Category:Hadrian (subject)

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Hadrian was a Roman Emperor, from 117 to 137 CE.


Overview

Publius Aelius Traianus Hadrianus succeeded to Trajan in unclear circumstances in 117 CE and ruled till 137 CE. He was the third and the last of the adopted emperors. Hadrian was a polyhedric figure; a humanist and a philellene, he also reformed Roman jurisprudence, and between else he rebuilt the Pantheon in Rome. Hadrian also widely traveled, visiting most of the provinces of the Empire, in Britain, where he erected the wall, North Africa and Egypt, where his lover Antinoos drowned, Greece, where he created the Panhellenion, Asia, and Judaea, which after the Bar Kochba War was renamed Syria – Palaestina. Hadrian’ succession was much problematic, and in the end he appointed Antoninus Pius as his successor.

Early Career

Hadrian was born in Italica in Hispania Baetica in 76 CE. His father, a paternal cousin of the future Emperor Trajan, was Publius Aelius Hadrianus Afer, a senator of praetorian rank. Both parents of Hadrian died in 86 CE. Hadrian then became a ward of Trajan and Publius Acilius Attianus, later the Praetorian Prefect under Trajan. From an earlier age Hadrian showed much partiality to Greek culture, and he was soon nicknamed Graeculus. His cursus honorum begun as tribunus of the Legio II Adiutrix in 95 CE in Pannonia Inferior, and then, in 96 CE as tribunus of the Legio V Macedonicae in Moesia Inferior, and in 97 CE as tribunus of the Legio XXII Primigeniae Piae Fidelis in Germania Superior. He was appointed praetor in 106 CE. In the same year he was appointed legatus legionis I Minerviae Piae Fidelis in Germania Inferior, and in the following year he fulfilled the task of governor of the province of Lower Pannonia as legatus Augusti pro praetore. In 108 CE he was appointed consul suffectus. Hadrian followed Trajan in the Parthian War as governor of Syria, legatus Syriae.

