Rome was now ruled by a cousin of the late emperor, Hadrian, whether Trajan had picked Hadrian himself, or his wife had done it for him.
We cannot be positive.
But either way, there would be no debate as to who took up the throne next.
Growing up under the guardianship of Trajan after the death of his parents in '86 AD, Hadrian had long been groomed for political work within the Empire.
He spent his career serving both political positions and within the military as part of Trajan's entourage.
It appeared during Trajan's life that Hadrian was the most likely heir to Rome, yet the certificate of adoption for Hadrian as Trajan's son and heir was signed by Empress Plotina, not Trajan, and it was signed after Trajan was already deceased, while Hadrian was off in Syria entirely unaware.
Nevertheless, it was Hadrian himself who informed the Senate of his accession to power and the support he already held from his military.
The Senate appears to have accepted this news without hesitation or opposition, and Hadrian was thus confirmed as emperor.
The Senates may have quickly regretted this decision, though, as, despite Hadrian's early promises to respect senatorial rights, four of its members were tried in absentia and executed after Atianus, Hadrian's praetorian prefect, accused the men of conspiring against the new emperor.
While Hadrian undeniably rewarded Atianus for his actions, he also made it clear to the Senate that, allegedly, the Prefect had acted solely on his own accord, and Hadrian himself had no involvement in the matter.
