a dynastic heir. It received a commander who had earned everything he had.

His reign defined Rome at its peak. He conquered Dacia in two brutal campaigns, bringing its gold back to Rome and commissioning the Column that still bears his name - a 38-metre record of his victories, still standing in the heart of modern Rome. He expanded the empire to its greatest territorial extent, reformed welfare for the poor, and governed with a fairness that even his enemies acknowledged.

The Senate gave him a title no emperor had held before or since. Optimus Princeps. The best emperor.