The spectacular Pergamon Panorama exhibition, currently hosted by the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, is a journey to the ancient Greek city of Pergamon in Asia Minor as it existed in AD 129. It depicts the Roman era under Hadrian, who spent some time in the city. The Panorama was developed in 2011 by the artist… Continue reading Exhibition: Pergamon 360° Panorama, the ancient city as it looked during the time of Hadrian
One thousand nine hundred years ago, Hadrian most likely celebrated the new year (year 871 Ab urbe condita) in Nicomedia, the capital of the province of Pontus and Bithynia in worth-west Asia Minor. After a short stay in Nicaea (see previous post here), Hadrian and his army continued to march towards Byzantium along the Gulf… Continue reading January AD 118 – Hadrian inaugurates the new year in Nicomedia (#Hadrian1900)
2017 was a very special year for me as the year marked the 1900th anniversary of the accession of Hadrian to the imperial throne and the start of my Hadrian 1900 project. I travelled to 9 countries, visited 57 new archaeological sites, 21 new archaeological museums and attended 4 exhibitions. Here’s an overview of my… Continue reading My 2017 travel round-up
On the news of Trajan's death and Hadrian's accession, embassies from every part of the empire were sent to pay homage to the new Emperor. They carried letters of congratulations with them and each received a written answer which would be taken home and proudly reproduced in stone to be displayed in a public space.… Continue reading End of AD 117 – Hadrian sends a letter of reply to Hierapolis (#Hadrian1900)
Around the end of November 117, after crossing the plateau of central Bithynia, Hadrian arrived in Nicaea (modern Iznik), one of the most important towns of the Bithynian province. From Juliopolis, where he had stayed on November 11 (see previous post here), the imperial party marched west along the river Sangarius and entered Nicaea through… Continue reading Late November AD 117 – Hadrian arrives in Nicaea (#Hadrian1900)
After spending a few days in Ancyra, the Galatian capital (see previous post here), Hadrian continued to travel westward towards the Danube provinces. He reached the little town of Juliopolis just inside Bithynia on the 11th of November. Epigraphic evidence has revealed that Hadrian addressed a missive to Pergamum from Juliopolis, a formal letter of thanks… Continue reading 11 November AD 117 – Hadrian reaches Juliopolis in Bithynia (#Hadrian1900)
At the end of October 117, Hadrian arrived in Ancyra (modern Ankara, Turkey), the chief city of the province of Galatia. The Emperor was travelling back to Rome via the Danube region. He probably reached the Galatian capital by the end of October, as suggested by the itinerary inscription found in Rome (see previous posts… Continue reading End of October AD 117 – Hadrian reaches Ancyra in Galatia (#Hadrian1900)
On 17 October 117, Hadrian reached the city of Tyana, situated at the foot of the Taurus mountains near the Cilician Gates. Thanks to epigraphical evidence, a fragment of an itinerary found in Rome, we know that Hadrian left Antioch at the beginning of October AD 117 and travelled northwards towards Ancyra (modern Ankara). The… Continue reading 17 October AD 117 – Hadrian arrives in Tyana (#Hadrian1900)
At the beginning of October AD 117, the moment came for Hadrian to depart from Antioch, leaving the command of the province of Syria to Catilius Severus, who had just been installed as legate. But the Emperor could not return directly to Rome. He had received news of the uprising of the Sarmatian tribes who… Continue reading 13 October AD 117 – Hadrian travels back to Rome and reaches Mopsucrene (#Hadrian1900)
On 12 August AD 117, Trajan's freedman and personal servant, the twenty-eight-year-old Marcus Ulpius Phaedimus, died in Selinus in Cilicia just a few days after his master and within a day of Hadrian receiving the news of Trajan's death. This coincidence only deepened the mystery surrounding the circumstances of Hadrian's adoption. Phaedimus, who had presumably… Continue reading 12 August AD 117 – A mysterious death occurs in Selinus (#Hadrian1900)
