Early AD 124 – Hadrian spends the winter in Nicomedia, tours Bithynia and...
After sailing along the southern Black Sea coast, possibly visiting the Pontic towns of Amisus, Sinope and Amastris (see here), Hadrian is thought to have spent the winter of 123/4 in Nicomedia or...
View ArticleSpring 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...
View ArticleSummer AD 124 – Hadrian tours Asia, visits Cyzicus and Troy and hunts a...
In the late spring of AD 124, Hadrian departed from Thrace (see here) and travelled back to Asia Minor, this time to the Roman province of Asia. He was accompanied by the sophist Antonius Polemo and...
View ArticleSummer AD 124 – Hadrian tours Asia (part 2) and visits Pergamon and Sardis...
The second part of Hadrian’s journey through the province of Asia in the Summer of 124 took him southward to the great cities of Pergamon, Sardis, Smyrna and Ephesus. From Hadrianotherae, where the...
View ArticleSummer AD 124 – Hadrian tours Asia (part 3), visits Smyrna and Ephesus and...
After Pergamon and Sardis (see here), two other great cities of western Asia had their turn to receive Hadrian and his party, Smyrna and Ephesus. Both metropoleis were perennial rivals, competing with...
View ArticleAutumn AD 124 – Hadrian arrives in Athens and attends the Eleusinian...
Eleven years had passed since Hadrian last visited Athens. During his stay there, while in his mid-thirties, he became an Athenian citizen, enrolled in the tribe Besa and served as archon (IG II² 2024)...
View ArticleThe Eight Faces of Hadrian in Tivoli
Earlier this year, the Mouseia of Villa Adriana hosted an exhibition dedicated to the portraits of Emperor Hadrian. Titled “Io Sono Una Forza Del Passato: Adriano, i ritratti” (“I Am a Force of the...
View ArticleFelicem diem natalem, Hadriane! 🎂
Happy 1949th birthday, Hadrian! In keeping with tradition, I made a birthday cake for Hadrian. This time, I decided to bake a Roman honey cake.. 🎂 Ingredients: 3 eggs 200 grams liquid honey 50 grams...
View ArticleWinter AD 124/5 – Hadrian tours the Peloponnese (part 1) and visits Megara,...
After attending the Eleusinian Mysteries (see here), Hadrian embarked on a brief tour of the Peloponnese accompanied by Sabina. His presence in several renowned cities during this period is well...
View ArticleWinter AD 124/5 – Hadrian tours the Peloponnese (part 2) and visits Sparta...
Hadrian spent much of the winter of 124/125 touring the Peloponnese, visiting all the major cities and providing benefactions to them. The first part of his journey took him to Megara, Athens’ old...
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