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Hadrian and the military

Despite his significant position as a military administrator, Hadrian's rule was characterized by a notable absence of significant military engagements, with the exception of the Second Roman-Jewish War. He relinquished Trajan's territorial gains in Mesopotamia, deeming them indefensible. A potential conflict with Parthia nearly occurred around 121, but the danger was averted when Hadrian successfully negotiated a peace agreement.

The peace strategy was reinforced by the construction of permanent fortifications along the borders of the empire (limites, sl. limes). The most renowned of these is the impressive Hadrian's Wall in Great Britain, while the borders along the Danube and Rhine were fortified with a series of predominantly wooden structures, including forts, outposts, and watchtowers, which specifically enhanced communication and local security. To uphold troop morale and prevent restlessness, Hadrian instituted rigorous drill routines and personally oversaw the armies. Although his coins depicted military imagery nearly as frequently as peaceful scenes, Hadrian's approach was one of peace through strength, even if it involved the use of threats.

Hadrian was significantly engaged with the Roman military throughout his career, beginning with his extensive experience as a military tribune and commander under Trajan, and later becoming emperor, where he prioritized consolidating the empire's borders over expansion. He initiated the construction of Hadrian's Wall in Britain and established new fortifications along the Rhine and Danube frontiers, while also withdrawing from eastern territories and focusing on the army's readiness and organization, exemplified by his notable inspection and address to troops in Africa in AD 128.

Early Military Career & Experience

Military Tribunates:

Hadrian held three military tribunates, which was more than what was typical for many Roman elites, thus providing him with considerable early military experience.

Trajan's Campaigns:

He acquired extensive military experience as a general (legatus) during Emperor Trajan's campaigns, including the conquest of Dacia and the Parthian War, where he served as a close ally and significant governor of Syria.

Commander of a Legion:

During Trajan's Parthian campaign, Hadrian commanded the crucial First Legion "Minerva."

Consolidation & Defense as Emperor

Shift in Policy:

In contrast to his aggressive predecessor Trajan, Hadrian concentrated on consolidating the empire's existing territories and securing its borders rather than pursuing further expansion.

Border Fortifications:

He supervised the construction of extensive border fortifications, including the renowned Hadrian's Wall in Britain and new defensive structures along the Danube and Rhine rivers in Germany.

Territorial Withdrawal:

Hadrian withdrew Roman forces from some of Trajan's newly acquired territories in the east, such as Mesopotamia, Armenia, and Assyria, to mitigate overstretch and stabilize the borders.

Army Organization & Readiness

Direct Inspection and Review:

Hadrian traveled extensively to inspect and review the army's readiness and capabilities, a practice he strongly emphasized.

Africa Inspection:

In AD 128, he reviewed army units in Africa, delivering speeches to the troops and providing instruction, which was subsequently recorded.

Improving Troop Standards:

His emphasis on the preparedness of the troops is further illustrated by his provision of new rights to the illegitimate offspring of soldiers in Alexandria in AD 119, which contributed positively to morale and recruitment.

The Famous "Hadrian's Wall"

A Landmark Defense:

The most renowned illustration of his military strategy is Hadrian's Wall in Britain, a monumental stone structure erected across the breadth of the island to regulate movement and prevent incursions from the north.

System of Defense:

The Wall served not merely as a barrier but as a sophisticated frontier system featuring forts, towers, and ditches, intended to manage the movement of individuals and to serve as a visible symbol of Roman power.

Emperor Hadrian (117–138 AD) was a military leader who transitioned Rome's approach from expansion to consolidation. He concentrated on fortifying and safeguarding the empire's established borders, a strategy exemplified by the construction of Hadrian's Wall in Britain. His military efforts encompassed border fortification, thorough troop inspections, and practical reforms within the army.

Prior to his ascension as emperor, Hadrian acquired considerable military experience under his predecessor and guardian, Emperor Trajan.

Military tribune: He held the position of military tribune three times, which was more than the usual number for individuals aiming for a prominent political career.

Dacian Wars: Hadrian was part of Trajan's staff during the Dacian conquest (present-day Romania) and earned military accolades for his contributions.

