Tragi-Comedy
a species of drama in which the tragic and comic elements are blended. The outcome of tragi-comedy is usually happy. Shakespeare's Measure for Measure is a species of this class of drama.
Trajan (53-117 A. D.), a noted emperor of Rome. He was born in Seville, Spain. He was the son of a Roman commander. He distinguished himself in various campaigns in Parthia and on the Rhine. He thus attracted the attention of the Emperor Nerva who adopted him and made him his successor. Trajan came to the throne 78 A. D. Under Trajan the Empire of Rome reached its utmost limits. Trajan's Wall, a fortified double rampart, was built from a point on the Danube to the Black Sea, thirty-seven miles away. To commemorate his eastern victories, Trajan erected an ornate column in Rome. It still stands 117 feet high. It is ornamented--wrapped--with a spiral bas-relief representing the emperor's military exploits. Trajan's reign was noted for tranquility, the building of roads, the security of property, and for religious tolerance. Special provision was made for poor children. He died in Cilicia and was succeeded by Hadrian.