Spring AD 124 – Hadrian visits Thrace and founds Hadrianopolis (#Hadrian1900)

After touring the province of Bithynia, where Hadrian may have first encountered Antinous (see here), the Emperor crossed the Sea of Marmara to Thrace. Accompanying him was the renowned sophist and teacher of rhetoric, Antonius Polemon. Polemon chronicled this journey in his Physiognomica, a physiognomy treatise later preserved in a 14th-century Arabic translation. In his writings, Polemon recalls, “I was a companion of the great King, and on the journey from Thrace to Asia, this fellow joined himself to the troops and ships which were escorting the King. We passed by many towns and came to the sea”. The itinerary and date of the visits recorded by Polemon remain in obscurity, but the passage fits Hadrian’s journey of AD 124.

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Polemon, about ten years younger than Hadrian, came from a distinguished Ionian family with a history dating back to the Late Republic. The family came from Laodicea on the Lycus, on the borders of Phrygia and Caria, and produced significant figures in successive generations, including kings in Pontus and Thrace, ambassadors, and at least one poet. Family members were well-known to the citizens of Asia, the emperors, and the Roman aristocrats. Trajan granted Polemon the privilege of unrestricted travel, a favour later extended by Hadrian. The sophist then became an ambassador to Hadrian and served on many missions for the Emperor.

Polemon’s considerable wealth and prestige played a significant role in the “Greek Renaissance” of the 2nd century AD. His patronage and support of intellectual and cultural endeavours were instrumental in this revival, leaving a lasting legacy on the era. Polemon spent much of his life in Smyrna, and when Hadrian’s favour shifted towards Ephesus, Polemon convinced him to focus on Smyrna instead. As a result, Hadrian granted ten million drachmas to the city, which were used to build a corn market, a gymnasium, and a temple. An inscription from Smyrna lists what the city received from Hadrian due to Polemon’s influence. Perhaps the most significant testament to his influence was his delivery of the panegyric speech at the inauguration of the Temple of Olympian Zeus in Athens in AD 132.

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The details of the journey in Thrace are unclear and can only be speculated upon (Birley, 1997). Aside from the account of his founding of Hadrianopolis, there are no literary records of his activities there. Even the commemorative coins, represented by two sestertii of the adventus and exercitus types minted later in Hadrian’s reign, do not provide any clues. However, inscriptions indicate some Imperial activity in the province.

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The Thracian kingdom, established in the 5th century BC in the eastern region of the Balkan Peninsula, was annexed to the Roman Empire in AD 46 under Claudius after the death of the Odrysian client king Rhoemetalkes III. Following Thrace’s integration into the Roman Empire, colonies were established. The first, Colonia Claudia Aprensis (Aprus), was founded by Claudius on the Via Egnatia, and the second, Colonia Flavia Pacis Deultensium (Deultum), was established by veterans of Legio VIII Augusta on the Black Sea under Vespasian. The province’s initial capital was Perinthus, located on the Via Egnatia on the north shore of the Sea of Marmara, where the Roman governor resided.

After the second Dacian War, probably around AD 107, Trajan made significant administrative changes in Thrace and elevated it to the status of a province with a governor of praetorian rank (legatus Augusti pro praetore). The provincial reorganisation under Trajan resulted in newly founded cities organised as Greek poleis, including Nicopolis ad Istrum and Trajanopolis, Augusta Traiana, Plotinopolis, and Marcianopolis, named after the Emperor and his family. A military camp was established in Cabyle, where a cohort was stationed from the 2nd to the 3rd centuries AD (AE 1991, 1402). Urbanisation started predominantly in the 2nd century AD, transforming the old Thracian elements into well-planned towns with smaller trading centres (emporia) focused on commerce, crafts, and agricultural products along main roads. Additionally, immigrants from Asia Minor also contributed to the growth of urban communities.

