AD 117

Events

By place

Roman Empire

• Trajan subdues a Jewish revolt, then falls seriously ill, leaving Hadrian in command of the east.
• On his death bed, Trajan adopts Hadrian and designates him as his successor.
• August 9 - Emperor Trajan dies of a stroke at Selinus in Cilicia, age 63, while en route from Mesopotamia to Italy, leaving the Roman Empire at its maximal territorial extent.
• Hadrian, who will reign until 138, succeeds him.
• * Hadrian, a Spaniard like Trajan, as Emperor inaugurates a policy of retrenchment and cultural integration, giving up the policy of conquest of his predecessor in order to consolidate the empire.
• Hadrian returns large parts of Mesopotamia to the Parthians as part of a peace settlement.
• Construction begins on the Pantheon in Rome.
• The Roman Empire reaches its greatest extent.

  By topic

Commerce

• The silver content of the Roman denarius falls to 87 percent under emperor Hadrian, down from 93 percent in the reign of Trajan.

  Religion

• John I becomes the 7th Bishop of Jerusalem.

  Births

• Aelius Aristides, Greek orator

  Deaths

• August 8 - Trajan, Roman emperor
• Gaius Cornelius Tacitus, Roman historian
• Gaius Julius Quadratus Bassus, Roman general in Judea
• Hermione of Ephesus, Maurus, Pantalemon and Sergius, Astius and several other Christian martyrs in persecution by Trajan