148 Dr. Kennedy Bailie's Researches amongst the inscribed Monuments 



a statue o^ the lord of the earth and sea, as Hadrian Is styled in this fine monu- 

 ment. If the execution of the sculptor was at all in proportion to that of the 

 engraver, the whole work must have been in the highest degree splendid. The 

 inscription is in every respect perfect, unless a critical eye would object to the dimi- 

 nutive size of the O, both long and short, which was, perhaps, intentional on the 

 part of the lapicide, and designed to produce a better effect in the ranging of the 

 lines. Perhaps he was apprehensive of not having sufficient space in some of the 

 lines, which certainly approached very closely to the edge of the stone, even with 

 the precaution he used, were he to engrave the full letters. It may be, that a 

 little negligence contributed its share to this curtailment of the fair proportions 

 of the letters in question : it certainly somewhat offends the eye. 



This titulus informs us, that the honour, that is, the erection of the statue, 

 was confided by the senate and people of the twice Neocore {Bis vecoKopoou) 

 Pergamenians to the prtetors {aTpar-qyols) of the time being, whose names are 

 recited ; and this is preceded by a very full list of the titles of the imperial object 

 of their gratitude, who is styled August, Chief Pontiff, seven times of Tribuni- 

 cial Authority, four times of Consular, the Lord of the Earth and Sea. His 

 adoption also by Trajan, on which Dio Cassius* has thrown so much doubt, is 

 implied in his being intituled the grandson of Nerva. 



It is well known, that the learned Dodwell has introduced into his historical 

 Prelections f an elaborate refutation of Dio's statements on this point: as also, 

 that more recently, the eloquent author of the Decline and Fall of the Roman 

 Empire has attempted a solution of the problem, by supposing that Trajan had, 

 in a season of imbecility and irresolution, yielded to the entreaties of Plotina, 

 and by a formal act of sonship, nominated her favourite his heir. | This is, in 

 effect, deciding the question against Dio, with whom it is abundantly evident, 

 notwithstanding the sentence of encomium of her he had before penned, § that 

 Plotina was no especial favourite : for to her efforts on behalf of Hadrian he 

 applies the highly equivocal expressions ipcoriKT] ^iXia. Yet the Greek histo- 

 rian speaks in the most positive tone, stating, moreover, that he had his informa- 

 tion from his father, a grave authority unquestionably, but yet not inaccessible, 

 constituted as the imperial court was, to the influence of less worthy motives. 



• Hist. Rom. Ixix. 1. | Prselect. xvi. pp. 506, ss. 



} Vid. Gibbon, ch.iii. p. 89. § Dio. u.s. kviii. 5. 



