Hadrian

  • Hadrian (117-138 CE) was a Roman Emperor who reigned whilst the Roman Empire was at its most powerful. He was the only Emperor to tour almost every Province of the Empire and inspect every Legion.
  • He maintained a policy of Deterrence through heavily defended Frontier works, in contrast to Trajan's policy of expansion. He is noted for building Hadrian's Wall in Britannia.

1. BIOGRAPHICAL DETAILS

  • NAME:
    • Born: Publius Aelius Hadrianus Buccellanus
    • Reigned as: Caesar Publius Aelius Traianus Hadrianus Buccellanus Augustus
  • HADRIAN’S DATES OF REIGN AS EMPEROR:
    • 10 August 117 CE – 10 July 138 CE
  • FAMILY DYNASTY:
  • HADRIAN’S DATE OF BIRTH AND DEATH:
    • Born: 24 January 76 CE Died: 10 July 138 CE, aged 62.
  • PLACE OF BIRTH AND DEATH:
  • HADRIAN’S PREDECESSOR:
  • HADRIAN’S SUCCESSOR:
  • HADRIAN’S RIGHT HAND MAN:
  • HEIR TO THE THRONE BECAUSE:
    • He was adopted by Trajan as his Son.
  • HADRIAN’S FATHER:
    • Publius Aelius Hadrianus Afer: An Equestrian Senator, whose Italian family emigrated to Italica soon after 206 BCE.
  • HADRIAN’S MOTHER:
    • Domitia Paulina. from a Romano-Hispanic Senatorial Family in Cadiz.
  • HADRIAN’S WIVES AND CHILDREN:
    • Vibia Sabina (83-136/7 CE)
      • Lucius Aelius (13 Jan 101 – 1 Jan 138 CE) – Adopted
      • Antoninus Pius (19 Sept 86 – 07 March 161 CE) – Adopted
  • DIED PEACEFULLY OR ASSASSINATED:
    • There was an attempt, 122 CE, to assassinate Hadrian, made by a slave in Hispania Tarraconensis. But it was not politically motivated, and he was thought to be a madman acting alone.
    • He died peacefully, due to ill-health according to Dio Cassius.
  • WHERE BURIED:

2. GOOD OR BAD EMPEROR

  • HADRIAN’S CHARACTER:
    • Hadrian had a changeable character. He was cruel, yet could act with great kindness, austere but genial. He was interested in arithmetic, geometry, painting, poetry and letters, and in music (he played the flute and sang).
    • Hadrian was a Hellenophile, deliberately promoting Greek culture and Civilisation in Rome, Greece, and around the Empire.
    • Hadrian was an accomplished soldier, with a keen understanding of warfare, and he could perform using the Gladiators’ weapons.
  • HADRIAN’S POPULARITY:
    • Hadrian is considered by historians to have been a good and wise Emperor.
    • However, his suppression of the Bar Kokhba's Revolt and depopulation of Judaea led his memory to be forever hated there.
  • THE REASON HADRIAN WAS FAMOUS:
    • He built Hadrian's Wall across northern England.
    • He was the first Roman Emperor to wear a beard, after which most of the Emperors wore beards.
    • His Family name was given to:
  • FAMOUS QUOTES BY HADRIAN:
    • ‘Animula vagula blandula, Hospes comesque corporis.’
      • Meaning ‘charming, hesitating, passing Spirit, friend and fellow of this body.’
      • From Hadrian’s Poem, in the ‘Historia Augusta’.

