The Emperor Hadrian By Mounia Amani Caroline Chong

The Emperor Hadrian By: Mounia Amani, Caroline Chong, Kayla Eleftheriou, and Jessica Venturina

Birth and Family ● Hadrian was born on January 24, 76 AD ● Father: Aelius Hadrianus After; Roman senator and the cousin of Emperor Trajan ● Mother: Domitia Paulina Gades

EARLY LIFE ● Schooled in the subjects related to young aristocrats during his time. ● Left his home at the age 14 to go join his uncle Trajan in the military. ● His father died in 85 AD, and Hadrian became the protector of Emperor Trajan and Acilius Attianus

APPEARANCE & PERSONALITY ● First emperor to have a beard. ● Tall, elegant and strong ● Clever, intellectually competitive, politically smart. ● Never relaxed ● A witty man, a storyteller ● A drinker

MILITARY ● Hadrian wasn’t really known for being a vicious or malicious ruler. ● He lacked major military conflicts. ● Except for the 2 nd Roman-Jewish War. ● He preferred peace over war and always tried to negotiate, like he did with Parthia. ● “Peace through strength. ”

EMPIRE ● Traveled broadly, inspecting and correcting the legions in the field. ● Hadrian was always making new projects, structures, and settlements. ● But, unlike other emperors he did not kick out people (conquer) from their land. He simply used all the vacant land he found or saw. ● His intention was to strengthen and build the empire from improved infrastructure.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS ● Around 122 A. D. , Hadrian ordered his soldiers to build a wall between Roman Britain and Scotland. ● Hadrian’s Wall, made of all stone, 11 feet high and stretching 73 miles, was his biggest accomplishment and took about 6 years to complete. ● This wall was the strength to maintain peace. ● Hadrian had aqueducts, bathhouses, theaters and libraries built. ● He was really the image of an ideal king and always got the affections of his people. (donations, gladiator games)

WEAKNESS Taking Control of the Empire ● Trajan was Roman emperor from 98 AD until his death in 117 AD ● It was through Hadrian’s guardian Attianus and Trajan’s wife, Plotina, that Hadrian became emperor when Trajan died ● Hadrian was not appointed as Trajan’s successor, so a plan was possibly assembled ● Hadrian did not wait for the Senate’s approval to start governing the Roman empire

WEAKNESS ● ● Conflicts with the Jews allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem and granted permission for rebuilding their Holy Temple However, Hadrian soon requested that the site of the temple would be moved he started deporting Jews to North Africa banned Jews from circumcisions

WEAKNESS Conflicts with the Jews (cont. ) ● Hadrian had people killed when they were thought to be threatening ● Hadrian started building a temple to Jupiter on the foundations of the Jewish Holy Temple ● He discriminated religious Jews ● Made anti-religious orders forbidding meetings in synagogues and other ritual practices

Contributions to Roman Life ● He created a safe place where the Romans could live without worry. ● He negotiated with other places to ensure that there would be no attacks. ● There were no major conflicts apart from the Second Roman-Jewish war.

Contribution to Culture ● Hadrian liked demonstrating knowledge to artistic fields. ● He loved to write poetry in both Greek and Latin. ● He contributed the beard, which symbolizes Philhellenism.

Sustaining Rome ● Hadrian did a great job of sustaining Rome because he was able to keep trouble (war and attacks) out of rome. ● He created a strong army to protect his empire. ● Made art and architecture a major part of Roman culture.

DEATH AND SUCCESSION ● Died on July 10, 138 AD at the age of 62 ; possibly of heart disease. ● Romans built a temple in the Campus Martius after his death- part of it survived ● He had no children from his marriage.