Parthian Campaign: He served as a legate for Trajan during the campaign against Parthia (modern Iraq) and was entrusted with command of the vital army in Syria when Trajan became ill.

Accession to power: Following Trajan's death in 117 AD, Hadrian was in charge of the Syrian army, which promptly declared him emperor.

Shift to a defensive strategy: Hadrian believed that Trajan had overextended the empire and adopted a defensive policy instead of an expansionist one.

Withdrawal from conquests: He renounced Trajan's latest—and strategically untenable—conquests in Mesopotamia, Assyria, and Armenia shortly after assuming power.

Pacification and diplomacy: Hadrian preserved peace in border areas such as Parthia and Dacia by permitting client kings to govern and utilizing diplomacy rather than military force.

Exception in Judea: The main military conflict during Hadrian's reign was the harsh suppression of the Bar Kokhba revolt in Judea (132–136 AD), which led to the death or enslavement of hundreds of thousands of Jews.

Border fortifications

Hadrian launched an extensive initiative to construct permanent border fortifications, known as limes, across the empire to safeguard its frontiers.

Hadrian's Wall: The most renowned example is the 73-mile-long Hadrian's Wall, built by the army in Britain beginning in 122 AD. This wall was instrumental in regulating movement, defending against northern tribes, and demonstrating Rome's authority.

Germanic frontiers: In present-day Germany, Hadrian supervised the establishment of a continuous wooden palisade along the Rhine frontier.

Inspection tours: The emperor himself frequently inspected these fortifications during his extensive travels.

Army reforms

Hadrian enacted several practical reforms aimed at enhancing the efficiency and discipline of the Roman army.

Training and discipline: He placed significant importance on discipline, training, and drills to ensure troops were prepared for combat even during peacetime. An inscription at Lambaesis, located in modern Algeria, records a speech from 128 AD that commends the troops and outlines his rigorous standards.

Use of non-citizen troops: In response to a shortage of legionary recruits, Hadrian organized the use of numeri—irregular, non-citizen troops—for more agile and specialized defensive operations.

Recruitment: He permitted legions to enlist soldiers from the provinces in which they were stationed, thereby further decreasing reliance on soldiers from Italy.

Emperor Hadrian....
hadrian-in-parthia-and-anatolia

HADRIAN'S Early life

Hadrian's biography in the Augustan History indicates that he was born in Rome on January 24, 76, to a family that was originally Italian but had been Hispanic for many generations. However, this account may have been fabricated to present Hadrian as a true Roman rather than someone from the provinces. His father, Publius Aelius Hadrianus Afer, was a Hispano-Roman senator of praetorian rank who spent a significant amount of time in Rome.

Hadrian's ancestors hailed from Hadria, which is present-day Atri, an ancient town located in Picenum, Italy. However, the family had established themselves in Italica, Hispania Baetica, shortly after its founding by Scipio Africanus. Afer was a paternal cousin of the future Emperor Trajan. His mother, Domitia Paulina, originated from Gades (Cádiz).

Paulina was a member of a prominent Hispano-Roman senatorial family. Hadrian's only sibling, an elder sister named Aelia Domitia Paulina, was married to the triple consul Lucius Julius Ursus Servianus. His niece was Julia Serviana Paulina, and his great-nephew was Gnaeus Pedanius Fuscus Salinator from Barcino.

When Hadrian was ten years old, both of his parents passed away in 86, and he subsequently became a ward of Trajan and Publius Acilius Attianus, who later served as Trajan's Praetorian Prefect. Hadrian received an education in various subjects relevant to young aristocrats of his time and developed a strong passion for Greek literature, earning him the nickname Graeculus.

At the age of 14, Hadrian visited Italica but was soon recalled by Trajan, who took an active role in his upbringing. Although Italica was later designated as a colonia in his honor, Hadrian never returned there. His initial military service was as a tribune in the Legio II Adiutrix, after which he was transferred to the Legio I Minervia in Germany.

Following the death of Nerva in 98, Hadrian hurried to personally inform Trajan. He later became the legate of a legion in Upper Pannonia and eventually served as the governor of that province. Additionally, he held the position of archon in Athens for a short period and was granted Athenian citizenship.

