On 25 August AD 117, two weeks after Hadrian's proclamation in Antioch, the new prefect of Egypt (Praefectus Aegypi), Quintus Rammius Martialis, addressed a circular letter to the strategoi of the Egyptian districts (nomes) announcing the imperial accession of Hadrian and instructing them to declare festivities for ten days. The document, written in Greek, has been… Continue reading 25 August AD 117 – The announcement of Hadrian’s accession in Alexandria (#Hadrian1900)
On August 12 AD 117, Marcus Ulpius Phaedimus, a twenty-eight-year-old freedman and personal servant of Trajan, died in Selinus, Cilicia. This occurred just a few days after Trajan's death and only one day after Hadrian received the news of Trajan's passing. This coincidence added to the mystery surrounding the circumstances of Hadrian's adoption. Phaedimus, who… Continue reading 12 August AD 117 – A mysterious death occurs in Selinus (#Hadrian1900)
On 11 August AD 117, news of Trajan's death in Selinus reached Hadrian, who was 41 and serving as the provincial governor of Syrian Antioch. The Syrian army immediately proclaimed its legate as Imperator. From that day forward, August 11 would be celebrated as Hadrian's dies imperii, marking the anniversary of his accession as emperor.… Continue reading 11 August AD 117 – Hadrian is proclaimed emperor in Antioch (#Hadrian1900)
On 9 August AD 117, Trajan's letter of adoption (litteras adoptionis) was made public when it reached Hadrian in Antioch. Hadrian was now Caesar. As mentioned earlier (see here), there had been some uncertainty about whether Trajan had adopted Hadrian as his son and successor before his death or if Plotina staged the adoption. The… Continue reading 9 August AD 117 – Trajan’s letter of adoption reaches Hadrian (#Hadrian1900)
On 8 August AD 117, after a 19-year reign of military glory, Emperor Trajan died at the coastal town of Selinus in western Cilicia (present-day Gazipaşa, about 180 km East of Antalya on the southern coast of Turkey). According to Cassius Dio, Trajan fell seriously ill after an unsuccessful siege of the Mesopotamian city of… Continue reading 8 August AD 117 – Trajan dies at Selinus (#Hadrian1900)
At the start of the month, I headed to Hadrian’s Wall to attend some of the Roman events taking place to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Hadrian’s Wall being a UNESCO World Heritage Site and 1,900 years since Hadrian became Emperor. Hadrian’s Cavalry was the theme chosen for the celebrations, with a fantastic programme of… Continue reading Turma! Hadrian’s Cavalry Charge in Carlisle
On the eastern tip of the Rodopou Peninsula in West Crete are the scanty remains of a temple dedicated to the Cretan goddess Diktynna (Diktynnaion). Diktynna was the virgin goddess of hunting, worshipped fervently in western Crete as the patroness of hunters and fishermen. Diktynna's name may be connected with Mount Dikte, but the Greek… Continue reading The Hadrianic Temple of Diktynna in Crete
This month's sculpture from Hadrian's Villa is a grey basalt Osiris-Canopus jar. The vase represents a form of the Egyptian god Osiris depicted as a jar topped by a human head known as Osiris-Hydreios, or commonly Osiris-Canopus, because it was originally exclusively connected to the Canopic region of Egypt. It was discovered in the middle… Continue reading Art and sculptures from Hadrian’s Villa: Osiris-Canopus jar
The Acropolis Museum in Athens celebrated the 1900th anniversary of Hadrian's accession with the presentation of an exquisite portrait of the Emperor found on Syngrou Avenue and an interesting video showcasing the Emperor's immense building program in Athens. The presentation ran from 15 January to 31 March 2017. Hadrian was a dedicated philhellene who admired… Continue reading Hadrian at the Acropolis Museum of Athens
This month's sculptures from Hadrian's Villa are a pair of marble herms whose heads are traditionally identified as Tragedy and Comedy. According to the Italian archaeologist Giovanni Battista Visconti, both herms were found in 1735 by the owner of the Villa, Giuseppe Fede, near the entrance of the Greek Theatre. They were acquired in 1777… Continue reading Art and sculptures from Hadrian’s Villa: Herms of Tragedy and Comedy