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Thrace, located between the western and eastern halves of the Roman Empire, served as a bridge between Europe and Asia. Two important roads, the Via Egnatia and the Via Militaris (or Via Diagonalis), played crucial roles in connecting Thrace to other regions. The older 2nd-century BC Via Egnatia cut across the southern part of Thrace, while the Via Militaris, built in the 1st century AD, ran diagonally from Byzantium (later Constantinople) to Singidunum (Belgrade), serving as the primary military road linking the legionary bases of the Middle Danube. These were the two main routes that Hadrian would have likely travelled during his tour of East Thrace.

Other lengthy roads run parallel to both sides of the Via Militaris. In AD 124, Hadrian repaired the road from Augusta Traiana through Cabyle to Anchialus and Mesambria on the Black Sea to the north. The Emperor also paved roads along the Black Sea to Tomis.

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While in the province, Hadrian refounded and renamed Orestias, present-day Edirne, Hadrianopolis (Birley, 1997). The Emperor, who delineated the extent of its new walls on an existing Greek settlement site, developed the city and adorned it with monuments. The author of the Vita Heliogabali mentions the event, saying that Hadrian renamed the city after he received an oracle, and adds a strange anecdote about Hadrian’s madness: “As for this city of Oresta, Hadrian after he had begun to suffer from madness, ordered that it should be called after his own name — also acting in obedience to a divine response, for he had been told to steal into the house or into the name of some madman.” (HA Elagabalus 7.8).

The Greek city of Orestias is believed to have been established on an earlier Thracian settlement called Uskudama (“water town”), the first Odrysian capital. According to legend, Orestias was founded by Orestes, the son of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra. The myth claims that Orestes established the city of Orestias at the location where he cleansed himself after killing his father. This foundation myth was preserved until late antiquity and is depicted on the reverse of a bronze coin issued under Gordian, showing Orestes, his sister Iphigeneia, his cousin Pylades and three reclining river gods at their feet (RPC VII.2, 666). During his visit, Hadrian expanded the town, constructed a large castrum, and renamed it Hadrianopolis (Greek: Αδριανούπολις).

Orestias was chosen as the future Hadrianopolis for several reasons. It had a strategic location on the Via Militaris and was situated at the confluence of three rivers, the Tonsus (modern Tundzha), Arpessos (modern Arda) and Hebros (modern Evros/Maritsa) and rivers. The Hebros, the longest river in Thrace, was navigable by flat-bottomed barges and connected Hadrianopolis with the Via Egnatia and the Aegean coast via the harbour city of Ainos (modern Enez), opposite the island of Samothrace (Herodotus, Historia book VII, 58-59). This allowed Hadrianopolis access to the Aegean Sea, which was crucial for its development. It enabled the city to engage in maritime trade without entirely relying on land routes for transportation and delivery of goods. River transportation to the inland regions was the most affordable and efficient method.

All three rivers are depicted as reclining river gods in a rare coin type minted in Hadrianopolis (RPC IV.1, 10601). On other types, only the main river god Hebrus is portrayed (RPC IV.1, 10606), or lying at the feet of an enthroned and turreted city goddess of Hadrianopolis (RPC IV.1, 9297). On the reverse of the coins, the name of Hadrianopolis (ΑΔΡΙΑΝΟΠΟΛΕΙΤΩΝ) appears as the legend. The surrounding area of Hadrianopolis was also ideal for agriculture. The region’s fertile soil resulted in its inhabitants rising to a high degree of prosperity. They carried on extensive commerce and were distinguished for their manufactures, especially of arms.

Hadrian oversaw the construction of a large castrum near the Tonsus River. It was surrounded by a six-metre-high defensive wall and had a layout resembling a typical Roman fortress with circular towers at the corners and gates and square turrets along the sides. The castrum measured approximately 600m x 700m, covering an area of about 400,000 square metres. Inside was a regular grid of streets intersecting at right angles, and two main avenues, Cardo Maximus and Decumanus Maximus, divided the area into four parts. Evliya Çelebi, an Ottoman explorer who travelled through the territory of the Ottoman Empire and neighbouring lands during the empire’s cultural zenith, visited the city in 1653 and mentioned in his travel book called the Seyahatnâme (“Book of Travel”) that Hadrian’s castrum was square, had four round towers, another twelve smaller rectangular shaped towers between the main towers and nine gates, and was surrounded by a ditch full of water. The city’s main gate is depicted on coins minted during Gordianus III’s reign (RPC VII.2, 695).

