How to Run the Roman Empire, or: The Letters of Pliny and Trajan - The Pax Romana Podcast 032

By the time of Trajan—at the beginning of the second century AD, one man—the emperor of Rome—ruled over 60 million people spread throughout the Mediterranean basin, from damp and dreary Great Britain to the hot dry and desolate wilderness of Syria. And, as I hinted at last time, Trajan would push the boundaries of this massive empire ever further east—and Trajan himself would stand upon the shores of the Persian Gulf. But one thing we haven’t yet addressed, is how the emperor actually managed such a vast imperial apparatus. Well, by an accident of history, we have an incredible collection of letters between Trajan and one of his governors. The letters offer unparalleled insight into the mind of a Roman empire—revealing his ruthless expectations of those under him, his miserly attitude and even his paranoia.