Roman Emperor Who Was Succeeded By Hadrian: Publius Aelius Hadrianus (b. 24 January 76 CE; d. 10 July 138, Baiae [Baia], near Naples [it]) was a Roman emperor (r. 117–138 CE) whose surname was originally Publius Aelius Hadrianus (b. 24 January 76 CE; d. 10 July 138, Baiae [Baia], near Naples [it]). He was Trajan’s cousin and heir apparent He was the third of the “Five Good Emperors,” as he was known.
The Start of One’s Life
Hadrian’s Roman ancestors left Picenum, Italy, for southern Spain some 250 years before he was born. His father was born in Andalusia (modern-day Spain), and his mother was born in Gades (Cádiz). When it comes to Hadrian’s birthplace, some sources claim he was born in his father’s hamlet of Italica, while others claim he was born in Rome. When Hadrian’s father died in 85, he was placed in the care of two men: Trajan, a distant cousin who would later become the Roman emperor, and Acilius Attianus, who would later become a prefect of the Praetorian Guard under Hadrian. Hadrian’s first expedition to Italica, in the year 90, was the first of many. During his service, he developed a lifetime love of the outdoors and polished his hunting skills.
Hadrian’s career looked to have come to a halt for over a decade. At the same time, some of the brightest young Romans were struck down with the same kind of mental handicap. After Sura’s death, there was a new political power in Trajan’s court that was antagonistic to Sura, Plotina, and Hadrian. It’s conceivable Servianus was involved. Hadrian’s role as archon in 112 is commemorated in a surviving inscription at the Theatre of Dionysus, which offers insight into an otherwise obscure period in the Roman Emperor’s life. The philhellenism that characterized Hadrian’s rule can be seen in the way he dedicated himself to the Greeks and their culture amid a period of political lethargy. Hadrian’s star rose again after he fell out of favor with Emperor Vespasian, and he recaptured it right before his death.
Ascend to the Summit of the Mountain
He began his career as a senator in 91, while Trajan was consul, and worked his way up through the ranks. He was in charge of three Roman legions. He served in Upper Moesia, on the Danube River, as a Legion II Adjutrix, before being reassigned to Lower Moesia the following year (with the Fifth Macedonica). Hadrian was given the responsibility of traveling to Gaul at the end of the year 97 to congratulate Trajan, the newly adopted son of the sick Emperor Nerva, who had recently been named his successor.
Trajan’s ward was now a part of the imperial hierarchy. Inevitably, he’d be faced with hatred and jealousy. Julius Servianus, his brother-in-law, failed to prevent him from informing Trajan of Nerva’s death in 98. Servius was a constant threat to Hadrian’s position, hence the two men were unlikely to ever be friends again. Licinius Lucius Sura, Trajan’s most important political friend, was the one who planned Trajan’s rise to power. Because of Sura’s favor, Hadrian thrived for as long as he lived. Plotina, Trajan’s wife, appeared to be in favor of Hadrian’s war against Sura. For a time, Servianus was safe. Hadrian married Vibia Sabina, Trajan’s great-grandniece, in the year 100, thanks to Plotina’s assistance.
Hadrian served as quaestor to Trajan in the year 101, and he fought alongside Trajan in the Emperor’s first campaign in Dacia in the year 102. Hadrian was an extraordinary tribune of the plebes in 105 and a praetor in 106. Hadrian’s time as praetor during the second Dacian war was as impressive as his meteoric ascension through the ranks. In the year 107, he was governor of Lower Pannonia for a short time. In 108, Hadrian finally gained control of the consulate, the pinnacle of a senator’s career. Sura was elected to the position for the third time in 107, a prestigious honor granted to just a select few. Sura’s death so soon after Hadrian’s consulate was a crushing blow.
The policies of the Emperor
The Senate bestowed honors on Hadrian for his adoptive father and confirmed the army’s declaration. Slowly but steadily, the new emperor returned to Italy. On someone else’s orders, he needed to double-check the province’s essential commands, and it would be prudent to pick up a few dissidents at home before his return (as he could argue). His operations in Armenia and Mesopotamia were quickly abandoned.
Acilius Attianus was Rome’s prefect of the Praetorian Guard before Hadrian’s restoration. He had four senators with consular rank executed at his request, all of whom represented a threat to Hadrian’s safety. It was worrisome that the new administration began with such carnage, and Hadrian declared it to be against his wishes. He pinned the blame on Attianus, as he had done with other heinous acts, and linked them to Trajan’s now-dead orders. When Hadrian arrived in Rome in the summer of 118, he was in a rather safe position. His strategies for appealing to the public’s sentiment included gladiatorial shows and the legal cancellation of governmental debts. In addition, Attianus’ colleague in the prefecture, Sulpicius Similis, was sacked. Marcius Turbo and Septicius Clarus, both of whom owed much to Suetonius the biographer, were appointed as prefects by the new emperor Hadrian. Both of these people had fallen out of favor in a short amount of time.
Hadrian was either unpredictable or deliberate when it came to doling out favors. One account suggests that Hadrian served as an officer under Trajan during his final years of rule, the Parthian wars. When Trajan set sail for the west in 117, Hadrian was left in charge of Syria’s crucial army. Plotina and her colleagues, whom Trajan had trusted before Hadrian’s death, are also seen in significant commands alongside Hadrian’s friends. On August 9, Hadrian learned of Trajan’s adoption of him, which marked his accession to the throne. After it was announced that Trajan had died on his route to Rome, Hadrian was declared emperor on the 11th. A Plotina-led scheme has been suspected for a long time, but the truth will never be known. Trajan, of course, decided to send the Syrian army over to Hadrian.
Emperor Hadrian died on July 10th, AD 138
Hadrian, the third of the ‘Five Good Emperors,’ was known for his peaceful and prosperous reigns when he ascended to the throne. Hadrian was also known for his love of learning and large-scale construction projects; the Greeks adored him for his numerous construction projects in Athens.
In 136, when Hadrian’s health began to weaken, he began seeking a viable successor. Senator Julius Ursus Servianus, his brother-in-law, and Servianus’ great-grandson Pedanius Fuscus Salinator, Servianus’ great-great-grandson, were the emperor’s first choices. Hadrian, on the other hand, chose the extravagantly wealthy senator Lucius Ceionius Commodus (who served as consul for 136 years). Hadrian had Servianus and Pedanius killed in response to Servianus’ concerns. Servants, it appears, had long harbored ambitions for both himself and his grandson. Hadrian’s cruelty may have been justified, for all we know, by the threat of an insurrection against the emperor in response to Commodus’ adoption.
Hadrian’s creative abilities and accomplishments: Hadrian’s artistic nature could be seen in his poetry, architectural works, and even his personal style. Despite the artificiality of the subject matter and the lack of depth, the four complete poems he penned have survived, and they demonstrate a mastery of the art of verse.
Several years ago: Hadrian set out to rectify a significant flaw in Judaism during his final visit abroad. The Jews were on the point of revolt when Bar Kokhba (also known as Bar Koziba) assumed command. It’s unclear what had compelled them to do so. (johnsbrotherssecurity.com) In rabbinical literature, Hadrianic persecution that aroused dread and apostasy is mentioned. Circumcision was outlawed by Hadrian in the early 130s, which is the most plausible reason for this connection.