Hadrian's career prior to his ascension as emperor includes the following positions:

- decemvir stlitibus iudicandis

- sevir turmae equitum Romanorum

- praefectus Urbi feriarum Latinarum

- tribunus militum of the II Adiutricis Piae Fidelis legion

- tribunus militum of the V Macedonicae legion (96, in Moesia Inferior)

- tribunus militum of the XXII Primigeniae Piae Fidelis legion (97, in Germania Superior)

- quaestor (101)

- ab actis senatus

- tribunus plebis (105) - praetor (106)

- legatus of the I Minerviae Piae Fidelis legion (106, in Germania Inferior)

- legatus Augusti pro praetore of Pannoniae Inferioris (107)

- consul suffectus (108)

- septemvir epulonum (before 112)

- sodalis Augustalis (before 112)

- archon of Athens (112/13)

- legatus of Syria (117).

Hadrian participated in the military campaigns against the Dacians (serving as legate of the V Macedonica) and is said to have received commendations from Trajan for his achievements. Although there was a lack of military engagements during his reign, Hadrian's military capabilities are not extensively documented; nonetheless, his profound interest in and understanding of the military, along with his proven administrative abilities, suggest potential strategic acumen.

Hadrian was part of Trajan's campaign against Parthia as a legate on Trajan’s staff. During neither the initial successful phase nor the subsequent phase of the conflict, which saw uprisings in Mesopotamia, did Hadrian distinguish himself. However, when the governor of Syria was dispatched to address the renewed disturbances in Dacia, Hadrian was appointed as his replacement, granting him independent command.

By this time, Trajan was gravely ill and chose to return to Rome, while Hadrian stayed in Syria to secure the Roman rear. Trajan managed to reach Selinus before his health deteriorated further. Although Hadrian appeared to be the logical successor, he had not been formally adopted as Trajan's heir. As Trajan lay on his deathbed, cared for by his wife, Plotina (who favored Hadrian), he ultimately adopted Hadrian as his heir. Given that the adoption document was signed by Plotina, it has been speculated that Trajan may have already passed away.

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HADRIAN

Publius Aelius Hadrianus, known in English as Hadrian (24 January 76 – 10 July 138), served as emperor of Rome from AD 117 to 138. He was also a Stoic and Epicurean philosopher. A member of the gens Aelia, Hadrian is recognized as the third of the so-called Five Good Emperors, or the second of the recently proposed Ulpio-Aelian dynasty.

Born in Rome, Hadrian hailed from a well-established family that originated in Picenum, Italy, and later settled in Italica, Hispania Baetica (the republican Hispania Ulterior), near present-day Seville, Spain. His predecessor, Trajan, was a maternal cousin of Hadrian's father. Although Trajan did not officially name a successor, it is said that he designated Hadrian as emperor shortly before his death, according to his wife, Pompeia Plotina, who was favorably inclined towards Hadrian. It is likely that Hadrian's rise to power was influenced by her support.

The belief that Hadrian owed his succession to Plotina was widely accepted. Nevertheless, there is evidence suggesting that he achieved his position based on his own governance and leadership abilities while Trajan was still alive. For instance, between AD 100 and 108, Trajan publicly demonstrated his favor towards Hadrian by arranging his betrothal to his grandniece, Vibia Sabina, appointing him quaestor Imperatoris, comes Augusti, presenting him with Nerva's diamond as a symbol of hope for succession, proposing him for consul suffectus, and bestowing other gifts and honors. Young Hadrian was the only direct male descendant of Trajan's family line. The backing of Plotina and L. Licinius Sura (who died in AD 108) was, however, crucial for Hadrian during this early period.

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Hadrian Return to Italy

On his return to Italy, Hadrian made a detour to Sicily. Coins celebrate him as the restorer of the island though there is no record of what he did to earn this accolade. Back in Rome he was able to see for himself the completed work of rebuilding the Pantheon. Also completed by then was Hadrian's villa nearby at Tibur a pleasant retreat by the Sabine Hills for whenever Rome became too much for him. At the beginning of March 127 Hadrian set off for a tour of Italy.

