Just prior to Hadrian’s arrival, Britain had experienced a major uprising between 119 and 121. Upon arriving in Britain, Hadrian ordered the construction of a wall that stretched from one side of England to the other, along what is now the border with Scotland. The exact purpose of Hadrian’s Wall has long been debated. Throughout the 19th Century, the general consensus among historians was that Hadrian’s Wall was built to bolster Roman defences in England and protect against the barbarian Scots who occasionally raided Roman towns along the border. In the 20th Century, this view gave way to a number of competing theories. Some historians argued that the wall was built to glorify Hadrian in absences of any military campaigns, while others argued that Hadrian’s Wall was a make work project for the Roman Legions in Britain.
Hadrian's First Inspection Tour
In 123, Hadrian arrived at Maurennia to personally put down a local rebellion. Hadrian was forced to cut this visit short when he received word that Parthia was threatening war. After Hadrian’s arrival on the Euphrates River, he defused the crisis with a negotiated settlement with the King of Parthia. Afterward, Hadrian inspected the Roman Legions stationed in the area and began heading west along the coast of the Black Sea. Hadrian is thought to have spent the winter in Nicomedia, the capital of Bithynia. The city had recently been struck by an earthquake and Hadrian provided funds to finance the reconstruction of the city.
Hadrian arrived in Greece in the autumn of 124, where he participated in the Eleusian Mysteries. During the winter, he toured the Pelopponese. In March, 125, Hadrian arrived in Athens in time to preside over the Festival of Dionysia. He also oversaw the final phases of construction of the Temple of Olympian Zeus and the building of an aqueduct.
Hadrian returned to Rome, in 127, just in time for the completion of the reconstructed Pantheon, which had been destroyed in a fire during the reign of Emperor Titus. Later that year, Hadrian undertook an inspection tour of Italy, during which he restored the earth goddess Cupra to the town of Cupra Maritima and improved the drainage of Fucine Lake. Hadrian also attempted to divide Italy into four regions, each ruled by an Imperial Legate with Consular authority. However, this decision was not popular and would not long out last Hadrian.
The Second Jewish Revolt
In 130 AD, Hadrian visited the ruins of Jerusalem, which had remained unchanged since the end of the First-Roman Jewish War in 73 AD. Hadrian rebuilt Jerusalem, naming it Aelia Capitolina. He also ordered the construction of a temple dedicated to the worship of Jupiter to be built on the ruins of the Jews’ Second Temple. Hadrian banned circumcisions, the Law of Moses and the Hebrew calendar. Hadrian also had a number of Jewish scholars put to death. As a result of these actions, the Jews rebelled against the Romans. The extent of the uprising was such that Legions had to be called in from as far away as Britain and the Danube to suppress it. The Romans suffered very heavy losses and Hadrian was forced to omit the customary salutation, "I and the Legions are well," when giving his report to the Senate. Cassius Dio wrote that in the course of suppressing the revolt, the Romans killed more than 500,000 Jews and destroyed more than 1,000 towns and villages. The hatred for Hadrian in the period Jewish sources is such that whenever his name appears, it is always followed by the epitaph, "may his bones be crushed."
In 136 AD, Hadrian dedicated a new temple to the worship of Venus on the site of Emperor Nero’s Domus Aurea.
Hadrian’s health began to decline around the same time and he turned his attention to the succession as a result. In 136 AD, Hadrian adopted Lucius Ceioius Commodus, who took the name Lucius Aelius Caesar. Lucius was granted Tribunal authority and a governorship in Pannonia however, he died suddenly in January, 138.
Following the death of Lucius Aelius Caesar, Hadrian adopted Titus Aurelius Fulvus Boionius Arrius Antoninus, who would eventually rule as Emperor Antoninus Pius. Hadrian also had Antoninus adopt Lucius Ceionius Commodus, the son of Lucius Aelius Caesar and Marcus Annius Verus, who would eventually rule as Emperor Marcus Aurelius. Modern historians are not sure why Hadrian made these arrangements, but it has been suspected that he wanted Ceionius Commodus to succeed Antoninus, but was forced to show favour to Annius Verus out of political necessity.
The Death of Emperor Hadrian
The primary sources depict the last few years of Hadrian’s life as being filled with conflict and unhappiness. The decision to adopt Aelius Caesar was an unpopular one, particularly with Hadrian’s brother-in-law Lucius Julius Ursus Servinanus, who had been first in the line of succession for Hadrian’s entire reign, and his grandson, Gnaeus Pedianus Fuscus Salinator, who may also have had designs on becoming Emperor. In 137 Servianus and Salinator were implicated in a plot against Hadrian. Before his death, Servianus is reported to have prayed that Hadrian would, "long for death, but be unable to die." In his final illness, Hadrian attempted suicide on a number of occasions.
Following his death, Hadrian was buried in Puteoli, near Baiae. Not long after this, his remains were sent to Rome, where they were buried in the Garden of Domitia. In 139 AD, Hadrian’s remains were cremated by Emperor Antoninus Pius and placed in the Mausoleum of Hadrian.
Sources
Cassius Dio Roman History. Latin Text and Translation by Earnest Cary at internet archive
Birley, Anthony R. (1997). Hadrian. The restless emperor. London: Routledge
Terry Long - I hold degrees in history and journalism. In addition to my contributions to Suite 101, I have also written for the Brampton Bulletin, the ...
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