A D R ^ 



beginning of the following year, cr the f<;venth year after 

 his departure. The nth and 12th years of Adrian's reign 

 are quite barren of events. In the year 129 or 130, the 

 cities of iN'icomedia, Cxfarea, and Nicxa, in IJithynia, were 

 ahiioft demolilhed by an earthquake, and they were rebuilt 

 at the expenee of the emperor, who was on this account de- 

 nominated the reltorer of Bitiiynia. In the couvfe of 

 this year he again departed for Africa ; where, after a 

 d^-ought of five years, it rained upon his arrival, and the in- 

 habitants, who received many favours from the emperor, 

 aferibed the bleffing to his prefence. From Africa, he re- 

 turned in the fame year to Rome, where he eaufed the ob- 

 fequies of Plotina to be performed with extraordinary mag- 

 nificence. He lamented her death with great forrow, com- 

 pofed verfcs in her praife, and cauf<_d her to be ranked amoucr 

 the gods. In the ye;'r 131, he left Rome with a d^'fign to 

 revifit the provinces uf the call, and paifnig througli Athens, 

 purfued his journey into Afia, where he confecrated feva'al 

 temples. From Afia he paifed into Syria, from thence into 

 Paleftine and Arabia, and afterwards into Egypt, in the 

 fourteenth year of his reign, when the famous eololTus of 

 Rhodes fliouk, according to the Alexandrian chronicle. 

 During this, and the foliovving year, he continued in Egypt. 