Once again, historians are able to reconstruct his route by evidence of his hand-outs rather than the historical records. For instance, in that year he restored the Picentine earth goddess Cupra in the town of Cupra Maritima. At some unspecified time he improved the drainage of the Fucine lake. Less welcome than such largesse was his decision to divide Italy into 4 regions under imperial legates with consular rank. Being effectively reduced to the status of mere provinces did not go down well and this innovation did not long outlive Hadrian. Hadrian fell ill around this time, though the nature of his sickness is not known. Whatever the illness was, it did not stop him from setting off in the spring of 128 to visit Africa.

His arrival began with the good omen of rain ending a drought. Along with his usual role as benefactor and restorer he found time to inspect the troops and his speech to the troops survives to this day. Hadrian returned to Italy in the summer of 128 but his stay was brief before setting off on another tour that would last three years.

Hadrian Return to Italy Video :

Hadrians and Second Roman-Jewish War

In 130, Hadrian visited the ruins of Jerusalem, in Judaea, left after the First Roman-Jewish War of 66–73. He rebuilt the city, renaming it Aelia Capitolina after himself and Jupiter Capitolinus, the chief Roman deity. A new temple dedicated to the worship of Jupiter was built on the ruins of the old Jewish Second Temple, which had been destroyed in 70. In addition, Hadrian abolished circumcision, which was considered by Romans and Greeks as a form of bodily mutilation and hence "barbaric". These anti-Jewish policies of Hadrian triggered in Judaea a massive Jewish uprising, led by Simon bar Kokhba and Akiba ben Joseph. Following the outbreak of the revolt, Hadrian called his general Sextus Julius Severus from Britain, and troops were brought from as far as the Danube. Roman losses were very heavy, and it is believed that an entire legion, the XXII Deiotariana was destroyed. Roman losses were so heavy that Hadrian's report to the Roman Senate omitted the customary salutation "I and the legions are well". However, Hadrian's army eventually put down the rebellion in 135, after three years of fighting. According to Cassius Dio, during the war 580,000 Jews were killed, 50 fortified towns and 985 villages razed. The final battle took place in Beitar, a fortified city 10 km. southwest of Jerusalem. The city only fell after a lengthy siege, and Hadrian did not allow the Jews to bury their dead. According to the Babylonian Talmud, after the war Hadrian continued the persecution of Jews. He attempted to root out Judaism, which he saw as the cause of continuous rebellions, prohibited the Torah law, the Hebrew calendar and executed Judaic scholars. The sacred scroll was ceremonially burned on the Temple Mount. In an attempt to erase the memory of Judaea, he renamed the province Syria Palaestina (after the Philistines), and Jews were forbidden from entering its rededicated capital. When Jewish sources mention Hadrian it is always with the epitaph "may his bones be crushed" an expression never used even with respect to Vespasian or Titus who destroyed the Second Temple.

Hadrians and Second Roman-Jewish War Video:

Hadrian's Wall

Hadrian's Wall

Hadrian's Wall (Latin: perhaps Vallum Aelium, "the Aelian wall") is a stone and turf fortification built by the Roman Empire across the width of what is now northern England. Begun in 122, during the rule of emperor Hadrian, it was the middle of three such fortifications built across Great Britain, the first being from the River Clyde to the River Forth under Gnaeus Julius Agricola and the last the Antonine Wall. All were built to prevent raids on Roman Britain by the Pictish tribes (ancient inhabitants of Scotland) to the north, to improve economic stability and provide peaceful conditions in Britain, and to mark physically the frontier of the Empire. Hadrian's Wall is the best known of the three because its physical presence remains most evident today.

The Hadrian's wall marked the northern limes in Britain and also the most heavily fortified border in the Empire. In addition to its use as a military fortification, it is thought that the gates through the wall would also have served as customs posts to allow trade taxation.
A significant portion of the wall still exists, particularly the mid-section, and for much of its length the wall can be followed on foot by Hadrian's Wall Path or by cycle on National Cycle Route 72. It is the most popular tourist attraction in Northern England, where it is often known simply as the Roman Wall. It was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. English Heritage, a government organization in charge of managing the historic environment of England, describes it as "the most important monument built by the Romans in Britain".