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The Byzantines maintained the castrum walls and added a second line of fortifications with new bastions on the four corners. Only one of the four defensive towers, the so-called Macedonian Tower, has been preserved today. The structure, about 16 m high on a round base, was built in stonework masonry with brick bands. It was transformed into a clock tower in 1886.

Only a very small part of the Castrum wall exists today, with traces of the fortification walls about 150 metres long. Excavations between 1999 and 2003 uncovered ovens used for ceramic production in the 1st century AD and structures believed to have been used as grain warehouses. Numerous tombs dating to the Roman and Byzantine periods were also found on the exterior of the Castrum walls. One of the steles depicts a family who lived in Hadrianopolis.

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Hadrianopolis was to become famous for the scene of a battle between Constantine and Licinius in 323 and the defeat of Valens by the Goths in 378. Modern destructive development has left practically nothing of the ancient city. Throughout the ages, the city maintained its importance thanks to its location at the intersection of commercial rivers and significant roads. During the Ottoman Empire, the city was used as a major base camp for military expeditions towards Europe. Above all, the city acted as the capital of the Ottoman Empire for approximately a hundred years.

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Hadrian’s tour of Thrace certainly included a visit to Perinthus (modern-day Ereğlisi). Perinthus was the headquarters of the provincial governor and Thrace’s administrative capital, located along the coast of Thracian Propontis (Sea of Marmara) on the Via Egnatia. A new legate, Quintus Tineius Rufus, had just arrived (AD 124-128), perhaps installed by Hadrian in person. Originally founded as a Samian colony around 602 BC, Perinthus was an important port city with two natural harbours and soon became a place of great trade. The eastern harbour was used for commercial purposes, while the western harbour served military functions. After the annexation of Thrace in AD 46, the Roman fleet named Classis Perinthia was established and stationed at Perinthus. This fleet was responsible for the Propontis and the Straits.

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Perinthus was built along the slope of a hill on a small peninsula. Excavation works, which began in 2022, are uncovering the ancient coastal city, which covers an area 1.5 kilometres long and 500 metres wide. This includes unearthing the theatre on the southeast slope of the Acropolis overlooking the sea, which is believed to be the largest in the Thrace region and measures 140 by 110 metres (approximately the size of the Ephesus theatre). Although the seats have vanished after centuries of looting, the excavation trenches reveal traces of the steps between the seating rows and the stage building (see here). Other prominent monuments of Perinthus comprise city walls, a bath complex, and a stadium. Despite the limited remains of the stadium, located at the feet of the Acropolis between the port and the theatre, its overall dimensions are estimated to have been 240 x 69 m.

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The importance of Perinthus in the Roman period is well-attested in literary sources and inscriptions. One Hadrianic inscription is of particular importance. It is a dedication by one Larcia Gepaipyris, who honoured Hadrian as Zeus Olympios and Eleutherios (this appellation is unique for Thrace) and his wife Sabina as New Demeter (Perinthos-Herakleia 37). The inscription, an architrave fragment, is dated to AD 131-138 (after the Olympios appellation given to the Emperor) and mentions an unknown building lavishly decorated and filled with imperial statues, probably a temple dedicated to Hadrian and Sabina (Sayar, 1998) or possibly just the city’s theatre (Seure, 1898). The nature of the building remains unclear, but it may belong to a type of sanctuary, such as the Olympieion in Athens (Topalilov, 2020).

The inscription was found in the 19th century, reused as spolia in a Byzantine church located on the southwestern slope of the Acropolis. Although fragmentary, the text is translated as follows (Raycheva, 2015; Topalilov, 2020):

‘To the Emperor Caesar, the son of the deified Trajan, Traianus Hadrianus Augustus, Zeus Olympios and Eleutherios and Sabina Augusta, the New Demeter (under the government of Publius… the praetorian legate of the emperor), Larcia Gepaipyris, daughter of Larcius Asiaticus, on the orders of and wholly at the expense of her father erected and consecrated (the sanctuary with the imperial cult image) and other statues that are erected in it.’