Imperial Succession

Hadrian was made emperor in unclear circumstances, probably favored by Plotina, Trajan’s wife. One of the first acts of his rule was the execution of four consulares arrested by C. Attianus, the praetorian prefect, between them Lusius Quietus and Cornelius Palma. Hadrian, immediately after his accession to the throne surrendered Trajan’s conquests in Mesopotamia. A war with Parthia was averted in 121 CE, and resulted in a negotiated settlement with the Parthian king Osrohes I. Contrary to Trajan, his aggressive predecessor; Hadrian promoted during his reign a defensive policy. Hadrian was known for his visits to the provinces. Thus between 121-125 C.E., Hadrian toured the western part of the Empire, Germany and the Rhine – Danube frontier, Britain, Spain, Mauretania and Africa, and then Asia Minor and Greece. On the borders along the Danube and the Rhine, he continued the policy of his Flavian predecessors, and erected a series of watchtowers, legionary and auxiliary forts. In Britannia, where a rebellion took place between 119 and 121 CE, during his visit, Hadrian strengthened the border in Britannia with the erection of his wall. Its purpose was to prevent future possible invasions from the northern country of Caledonia. Yet Hadrian wall was not successful, as his successor, Antoninus Pius, had to erect another one, the Antonine Wall, further North. In 123 CE, he arrived in Mauretania where he personally led a campaign against local rebels. His policy of pacification in North Africa was as well quite unsuccessful, as once more his successor had to cope with local rebellions. He then continued to the East, and to Asia. There in Bythinia, he visited the city of Nicomedia, which had been stricken by an earthquake. It was probably during a visit of Claudiopolis, that he met the young Antinous. From asia Minor, Hadrian moved in 124 CE to Greece, where he visited Athens, took part in the Eleusinian mysteries, and had the Temple of Zeus Olympios rebuilt. Hadrian was deeply attached to Greek culture. As philosopher, he favored the epicureans Epictetus, Heliodorus and Favorinus. In 125 C.E. he created the Panhellenion, to bind all the semi-autonomous former city states across all [[Greece] and Asia Minor, with its seat at Athens. As many of Hadrian’s projects, the Panhellenion was a failure as well. Between the years 129-134 C.E. Hadrian once more made similar travels in Eastern provinces including Egypt. Thus he came back to Greece, visited Ephesos, Judaea[ in 130, where on the ruins of Jerusalem, he founded the colony of Aelia Capitolina. From there he arrived in Egypt. During a cruising on the Nile, Antinoos, by now Hadrian’s lover, drowned. Hadrian founded the city of Antinoopolis in his honor. Between 131-132 CE, he was in Athens, and when the Bar Kochba rebellion broke out, he took the command in the first years of the war. In 133 CE, Hadrian was back at Rome. Hadrian’s policy in Italy was quite problematic, making of it in fact a country not different from the surrounding provinces. Italy was divided in four juridical districts, appointing to each of these an official of consular rank, the quattuoviri consulares. Thus Italy was in fact reduced to the legal condition of a province. Hadrian reorganized as well Roman law. The Consilium Principis, an informal council, included the distinguished jurist Salvius Iulianus. With Hadrian, the Praetor edict cease to be source of law, it became permanent code which the magistrates had to administer as it was, without alterations. However from Hadrian’s onwards, a clear legal division between humiliores and honestiores took the place of the division between Roman citizens and peregrini. Hadrian was also an important architect. At Rome, Hadrian erected the Pantheon, the Temple of Venus and Roma. It seems that Hadrian had the architect [[Apollodorus of Damascus], who planned the Forum of Trajanus, executed. However to Rome, Hadrian preferred to reside in his Villa at Tivoli. In 136 C.E. Hadrian had his brother in law, Julius Ursus Servianus, executed who was accused to conspirate to make emperor his grandson Cn. Pedianus Fuscus. In 136 C.E., Hadrian adopted one of the ordinary consuls of that year, Lucius Ceionius Commodus, who took the name Lucius Aelius Caesar. Aelius Caesar died in 138 C.E. Following Aelius’s death Hadrian next adopted Titus Aurelius Fulvus Boionius Arrius Antoninus (the future emperor Antoninus Pius. Hadrian died in 138 CE.

Hadrian and the Jews

During his travels in the East, in 130 C.E. Jerusalem then in ruin was refounded as the colony of Aelia Capitolina. It seems that Hadrian wanted to erect a temple to the Capitoline Triad on the Temple Mount. A temple dedicated to Venus was located in the forum. Probably in this year as well, Hadrian published an edict forbidding circumcision. The revolt of Bar Kochba exploded in 132 CE, when Tineius Rufus was the senatorial governor of Judaea. The leaders of the revolt were Shimon Bar Kochba, a priest named E’lazar, and, according to Rabbinic sources, Rabbi Akiva. The revolt, which soon transformed in a full war continued till 135 C.E. Together with the Legio VI Ferrata and the Legio X Fretensis, other legions were called in, the Legio III Gallica, Legio III Cyrenaica, the Legio XXII Deiotariana, and the Legio X Gemina. Yet, Roman losses were very heavy, and it seems that an entire legion, the XXII Deiotariana was wiped out. The Jewish leader Shimon Bar Kochba, known as Nasi or president minted coinage. Hadrian at the beginning of the revolt took the command, and then, when he left he appointed Sextus Julius Severus, who was called from Britain, to command the Roman army in Judaea. It seems that troops were brought from as far as the Danube. After bitter guerrilla fighting, the Jewish settlement in Judaea was totally wiped out. According to Cassius Dio, during the war 580,000 Jews were killed, 50 fortified towns and 985 villages razed. The last epic battle took place in Beitar, a fortified city 10 km. southwest of Jerusalem. Bar Kochba, the Jewish leader was killed during the battle. The province of Judaea was renamed Syria-Palaestina.

Hadrian in ancient sources

Hadrian in literature & the arts

Hadrian in scholarship

Related categories

External links

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