IGII2 3286 Athens honours Hadrian

Athens honours Hadrian

IG II² 3286 Date: 112/3 AD

Latin Text To Publius Aelius Hadrian son of Publius of the Sergia tribe, consul (108 AD), one of the seven men of the banqueters (septemviro epulonum), Augustal comrade (sodali Augustali), legate and propraetor of Emperor Nerva Trajan Caesar Augustus Germanicus Dacicius during Pannonia Inferior, praetor and at the same time legate of the legion I Minervia pious and loyal for the Dacian War, also tribune of the plebs, quaestor of Emperor (5)Trajan and member of his staff (comiti) on the Dacian Expedition, twice awarded military honours by him, tribune of the legion II Adiutrix pious and loyal, also of the legion V Macedonica, also of the legion XXII Primigenia pious and loyal, one of the six men commanding a troop of cavalry of the Romans (seviro turmae equitum Romanorum), prefect during the Latin Festival (feriarum Latinarum), one of the ten men for judging lawsuits (decemviro stlitibus iudicandis) Greek Text The Areopagos Council and the Council of the Six Hundred and the People of the Athenians (erected this statue of) their own archon (112/3), (10)Hadrian.^[1]

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References:

IG II² 3286 (Translated text) (PHI)

CIL III 550 (EDH)

ILS 308

SIA VI 3 (PHI)

Højte, Statue Bases 186

Translation by: Chris de Lisle

Images: EDH - (1)
Wikimedia Commons - (1)

Monument type: Base

Inscription type: Statue base (Areopagos, Council, and People)

Findspot: Theatre of Dionysos (central wedge, third step) (Athens Ephoria ΝΚ 267)

Transliterations on Places on

[1] This base for a statue in honour of the future emperor Hadrian (r. 117-138 AD) on the occasion of his Athenian archonship in 112/3 AD consists of a long Latin inscription recounting Hadrian's early career in Roman service (ll. 1-7) and a short Greek inscription honouring him for the Athenian archonship (ll. 8-10). There are two holes in top for the feet of a bronze statue. The base was found in its original location in the theatre of Dionysos, on the third step of the central wedge of seating, with the thrones for the hoplite general and herald of the Areopagos, two of the chief officials of Roman-period Athens (IG II³ 4, 1920-1921), on one side and a large uninscribed base on the other. As archon, Hadrian would have overseen the Dionysia festival and its theatrical performances, hence the commemoration of his archonship with a statue in the theatre. After Hadrian's accession, probably at the time of his second visit in 124/5 AD, when he again presided over the Dionysia festival (Dio Cassius 69.16.1; Hist. Aug. Vit. Hadr. 13.1), further statue bases were erected at the front of the other twelve wedges of seating in the theatre by each of the Athenian tribes (IG II² 3287A-3287D) and the stage building was rebuilt with sumptuous relief sculpture (see M. C. Sturgeon, AJA 81, 1977, 31-53; C. Papastamati von Moock, in T. Stephanidou-Tiberiou, P. Karanastasi, D. Damaskos, Κλασική παράδοση και νεωτερικά στοιχεία στην πλαστική της ρωμαϊκής Ελλάδος, 2012, 129-150). This monumentalisation of the theatre was part of a wider programme associating Hadrian with Dionysos (cf. IG II² 1350; IG II³ 1929). On Hadrian and his relationship with Athens, see IG II² 5185 with notes.

The Latin text includes a cursus honorum (list of official roles) held by Hadrian up to 117 AD, given roughly in reverse chronological order, but with thematically similar items bundled together (on the logic of these texts, see C. Bruun in Oxford Handbook of Roman Epigraphy, 2015, 202-26). This is the fullest account of Hadrian's early career, which was very successful, but broadly typical for the son of a Roman senator (cf. A. Birley, Hadrian 1997, 29-57). At age eighteen in 94 AD, Hadrian was one of the ten men for judging lawsuits (decemvir stlitibus iudicandis), who presided over civil cases in Rome; the prefect who filled in for the consuls while they were out of Rome for the Latin Festival; and one of six cavalry commanders for the annual equestrian procession though Rome on 15 July. In 95-96 AD, he was military tribune (deputy commander) of the legion II Adiutrix at Aquincum (modern Budapest) in Pannonia, which was probably governed by his cousin and legal guardian Trajan at the time. In 96-97 AD, he was tribune of the V Macedonica at Oescus in Moesia Inferior, and in 97-98 AD tribune of the XXII Primigenia based at Mogontiacum (modern Mainz) in Germania Superior, again governed by Trajan, who had unexpectedly become heir to the throne. In 101 AD, Trajan, now emperor, appointed Hadrian quaestor, which allowed him to enter the Roman Senate. He probably became a member of the Roman priestly colleges of the Seven men of the Banqueters (Septemviri Epulonum) and Augustan Comrades (Sodales Augustales), which were reserved for prominent senators, at this time. Hadrian served as a member of Trajan's military staff (comes), during the First Dacian War ("the Dacian expedition," 101-102 AD), and was perhaps tribune of the plebs in 102 AD. He was praetor in 105 AD and commanded the legion I Minervia during Trajan's Second Dacian War (105-106 AD). Around 106 AD, Trajan appointed Hadrian as legate and propraetor (i.e. governor) of the new province of Pannonia Inferior and he was a suffect consul in 108 AD. Although he was Trajan's closest male relative, he was never officially named his heir and by the time of his Athenian archonship in 112/3 AD he had not held any further posts in the Roman administration for several years. After the archonship, he probably remained in Athens to prepare for the imperial visit of Trajan in late 113 AD, after which he accompanied Trajan on his expeditions to Armenia and Parthia (114-117 AD), from which Hadrian returned as emperor.

Added: 17 Aug 2024
Updated: 17 Aug 2024
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