Raubitschek1945 1 Honours for Hadrian

Honours for Hadrian

Raubitschek, Hadrian 1 Date: 117-138 AD

(This statue of) Emperor Caesar, son of the God Trajan Parthicus [Zeus] Eleutherios, grandson [of the God] Nerva, Trajan (5) Hadrian Augustus [(was erected by) . . . ]^[1]

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Greek text

References:

Raubitschek, Hadrian 1 (Translated text) (AIO)

IG II² 3312 (PHI)

IG II² 3321 (PHI)

IG II² 3322 (PHI)

Højte, Statue Bases 187

Translation by: Chris de Lisle

Monument type: Plaque

Inscription type: Statue base

Fr. a - Findspot: Acropolis (EM 4739)
Fr. b - Findspot: Acropolis (EM 9998)
Fr. c - Findspot: Acropolis (EM 9565)

Transliterations on Places on

[1] These fragments come from a plaque that formed the front face of a large statue base, one of over fifty known bases erected at Athens for the Emperor Hadrian (r. 117-138 AD). All three fragments were found on the Acropolis, making it likely that the original base stood there. Two other bases for Hadrian (IG II² 3311 and 3314) were also found on the Acropolis. Pasuanias 1.24.7 reports that "I think the only portrait statue I saw" inside the Parthenon was a chryselephantine statue of Hadrian. The large size of this inscription makes it the best candidate for the base of this statue. On Hadrian and his relationship with Athens, see IG II² 5185 with notes. For the commemoration of other emperors and their relatives on the Acropolis, see IG II³ 4, 10 (Augustus), IG II² 4122 (Agrippa), IG II² 3260 (Germanicus), IG II² 3277 (Nero), Agora XVI 340-341 (Julia Domna and the Severans); S. Aneziri in R. Krumeich and C. Witschel, Die Akropolis von Athen im Hellenismus und in der römischen Kaiserzeit, 2010, 281.

The inscription identifies Hadrian’s adoptive father Trajan as Zeus Eleutherios (“the Liberator”). Zeus Eleutherios was associated with the Athenian victory over the Persians in 480-479 BC, which made an identification with Trajan, who had claimed victory over the Persians in his Parthian War of 115-117 AD natural (this also occurs with earlier emperors in similar circumstances, e.g. IG II² 1990, ll. 3-4 and IG II² 3277). The inscription may also have sought to draw a parallel between Hadrian as son of Trajan Zeus Eleutherios and Athena as daughter of Zeus (A. E. Raubitschek, AJA 49, 1945, 128-133).

Added: 17 Aug 2024
Updated: 17 Aug 2024
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