Florus
Roman historian
75 CE to 140 CE
Florus, Roman historian, lives in the time of Trajan and Hadrian.
He was born in Africa.
He compiles, chiefly from Livy, a brief sketch of the history of Rome from the foundation of the city to the closing of the temple of Janus by Augustus (25 BCE).
The work, which is called Epitome de T. Livio Bellorum omnium annorum DCC Libri duo, is written in a bombastic and rhetorical style — a panegyric of the greatness of Rome, the life of which is divided into the periods of infancy, youth and manhood.
It is often wrong in geographical and chronological details.
In spite of its faults, however, the book was much used as a handy epitome of Roman history, in the Middle Ages and survived as a textbook into the nineteenth century.
In the manuscripts the writer is variously named as Julius Florus, Lucius Anneus Florus, or simply Annaeus Florus.
From certain similarities of style, he has been identified as Publius Annius Florus, poet, rhetorician and friend of Hadrian, author of a dialogue on the question of whether Virgil was an orator or poet, of which the introduction has been preserved.
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Marcus Ulpius Nerva Traianus, commonly known as Trajan, had been born into a wealthy patrician family in the Hispania Baetica province and had risen to prominence during the reign of emperor Domitian, serving as a general in the Roman army along the German frontier, and successfully crushing the revolt of Antonius Saturninus in 89.
On September 18, 96, Domitian had been succeeded by Marcus Cocceius Nerva, an old and childless senator who proved to be unpopular with the army.
After a brief and tumultuous year in power, a revolt by members of the Praetorian Guard had compelled him to adopt the more popular Trajan as his heir and successor.
At Nerva’s death on January 27, 98, he had been succeeded by his adopted son without incident.
As a civilian administrator, Trajan maintains good relations with the Roman Senate, and will be best known for his extensive public building program, which will reshape the city of Rome, leaving such multiple enduring landmarks as Trajan's Forum, Trajan's Market and Trajan's Column.
Trajan, provincial himself, lowers tax requirements for the provinces and sponsors the admission of provincials to prominent positions.
He gains a reputation for his benevolence through his institution of the "alimenta," a system of financial subsidies for poor children.
He also continues the official persecution of the Christians.