Hadrian's travels

Emperor Hadrian's Travels

Emperor Hadrian, The Stoic-Epicurean Emperor traveled broadly, inspecting and correcting the legions in the field. Even prior to becoming emperor, Hadrian had traveled abroad with the Roman military, giving him much experience in the matter. More than half his reign was spent outside of Italy. Other emperors often left Rome to simply go to war, returning soon after conflicts concluded. A previous emperor, Nero, once traveled through Greece and was condemned for his self indulgence.

Emperor Hadrian, by contrast, traveled as a fundamental part of his governing, and made this clear to the Roman senate and the people. He was able to do this because at Rome he possessed a loyal supporter within the upper echelons of Roman society, a military veteran by the name of Marcius Turbo. Also, there are hints within certain sources that he also employed a secret police force, the frumentarii, to exert control and influence in case anything should go wrong while he journeyed abroad. Hadrian's visits were marked by handouts which often contained instructions for the construction of new public buildings. Hadrian was willful of strengthening the Empire from within through improved infrastructure, as opposed to conquering or annexing perceived enemies. This was often the purpose of his journeys; commissioning new structures, projects and settlements. His almost evangelical belief in Greek culture strengthened his views: like many emperors before him, Emperor Hadrian's will was almost always obeyed. His traveling court was large, including administrators and likely architects and builders. The burden on the areas he passed through were sometimes great. While his arrival usually brought some benefits it is possible that those who had to carry the burden were of different class to those who reaped the benefits. For example, huge amounts of provisions were requisitioned during his visit to Egypt, this suggests that the burden on the mainly subsistence farmers must have been intolerable, causing some measure of starvation and hardship.[23] At the same time, as in later times all the way through the European Renaissance, kings were welcomed into their cities or lands, and the financial burden was completely on them, and only indirectly on the poorer class.

Emperor Hadrian's first tour came in 121 and was initially aimed at covering his back to allow himself the freedom to concern himself with his general cultural aims. He traveled north, towards Germania and inspected the Rhine-Danube frontier, allocating funds to improve the defenses. However it was a voyage to the Empire's very frontiers that represented his perhaps most significant visit; upon hearing of a recent revolt, he journeyed to Britannia. Emperor Hadrian... emperor hadrians-cultural-pursuits

Hadrian's travels Video:

Hadrian's Final years

Hadrian's Final years

Hadrian spent the final years of his life at Rome. In 134, he took an Imperial salutation or the end of the Second Jewish War (which was not actually concluded until the following year). In 136, he dedicated a new Temple of Venus and Roma on the former site of Nero's Golden House.
About this time, suffering from poor health, Hadrian turned to the problem of the succession. In 136 he adopted one of the ordinary consuls of that year, Lucius Ceionius Commodus, who took the name Lucius Aelius Caesar. He was both the stepson and son-in-law of Gaius Avidius Nigrinus, one of the "four consulars" executed in 118, but was himself in delicate health. Granted tribunician power and the governorship of Pannonia, Aelius Caesar held a further consulship in 137, but died on January 1, 138.

Following the death of Aelius Caesar, Hadrian next adopted Titus Aurelius Fulvus Boionius Arrius Antoninus (the future emperor Antoninus Pius), who had served as one of the four imperial legates of Italy (a post created by Hadrian) and as proconsul of Asia. On 25 February 138 Antoninus received tribunician power and imperium. Moreover, to ensure the future of the dynasty, Hadrian required Antoninus to adopt both Lucius Ceionius Commodus (son of the deceased Aelius Caesar) and Marcus Annius Verus (who was the grandson of an influential senator of the same name who had been Hadrian’s close friend; Annius was already betrothed to Aelius Caesar’s daughter Ceionia Fabia). Hadrian’s precise intentions in this arrangement are debatable. Though the consensus is that he wanted Annius Verus (who would later become the Emperor Marcus Aurelius) to succeed Antoninus, it has also been argued that he actually intended Ceionius Commodus, the son of his own adopted son, to succeed, but was constrained to show favour simultaneously to Annius Verus because of his strong connections to the Hispano-Narbonensian nexus of senatorial families of which Hadrian himself was a part. It may well not have been Hadrian, but rather Antoninus Pius — who was Annius Verus’s uncle – who advanced the latter to the principal position. The fact that Annius would divorce Ceionia Fabia and re-marry to Antoninus' daughter Annia Faustina points in the same direction. When he eventually became Emperor, Marcus Aurelius would co-opt Ceionius Commodus as his co-Emperor (under the name of Lucius Verus) on his own initiative.