The construction of the building, initiated by Larcia Gepaipyris’ father, Larcius Asiaticus, is thought to be associated with Hadrian’s second visit to the city in the autumn of 131. The worship of Hadrian and Sabina may also be linked to the imperial decision to include Perinthus in the Panhellenic League. The Panhellenion was established in Athens around AD 131/132 during Hadrian’s third visit to Athens, which he reached from Thrace.

However, the temple’s construction was not linked with the granting of neokoria (temple warden) to the city by Hadrian. It was not until the time of the Severans that we find the first clear evidence of imperial temples in Perinthus. The city was honoured with the title neokoros twice, first by Septimius Severus and his sons Caracalla and Geta, then by Elagabalus. This is evident from the city coins and inscriptions. Several festivals linked to the neokoros status held by the city took place in the stadium. This title strongly indicated the city’s prominence in the region, as Perinthus was the only other city in Thrace with this neokoros status. From the end of the 3rd century AD, Perinthos was renamed Herakleia because the Perinthians regarded Heracles (Hercules) as the founder of their city.

Perinthus produced various types of coins from the reigns of Claudius to Gallienus. Some coins bear the image of Hadrian (see here) and Sabina (see here) with Heracles, the founder, on the reverse. Typically, the city’s name is displayed on the back of the coin, and from AD 107 onward, the governor’s name is also included. Maecilius Nepos is mentioned on the coins of Hadrian minted in AD 117/19 (see here).

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Another Thracian city that minted coins of Hadrian and Sabina was Bizye (modern-day Vize), on the road between Byzantium and Hadrianopolis. The minting of the city’s bronze coinage began under Hadrian. Most of the coin types show Bizye’s fortifications on the reverse. The names of the governors Maecilius Nepos and Quintus Tineius Rufus are shown on the reverse of some coins minted under Hadrian. The Roman fortifications of Bizye are still visible northwest of the town and are known today as the Vize Fortress. The fortress is believed to have been built originally in 72-76 BC and revived during the reign of Justinian I.

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Coela on the Thracian Chersonesus (Gallipoli Peninsula) also started minting coins during Hadrian’s reign. Hadrian converted the port city into a municipium, a privilege rarely seen in the East. Aelia was added to its name (AE 1924, 82), as seen on the coins with the Latin inscription AEL MVNICIPI COELANO (see here). The origins of Coela are obscure, but the town is known to have been the headquarters of the imperial administration. It likely contained a substantial number of imperial civil servants who, along with their families, would have been Roman citizens. Coela also organised athletic games, known as the Hadrianeia, in honour of the Emperor, likely to commemorate his visit.

It has been suggested that Hadrian may have travelled as far north as the Danube during his tour. While W. Weber, a German historian, argued that the Emperor visited the Moesian frontier and Pannonia, A. Birley believes this to be unlikely. After leaving Thrace, the imperial party crossed the Propontis and returned to Asia Minor with Antonius Polemo, this time to the province of Asia. Cyzicus was to be Hadrian’s first and perhaps most important stop.

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References & sources:

• Birley A.R. (1997), Hadrian The Restless Emperor, London, Roman Imperial Biographies
• Boatwright, M.T. (2000), Hadrian and the Cities of the Roman Empire, Princeton
• Yukdirim, Ş. (2021), Hadrianopolis, The City at the Intersection of the Rivers, Studies on EDİRNE from Prehistory to Republic, Trakya Üniversitesi Yayın No: 269
• Miszczak, I. (2021) Edirne: Gateway to the Balkans. ASLAN Publishing House
• Topalilov, I. (2020), On the Perinthos-Heraklea 37, Studia Antiqua et Archaeologica 26(1): 59–68 (link)
• Raycheva, M. (2015), The Imperial Cult in Perinthos, Archaeologia Bulgarica ХІХ, 2 (2015), 23-3 (link)

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