Hadrian (76-138 CE) was Roman emperor from 117 to 138, the successor and adopted heir of Trajan. Rather than continue his predecessor's wars of expansion, he consolidated the empire's existing frontiers, most famously ordering the construction of Hadrian's Wall across northern Britain to mark and defend the empire's edge. He was known for extensive personal travel throughout the provinces, visiting nearly every part of the empire during his reign, and for major building projects, including the rebuilding of the Pantheon in Rome in the form that largely survives today. His reign also saw the brutal suppression of the Bar Kokhba revolt in Judea, after which he barred Jews from Jerusalem and renamed the province. He is generally counted among the 'Five Good Emperors' of the second century.
Facts
BirthplaceItalica, Hispania Baetica (modern Santiponce, near Seville, Spain) 1 One Roman biographer claims Hadrian was born in Rome instead; this is held by only a minority of modern scholars. Role
Role (category) FAQs
Was Hadrian's Wall built only for defence?
It was a boundary marker and probably also a show of Roman power.
Probably not only for defence. It marked the northern boundary of the Roman Empire in Britain, but World History Encyclopedia notes that the length and breadth of the project, stretching from coast to coast, suggests that the more important purpose of the wall was a show of Rome's power.
Connections
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Source Wikipedia: Hadrian
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Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject originated.
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Hadrian
WikipediaLead paragraph, birth/death dates
Hadrian ( HAY-dree-ən; born Publius Aelius Hadrianus, 24 January 76 - 10 July 138) was Roman emperor from 117 to 138.
Early life section
Publius Aelius Hadrianus was born on 24 January 76, in Italica (modern Santiponce, near Seville), a Roman town founded by Italic settlers in the province of Hispania Baetica during the Second Punic War at the initiative of Scipio Africanus; Hadrian's branch of the Aelia gens came from Hadria (modern Atri), an ancient town in the Picenum region of Italia, the source of the name Hadrianus.
Lead paragraph, summary
Hadrian died the same year at Baiae, and Antoninus had him deified, despite opposition from the Senate.
Lead paragraph, birth name
Hadrian ( HAY-dree-ən; born Publius Aelius Hadrianus, 24 January 76 - 10 July 138) was Roman emperor from 117 to 138.
Hadrian: Gender
Rather than continue his predecessor's wars of expansion, he consolidated the empire's existing frontiers, most famously ordering the construction of Hadrian's Wall across northern Britain to mark and defend the empire's edge.
In Era: Classical Antiquity, lead paragraph, lifespan
Hadrian ( HAY-dree-ən; born Publius Aelius Hadrianus, 24 January 76 - 10 July 138) was Roman emperor from 117 to 138.
View the Source Wikidata: Hadrian
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