The ancient sources present Hadrian's last few years as marked by conflict and unhappiness. The adoption of Aelius Caesar proved unpopular, not least with Hadrian's brother-in-law Lucius Julius Ursus Servianus and Servianus' grandson Gnaeus Pedanius Fuscus Salinator. Servianus, though now far too old, had stood in line of succession at the beginning of the reign; Fuscus is said to have had designs on the imperial power for himself, and in 137 he may have attempted a coup in which his grandfather was implicated.
Whatever the truth, Hadrian ordered that both be put to death. Servianus is reported to have prayed before his execution that Hadrian would "long for death but be unable to die". The prayer was fulfilled; as Hadrian suffered from his final, protracted illness, he had to be prevented from suicide on several occasions.

Hadrian in Greece, Asia and Egypt

Hadrian in Greece, Asia and Egypt

In September 128 Hadrian again attended the Eleusinian mysteries. This time his visit to Greece seems to have concentrated on Athens and Sparta — the two ancient rivals for dominance of Greece. Hadrian had played with the idea of focusing his Greek revival round Amphictyonic League based in Delphi but he by now had decided on something far grander. His new Panhellenion was going to be a council that would bring together Greek cities wherever they might be found. The meeting place was to be the new temple to Zeus in Athens. Having set in motion the preparations — deciding whose claim to be a Greek city was genuine would in itself take time — Hadrian set off for Ephesus.

In October 130, while Hadrian and his entourage were sailing on the Nile, Antinous drowned, for unknown reasons, though accident, suicide, murder or religious sacrifice have all been postulated. The emperor Hadrian was grief stricken. He ordered Antinous deified, and cities were named after the boy, medals struck with his effigy, and statues erected to him in all parts of the empire. Temples were built for his worship in Bithynia, Mantineia in Arcadia, and Athens, festivals celebrated in his honour and oracles delivered in his name. The city of Antinopolis or Antinoe was founded on the ruins of Besa where he died

Hadrian in Greece

Hadrian in Greece

The climax of this tour was the destination that Hadrian must all along have had in mind, Greece. He arrived in the autumn of 124 in time to participate in the Eleusinian Mysteries. By tradition at one stage in the ceremony the initiates were supposed to carry arms but this was waived to avoid any risk to the emperor among them. At the Athenians' request he conducted a revision of their constitution — among other things a new phyle (tribe) was added bearing his name.

During the winter he toured the Peloponnese. Hadrian's exact route is uncertain, however Pausanias reports of tell-tale signs, such as temples built by Hadrian and the statue of the emperor built by the grateful citizens of Epidaurus in thanks to their "restorer". He was especially generous to Mantinea which supports the theory that Antinous was in fact already Hadrian's lover because of the strong link between Mantinea and Antinous's home in Bithynia.

By March 125, Hadrian had reached Athens presiding over the festival of Dionysia. The building program that Hadrian initiated was substantial. Various rulers had done work on building the Temple of Olympian Zeus — it was Hadrian who ensured that the job would be finished. He also initiated the construction of several public buildings on his own whim and even organized the building of an aqueduct.
Emperor Hadrian.
hadrian-in-parthia-and-anatolia

Hadrian in Parthia and Anatolia

Hadrian in Parthia and Anatolia

In 123, Hadrian arrived in Mauretania where he personally led a campaign against local rebels. However this visit was to be short, as reports came through that the Eastern nation of Parthia was again preparing for war, as a result Hadrian quickly headed eastwards. On his journey east it is known that at some point he visited Cyrene during which he personally made available funds for the training of the young men of well bred families for the Roman military.