3. HADRIAN’S EARLY LIFE

4. REIGN OF HADRIAN

  • HADRIAN’S RELATIONSHIP WITH THE ROMAN SENATE:
    • In 117 CE Hadrian came to power but did not go immediately to Rome.
    • He appointed Attianus, his Guardian, to Rule at Rome. Attianus uncovered a Conspiracy by four Senators who were murdered without Trial, possibly because they had been loyal to Trajan.
    • As Hadrian was away from Rome so often, it is thought he employed the Frumentarii, a secret service department, to watch over the Senate during his absence.
  • HADRIAN’S MILITARY CAMPAIGNS/ REFORMS:
    • Hadrian avoided expensive wars, but used Deterrence as a Strategy. He built or reinforced powerful defensive walls and ramparts along the Frontiers:
    • Britannia
    • The Rhine
    • The Danube
    • The Legions
      • He also gave the Legions constant drills to perform, to keep them in a state of readiness.
    • Parthia
      • Hadrian came to a negotiated settlement with Parthia, preventing a war at the last minute in 121 CE.
  • HADRIAN’S DOMESTIC POLICY: TAXATION
  • HADRIAN AND HIS TOURS OF THE PROVINCES:
    • Hadrian toured the Provinces and inspected the Legions during half of his time as Emperor. He was the only Emperor to do so. The other Emperors returned to Rome after conducting their Wars abroad.
    • Britannia (121-122 CE)
    • Mauretania (123 CE)
      • Whilst here he conducted a campaign against local Rebels.
    • Syria (123 CE)
      • Hearing that Parthia was preparing for war, Hadrian went East and negotiated a Peace Treaty with Osroes I.
    • Bithynia (123 CE)
      • After leaving Syria with its Defences reinforced, Hadrian passed along the Black Sea coast, arriving at the earthquake hit city of Nicomedia, allocating Funds for its reconstruction.
    • Achaea (124 CE)
      • Hadrian attended the Eleusinian Mysteries. He then toured the Peloponnese, reaching Athens in march of 125 CE. Here he finished the Temple of Olympian Zeus, and commissioned an Aqueduct and many other Public Buildings.
    • Sicily
      • Coins show Hadrian as having restored the Island.
    • Italia (127 CE)
      • Hadrian returned to Rome and visited the completed Pantheon and Hadrian's Villa at Tivoli. In March 127 CE he embarked on a tour of Italy. Hadrian divided Italy into four, and appointed four Imperial Legates with Consular powers to rule each region.
    • Africa (Spring 128 CE)
      • Hadrian inspected the Legion before returning to Italia for the summer. He then embarked on a three year Tour:
    • Achaea (128 CE)
    • Asia
    • Egypt (130 CE)
      • Hadrian arrived in Alexandria on August 13th, 130 CE. In October, he founded Antinopolis.
    • Judaea (130 CE)
      • Hadrian visited the ruins of Jerusalem, and ordered it to be rebuilt and named Aelia Capitolina. Hadrian personally led his Legions in 133 CE, during Bar Kokhba's Revolt.
      • After the Rebellion was suppressed in 135 CE, most of the remnants of the population who had survived the war were deported. The Province was renamed Syria Paleastina.
    • Illyricum (c. 133 CE)
      • Hadrian passed through here.
    • Rome (c. 133-138 CE)
      • He returned to Rome where he remained until his death in 138 CE.
  • HADRIAN’S RELIGIOUS REFORMS:
    • Hadrian conduct a repression in Judaea which led to a rebellion.
    • Bar Kokhba's Revolt (132-135 CE) was eventually suppressed by 6 Legions and a large part of the population of Judaea was deported to other Provinces around the Empire.

5. HADRIAN’S PERSONAL LIFE

  • CHILDHOOD:
  • PERSONAL INTERESTS:
    • Hadrian was familiar with Epictetus, the Greek Stoic Philosopher.
  • LANGUAGES SPOKEN:
    • Latin and Greek.

6. CONSEQUENCES OF HADRIAN’S REIGN

  • EXPANSION OR CONTRACTION OF THE EMPIRE:
    • The Empire contracted:
    • Hadrian returned the Frontier Provinces that Trajan had conquered, Sophene, Osroene, Armenia, removing the Legions and changing them to Roman Client Kingdoms instead.
    • Assyria and Mesopotamia were abandoned.
    • Overall, however, the Empire became stronger. The Frontiers were reinforced and strengthened, whilst the Legions were made to continually undergo training exercises.
    • Wars were avoided.
  • ENRICHMENT OR BANKRUPTCY OF THE STATE:
    • The Empire continued to become wealthier, with the Peace.
  • HADRIAN’S MAIN ACHIEVEMENTS:
    • The Consolidation of the Frontiers and the maintenance of the Peace.

7. THE SUCCESSION TO HADRIAN

8. HADRIAN’S TIMELINE OF EVENTS

9. BUILDINGS AND MONUMENTS TO VISIT

10. BIBLIOGRAPHY

  • CLASSICAL SOURCES:
    • Historia Augusta (Augustan History)
      • This is the History of the Emperors between 117-294 CE. It was written between 285-337 CE, by six authors who cannot be verified.
    • Dio Cassius Roman History

 

Hadrian’s Villa, Tivoli

Get Directions Go to Visitor Map
117 CE
Posted in .