ADRIAN, or HADRIAN' PUMA Us 'ELMS, a Roman emperor. He was horn at Rome on the 24th of January, in the 76th year of the Cnristian era, and about 829 years after die building of the city. He was proclaimed emperor by the legions in the year, 117, A. U. C. 870 ; or, according to Crevier, A. U. C. 868 ; and lie died on Chc 10th of July, A. D.138.
Adrian was left an orphan when only ten years of age, and put under the guardianship of Trajan, in conjunc tion with Cielius Tatianus, a Roman knight. He made a rapid progress in the learning of his time ; and seems to have imbibed, at an early period, that love of know ledge which afterwards distinguished him ; being so re markable for his acquaintance with tilt: Greek language, that he procured for himself the appellation of " the young Grecian." He served as a tribune of the army in Lower Mcesia ; and had the honour of informing Tra jan, that Nerve had adopted him as his successor, and of congratulating him upon that joyful event. He was the first also who carried the intelligence of Nerva's death to the same illustrious person ; and having com municated the tidings, he immediately saluted him as emperor. But as Trajan disliked hint on account of the fickieness of his temper, and the preference which he seemed to give to literature, when compared with arms, Adrian attempted to engage the empress Plotina in his interests, and courted her with such assiduous atten tion, that, by her means. (E co71:.:44 Dio Cam vol. ii. p. 1149. Ed. Reim.) the way to preferment soon became open and easy. He quickly married Sabina, grand-niece to the emperor ; a step which contributed much to his advancement, though but little to his hap piness. He held successively the offices of questor, tribune of the people, prttor, and proconsul ; and, not long before the death of Trajan, he was appointed con sul and general of the army in Syria. In all these of fices, except the last, he discharged his duty with uni versal approbation. It is doubtful whether he was adop ted by the emperor ; and it is certain that lie was never beloved by him. On the death of Trajan, however, at Selinontum, on his way to Rome, Plotina, whom he ap pears to have gained completely, and to have used as the instrument of his ambition, informed the senate of the emperor's pleasure, which she declared he had made known to her in his last illness, that Adrian should succeed hint hi the government. Accordingly, he was proclaimed as Coosar by the army ; and, while yet at Antioch, his election was confirmed by the senate ; body of men who, though once the glory of Rome, and conspicuous for their virtues, had long been so utterly subjected, or so totally corrupt, as to echo the choice of the soldiers, without much inquiry, and with very little concern.
Adrian was naturally inclined to peace. He felt that the boundaries of the empire had already been extend ed too widely ; and appears to have been desirous of relinquishing a part of those regions which his pre decessors had conquered, that he might be able, with greater certainty, or keep 'the remainder in his posses sion. He therefore withdrew his troops from Armenia, Assyria, and Mesopotamia; and determined that the river Euphrates should again be the limit of the Roman dominions on the east. But his loVe of peace was the effect of conviction, and not of imbecillity ; he saw that it was necessary for the happiness of the state, and was averse to engage in foreign wars. This aversion, how ever, did not hinder hint from taking signal vengeance on the Jews, It ho had provoked Mot by their frequen' rebellions ; and his conduct towa•ds that unhappy peo ple seems to have been marked with a wantonness ot cruelty which no provocation could justily, anti aoiCIJ good policy would hat e led him to at oid. Ile badr them to enter the holy city except on one uay of thc year, the anniversary of their suojugatiow Ile erect ed a temple to Jupiter in the place where the God ol the Ilebrews was worshipped ;—he peoltned their sacred buildings with whatever they regaroed as hateful or abominable ;—he fixed the irn.ge of a hog on thc marble gate of the city, which led towards Bethlehem ; and, confounding those who adhered to the instimions of Moses with the Christians of Palestine, he raised a statue of Venus on Mount Calvary ; and established the worship of Adonis in the grottos of the town NS herr our Saviour was born. Yet while he was, upon the whole, desirous of tranquillity, he knew that the security of the empire depended on the excellence of its troops IIe therefore watched with great carefulness over the discipline of his armies ; frequently reviewing the le gions ; preferring those only who had distinguished themselves by their valour or good conduct; and, in long marches, setting the example of hardy t xertion, by travelling on foot, with his head uncovered, and expos ing himself to all the severity and changes of the wea ther.