Cyrene had already benefited from his generosity when Hadrian in 119 had provided funds for the rebuilding of public buildings destroyed in the recent Jewish revolt. When Hadrian arrived on the Euphrates, he characteristically solved the problem through a negotiated settlement with the Parthian king Osroes I. Hadrian then proceeded to check the Roman defenses before setting off West along the coast of the Black Sea. He probably spent the winter in Nicomedia, the main city of Bithynia. As Nicomedia had been hit by an earthquake only shortly prior to his stay, Hadrian was generous in providing funds for rebuilding. Thanks to his generosity he was acclaimed as the chief restorer of the province as a whole. It is more than possible that Hadrian visited Claudiopolis and there espied the beautiful Antinous, a young boy who was destined to become the emperor's beloved. Sources say nothing about when Hadrian met Antinous, however, there are depictions of Antinous that shows him as a young man of 20 or so. As this was shortly before Antinous's drowning in 130 Antinous would more likely have been a youth of 13 or 14. It is possible that Antinous may have been sent to Rome to be trained as page to serve the emperor and only gradually did he rise to the status of imperial favorite.

After meeting Antinous, Hadrian traveled through Anatolia. The route he took is uncertain. Various incidents are described such as his founding of a city within Mysia, Hadrianutherae, after a successful boar hunt. Some historians dispute whether Hadrian did in fact commission the city's construction at all. At about this time, plans to build a temple in Asia minor were written up. The new temple would be dedicated to Trajan and Hadrian and built with dazzling white marble.
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Hadrian in Britannia

Hadrian in Britannia

Prior to Hadrian's arrival on Great Britain there had been a major rebellion in Britannia, spanning roughly two years (119–121). It was here where in 122 he initiated the building of Hadrian's Wall . The purpose of the wall is academically debated. In 1893, Haverfield stated categorically that the Wall was a means of military defence. This prevailing, early 20th century view was challenged by Collingwood in 1922. Since then, other points of view have been put forwards; the wall has been seen as a marker to the limits of Romanitas, as a monument to Hadrian to gain glory in lieu of military campaigns, as work to keep the Army busy and prevent mutiny and waste through boredom, or to safeguard the frontier province of Britannia, by preventing future small scale invasions and unwanted immigration from the northern country of Caledonia (now modern day Scotland).

Caledonia was inhabited by tribes known to the Romans as Caledonians. Hadrian realized that the Caledonians would refuse to cohabitate with the Romans. He also was aware that although Caledonia was valuable, the harsh terrain and highlands made its conquest costly and unprofitable for the Empire at large. Thus, he decided instead on building a wall. Unlike the Germanic limes, built of wood palisades, the lack of suitable wood in the area required a stone construction;nevertheless, the Western third of the wall, from modern-day Carlisle to the River Irthing, was built of turf because of the lack of suitable building stone. This problem also led to the narrowing of the width of the wall, from the original 12 feet to 7, saving masonry.Hadrian is perhaps most famous for the construction of this wall whose ruins still span many miles and to date bear his name. In many ways it represents Hadrian's will to improve and develop within the Empire, rather than waging wars and conquering.

Under him, a shrine was erected in York to Britain as a Goddess, and coins were struck which introduced a female figure as the personification of Britain, labeled BRITANNIA. By the end of 122 Hadrian had concluded his visit to Britannia, and from there headed south by sea to Mauretania.
Emperor Hadrian
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Hadrian's Cultural pursuits and patronage

Hadrian's Cultural pursuits and patronage

Hadrian has been described, as the most versatile of all the Roman Emperors. He also liked to display a knowledge of all intellectual and artistic fields. Hadrian patronized the arts: Hadrian's Villa at Tibur (Tivoli) was the greatest Roman example of an Alexandrian garden, recreating a sacred landscape, lost in large part to the despoliation of the ruins by the Cardinal d'Este who had much of the marble removed to build Villa d'Este. In Rome, the Pantheon, originally built by Agrippa but destroyed by fire in 80, was rebuilt under Hadrian in the domed form it retains to this day. It is among the best preserved of Rome's ancient buildings and was highly influential to many of the great architects of the Italian Renaissance and Baroque periods.

