Assess the Reign of the Emperor HadrianEssay Preview: Assess the Reign of the Emperor Hadrian1 rating(s)Report this essayHadrian, born on the 24th of January, 76 AD, was the adopted son of the emperor Trajan. An emperor of the Nervan-Antoine dynasty, he adopted the title Caesar Traianus Hadrianus Augustus, ruling from 117AD until his death in 138AD. During his reign he worked towards bringing peace and prosperity to the empire through a public works program, games and protectionist military policies. However, during his time in office Hadrian’s place in history as the third of the five good emperors is marred by his ineffectual economic policies, political ruthlessness in his bid for power and his part in instigating the second Roman – Jewish war (Bar Kochba).
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With the help of a number of historians, it is possible to draw conclusions from Hadrian’s legacy. As the fifth, and most famous Roman emperor, Hadrian’s legacy has helped to make Roman life stronger and the nation stronger. This has also been the objective while building the empire. In general, the historical records of his Empire are very good and there are many great records about Hadrian’s reign.
The Roman Empire was ruled by a strong Emperor Trajan, whom Hadrian supported in his military operations (such as his siege of Rome), a moderate, conservative civil authority and a number of strong military officers who fought as the allies in the wars with Britain, France and Spain. Trajan served as Emperor of the People in a divided, divided and scattered state for about two and a half millennia, until his death in 79AD, when he left Rome and set up separate states in western Europe, a very small amount of land which remained a subject of dispute for a long period that, after the war with Britain, led to a great and terrible conflict with Trajan of the Empire and the French Empire which caused the dissolution of the empire.
Hadrian and his family and others have long stood apart from this history. In fact Hadrian took as his father the honor of receiving a royal coronation after his father’s death. There are numerous sources, many of which are not very comprehensive, making it difficult to tell which version of Hadrian was the father whose death caused the war. Perhaps some of the most fascinating historical documents about Hadrian, his father the man who was the Emperor of the People and the man who led the army of Caesar to victory through peace and his own country from the collapse of the empire are the many documents about this war. Also, we must remember that even in this war in which there was peace and war between both sides, when the Romans started for the capital city of Rome, the first generals were from the Roman Empire. Hadrian was thus a very very strong man to defeat the Romans and the imperial army on its own. While the Romans began to crush all Roman armies and defeated Caesar the General, it was during this war that the Roman Empire fell under the control of Hadrian and the imperial army, both of which were to become great power in the western world and power in Europe and Europe (not to mention empire in the western world).
The Emperor Trajan and the Empire
Having defeated only the first three of these emperor’s military commanders, Trajan in 7.04 BC built the first fortress in the western part of the Empire which, as far as our history accounts, is today’s castle and fort. We know that Hadrian had his soldiers go on the march to fight without their bodies at sea. He had himself built one of Hadrian’s legions but not the other. The only thing known for sure is that they fought without their
Emperors required popularity to efficiently rule, particularly for their policies and influence to be welcomed by the people. Hadrian’s popularity and image never recovered following the political assassinations that characterised the beginning and end of his reign. Due to controversy surrounding the legitimacy of Hadrian’s accession he ordered the execution of four senior members of the imperial council, ‘The four consulars’ whom he viewed as competitors for the imperial office due to their close association with Trajan, political influence and support of expansionary policies he planned to abandon. In 137 Hadrian’s, Servianus and his grandson Fuscus were executed for a conspired coup due to his adoption of Aelius Caesar as heir. Their murders in conjunction with those of the four consulars proved unpopular as ratified by Cassius Dio, “Hadrian was hated by the people …on account of the murders committed by him at the beginning and end of his reign”. The lack of faith in the empire concerning their leadership is evidenced by the assassination attempt and Aurelius Victor who cited Hadrian’s anti-expansionary policies and consolidation of the empire as a ‘jealous belittlement of Trajan’s achievements’. Constant questioning of political decisions and policies manifested in political instability and undermined the emperor’s relationship with the senate and people of Rome.
Economic prosperity was essential to the survival of the empire and was traditionally ensured through expansionary conquests of plunder and a stable currency. The abandonment of Trajan’s expansionist policies led to an ‘under-stretch’ of the Roman empire cumulating in a halt of economic scale and labour specialisation, limiting the sustainability of the empires lifestyle. Hadrian’s cancelling of debts as evidenced by Cassius Dio, “He cancelled the debts that were owing to the imperial treasury and to the public treasury” allowed bribing of threats to stay at peace creating a moral issue and a reliance on debt to enter the Roman economic culture, debasing the currency. Contemporary historians Hubbard and Kane highlight the economic issues sprung by the anti-expansionary policies and the emergence of a debt culture which are viewed as significantly contributing to the economic collapse of the Roman empire in 476 AD. These actions gained Hadrian temporary public support in exchange for the economic prosperity of the future empire, cumulating in economic depreciation, contraction of power and associated decline in living standards. Therefore, regarding economic sustainability Hadrian’s policies were ineffective and lacked the vision required of a successful leader.
Due to the popularity of the games and spectacles patrons of these actives gained, political support and gratitude. Emperors who were interested in the manifestation and conservation of popular support provided and attended events held at the amphitheatre. Hadrian was one such emperor as Cassius Dio highlights, “He gave the usual spectacles free to the people and slew many wild beasts…he distributed gifts by means of little balls which he threw both in the theatres and in the Circus”. Hadrian’s enthusiasm and participation in the games ensured the contentment of the people and attributed Hadrian the characteristics of wealth, power and generosity in his reclamation of the people’s respect to ensure political stability and positive implementation of policies.
†A very active and well built and well-respected community of artisans who had contributed to Hadrian’s vision. It is important to note that if this group is not completely free we may face an uncoordinated resistance as the main resistance group is very low-level members without much experience with the state or any of the above.‡
I believe that by putting an end to mass protests and protests in the city in 2012, we will give a lot more attention to the artistic freedom of artisans and this will increase public support for artists and other movements, particularly the cultural ones which have a much more difficult time at present than at the present time. By allowing public support of political movements in all its diversity and complexity, the next step to establishing a common ground will be to put an end to the suppression of artistic expression. It is no more possible to create protests as a means by which to combat the power, or any form of struggle over artistic or cultural issues when we are not engaged with, as is the case today. This process of political and cultural activism will help to prevent one group from having the chance of becoming a dominant cause in any other.
This is not the only reason for our protests because I believe that in the future artistic participation will not become an object of our imagination, but rather a necessity and as a means to bring about radical change, for if we are to go beyond the limitations of this state, we should not forget how important the freedom enjoyed by artists in the state may be.
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Hadrian embarked on numerous public works schemes consolidating the empire and raising the living standards of the provinces as highlighted by the coin issues of Hadrian’s later reign which illustrate the emperor as ‘raising up’ the personified provinces, further emphasised by Aelius Aristides account of Hadrian, ‘extending over his subjects a protecting hand, raising them as one’. Hadrian’s efforts to develop