Daily History Challenge · No. 95 · Thursday 1 October 2026 · Chain
Puzzle No. 95: Chain
The anchor was Roman Empire reaches its greatest territorial extent under Trajan (117 CE). Every challenger is listed below with its year.
The anchor
At the death of the emperor Trajan in 117 CE, the Roman Empire reached its maximum territorial extent, spanning roughly 5 million square kilometres from the Atlantic and Britain to the Persian Gulf, and from the Rhine and Danube to the Sahara. Trajan's conquest of Dacia (modern Romania) in two wars (101 to 102 and 105 to 106 CE) yielded vast gold wealth and was commemorated by Trajan's Column in Rome, while his Parthian campaigns from 114 CE annexed Armenia and Mesopotamia and reached the Persian Gulf. The eastern gains proved fragile: revolts erupted across the Jewish diaspora and the newly seized provinces, and Trajan's successor Hadrian almost immediately withdrew from Mesopotamia and Armenia to consolidate defensible frontiers. The moment nonetheless marks the apogee of Roman power and the high point of the Pax Romana, after which imperial policy shifted decisively from expansion toward the defence and management of fixed borders.
The 10 challengers, in order of date
After Roman Empire reaches its greatest territorial extent under Trajan
After Roman Empire reaches its greatest territorial extent under Trajan
After Roman Empire reaches its greatest territorial extent under Trajan
After Roman Empire reaches its greatest territorial extent under Trajan
After Roman Empire reaches its greatest territorial extent under Trajan
After Roman Empire reaches its greatest territorial extent under Trajan
After Roman Empire reaches its greatest territorial extent under Trajan
After Roman Empire reaches its greatest territorial extent under Trajan
After Roman Empire reaches its greatest territorial extent under Trajan
After Roman Empire reaches its greatest territorial extent under Trajan