Hadrian displayed a keen interest in architecture, but it seems that his eagerness was not always well received. For example, Apollodorus of Damascus, famed architect of the Forum of Trajan, dismissed his designs. When Trajan, predecessor to Hadrian, consulted Apollodorus about an architectural problem, Hadrian interrupted to give advice, to which Apollodorus replied, "Go away and draw your pumpkins. You know nothing about these problems." "Pumpkins" refers to Hadrian's drawings of domes like the Serapeum in his Villa. It is rumored that once Hadrian succeeded Trajan to become emperor, he had Apollodorus exiled and later put to death. It is very possible that this later story was a later attempt to defame his character, as Hadrian, though popular among a great many across the empire, was not universally admired, either in his lifetime or afterward.

Hadrian wrote poetry in both Latin and Greek; one of the few surviving examples is a Latin poem he reportedly composed on his deathbed (see below). He also wrote an autobiography – not, apparently, a work of great length or revelation, but designed to scotch various rumours or explain his various actions. The work is lost but was apparently used by the writer — whether Marius Maximus or someone else – on whom the Historia Augusta principally relied for its vita of Hadrian: at least, a number of statements in the vita have been identified (by Ronald Syme and others) as probably ultimately stemming from the autobiography.

Hadrian was a passionate hunter, already from the time of his youth. In northwest Asia, Hadrian founded and dedicated a city to commemorate a she-bear he killed. It is documented that in Egypt he and his beloved Antinous killed a lion. In Rome, eight reliefs featuring Hadrian in different stages of hunting on a building that began as a monument celebrating a kill.

Hadrian's contributions to "popular" culture was the beard, which symbolised his philhellenism. Except for Nero (also a great lover of Greek culture), all Roman emperors before Hadrian were clean shaven. Most of the emperors after Hadrian would be portrayed with beards. Their beards, however, were not worn out of an appreciation for Greek culture but because the beard had, thanks to Hadrian, become fashionable. Hadrian had a face covered in warts and scars, and this may have partially motivated Hadrian's beard growth.

Hadrian was a humanist and deeply Hellenophile in all his tastes. He favoured the doctrines of the philosophers Epictetus, Heliodorus and Favorinus, but was generally considered an Epicurean, as were some of his friends such as Caius Bruttius Praesens. At home he attended to social needs. Hadrian mitigated but did not abolish slavery, had the legal code humanized and forbade torture. He built libraries, aqueducts, baths and theaters. Hadrian is considered by many historians to have been wise and just: Schiller called him "the Empire's first servant", and British historian Edward Gibbon admired his "vast and active genius", as well as his "equity and moderation". In 1776, he stated that Hadrian's epoch was part of the "happiest era of human history".

While visiting Greece in 126, Hadrian attempted to create a kind of provincial parliament to bind all the semi-autonomous former city states across all Greece and Ionia (in Asia Minor). This parliament, known as the Panhellenion, failed despite spirited efforts to instill cooperation among the Hellenes.

Hadrian had a close relationship, the nature of which is uncertain, with a Greek youth, Antinous, whom he met in Bithynia in 124 when the boy was thirteen or fourteen. While touring Egypt in 130, Antinous mysteriously drowned in the Nile. Deeply saddened, Hadrian founded the Egyptian city of Antinopolis, and had Antinous deified - an unprecedented honour for one not of the ruling family.

Hadrian died at his villa in Baiae. He was buried in a mausoleum on the western bank of the Tiber, in Rome, a building later transformed into a papal fortress, Castel Sant'Angelo. The dimensions of his mausoleum, in its original form, were deliberately designed to be slightly larger than the earlier Mausoleum of Augustus.

According to Cassius Dio a gigantic equestrian statue was erected to Hadrian after his death. "It was so large that the bulkiest man could walk through the eye of each horse, yet because of the extreme height of the foundation persons passing along on the ground below believe that the horses themselves as well as Hadrian are very small."
Emperor Hadrian