 At Pelufium he vifited the tomb of Pompey the Great, 

 which he repaired ; he alfo repaired the city of Alexandria, 

 and reftored their ancient privileges to the Alexandrians, 

 vvhofe dilpofition and charatter he difliked, and who recom- 

 penled his kindncis witli violent himpoons after his de- 

 parture. From Egypt he pafiTed into Libya Cyrenaica, 

 where he killed a lion of enormous fizc, tliat had com- 

 mitted many depredations in the country. During his Hay 

 in Egypt, the youth Antinous, to whom Adrian was crimi- 

 nally attached, fell into the Nile, and was drowned. Dion 

 Caffius lays, (torn. ii. p. 1160. Ed. Reim.) that he was 

 facriiiced by Adrian, who being addicted to magic, con- 

 ceived that he ihould prolong his life by facrificing a human 

 viftim to the infernal gods. In the following year Adrian 

 returned to Syria, and having pafled through Thrace and 

 MaceJon, he continued for lome time at Athens. Dur- 

 ing his refidencc at Athens, the Jews revolted on occaiion 

 of the emperor's fending a Roman colony to Jerufalem, 

 calling the city jEIia Capitolina, after the name of his fa- 

 mily, and eredling a temple to Jupiter Capitolinus in the 

 place where the ancient temple itood. The war with the 

 Jews was attended by the invafion of the provinces of 

 the empire by the Alani, or Maflageta:, a people of 

 Sarmatia. At Athens Adrian was muA pleafed with 

 the cuftoms and learning of the people. Here he af- 

 fumed the habit peculiar to the dignity of Archon, cele- 

 brated die grand fcilival of Bacchus, and embellifhed it with 

 many (lately buildings, and particularly with a libraiy of 

 aftoni(liiT;g ilrufture ; infomueh, that he was revered as the 

 fecond founder of the city, and one quarter of it was from 

 him called \,'hlr'ianctpoUs. In the year 135, the emperor left 

 Athens and returned to Rome. Here he fell into a linger- 

 ing difeafe, attended with a bleeding at the nofe, which termi- 

 nated in a dropfy. Adrian, contrary to the univerfal expefta- 

 tion, and the renionftrance of his friends, adopted Commodus 

 Verus, who was created prretor, appointed governor of 

 Pannonia, and in the following year advanced to the conful- 

 (hip. The emperor retired to Tibur, now Tivoli, where 

 he erefted a magnificent villa ; but his diforder increafing, 

 and being aggravated by his licentious mode of living, he 

 indulged his natural cruelty, and eaufed many illuilnaus 

 perfons to be arraigned and executed, and u.hers to be pri- 

 vately murdered. In the beginning of the year 138, Verus 

 died, and was ranked by Adrian among the gods, and 



ADR 



temples were built and ftatucs crcdlcd to liis memory hj 

 the orders of the emperor. Upon his death, Titus Anto- 

 niiuis was adopted ; and after his adoption the empref* 

 Sabina died, iuppofed to be poiloned by Adrian, or fo ill 

 ufed, th:it (he laid violent hands on herfclf. Adrian, how- 

 ever, eaufed her to be ranked among tlie gods. The em- 

 peror's impatience increafed with his diforder, and having 

 put feveral fenators to death, and ordered others for execu- 

 tion, whom Antoninus prefeiTed, he attempted to dellroy 

 himfelf, but was prevented by Antoninus from executing 

 his purpofe. At length he removed from Rome to Baix, 

 in Campania, where he hadened his dcalli by liis intem- 

 perance ; and here he died, on the lOth of July, in the year 

 139, after having lived 62 years, 5 months, and 17 day., and 

 having reigned 2i years and 1 1 months. His body was burnt 

 at Puteoli, and his allies were conveyed to Rome, where 

 they were depohted in the niagnirieent mRufolcum, whiel» 

 he had conilrucled for himfelf near the Tiber. 'I'he Senate 

 intended to annul all his atls, but Antoninus oppoftd ihu 

 meafure ; cauied him to br deified, built a temple al Puteoh, 

 and inlUtuted annual fports to his honour, with priefts, fra- 

 ternilics, and viiftims. No prince ever erected fo many 

 public aud private edifices as Adrian. The regulations 

 which he elbiblifiied for the maintenance of diicipline among 

 the troops were afterwards regarded as the military laws of 

 the Romans, and many of the laws which he enafted were 

 obferved till the end uf the fourth centuiy. He prohi- 

 bited all thofe private work-hou!es, which were habitations- 

 of llavery and wretehednefs ; and he was not only a man of 

 learning himfelf, but he encouraged literature and fciencci 

 Many of his works, both in profe and verfe, were publiHied 

 under his own name, and the names of other diftinguhhed 

 perfons. His Greek poem, called the Alexandriad, has 

 been quoted by fome of the ancients. In his Catacriani, 

 mentioned by Spartian, he pretended to imitate Antima- 

 chus, whom he prefeiTed to Homer. He was fo ambitious 

 of fame, that he wrote his own Lfe in feveral books, fomc 

 fragments of which are ftill extant. His reign was dilHn- 

 guilhed in the hillory of literature, by a very conliderable num- 

 ber of learned men, among whom we may reckon Phlegon, 

 F"avorinus, Epiftctus, Arrian, Plutarch, Dionyfius of Ilali- 

 carnaffus, Philo of Byblos, Suetonius, and Floras. 



Adrian's reputation for talents and learning has been uni- 

 verfally allowed. His memory was fo retentive, that he 

 could repeat a whole book, after having once perufed it ; 

 and he knew the name of every foldier in his ai-my. He ex- 

 celled in evei'y branch of learning, :ujd was, without doubt, 

 the bell orator, poet, "grammarian, philofoplK-r, and mathe- 

 matician of his time. He was eminent for drawing and 

 painting, and for his Ikill in the theory and praflice of 

 mufic. Fie ufed at the fame time to write, didlate to fevc- 

 ral fecretaries, give audience to his minillcrs, and difcourfe 

 with them about affairs of the grcatell importance : and his 

 court was crouded with men dillinguilhed in every branch 

 of literature and feience. In his natural difpofition he was 

 fufpicious, envious, lafcivious, and cruel ; and his general 

 character exhibited a itrange compofition of virtues and 

 vices. To his friends he was courteous and affable, and his 

 liberality v/as unbounded. But he was ever ready to give 

 ear to flandercrs, and to believe every tale that was whif- 

 pered againft him, fo that thofe who were once mod dillin- 

 guilhed by his favour were difgraced, banifhed, and put to 

 death. Capricious and unlleady in his attachment, and 

 violent in his refentment, he was dillrulted by his friends, 

 and dreaded by his enemies. Neverthelefs, the great and 

 the rich did not fuffer under his government from unjuil 

 condemnations and forfeitures. He knew how to pardon 



offcncet ; 



