In the following year, in the consulship of Annius Yarns, grand father of Marcus Aurelius, he left Germany, and returned to Gaul, whence be passed into Britain, where be is said by Spartianus to have reformed many abuses. Although Hadrianus did not live on very good terms with his wife Sabina, he punished those who presumed to fail in respect to the empress; among others, Suetoniva Tranquillus, the biographer, who was Hadrianua's epistolographer, or secretary, whom he dismissed, as well as Clarus, the prmfect of the Proetorium. While in Britain he constructed a rampart of earth, extending, from the Solway Frith to the German Ocean, near the mouth of the Tyne, a little to the south of the more substantial wall afterwards raised by Severus. On his return to Gaul, Hadrianus built a magnificent palace at Nistnes for Plautina, Trajan's widow. He thence proceeded into Spain, and spent some time at Terrace (Tarragona), where be held a general assembly of the deputies of the various provinces of Spain, and settled several disputes and complaints. While walking in the palace garden et Terrace a slave attempted to kill him. The emperor parried the blow, and consigned the assassin to his guards, but on hearing that the man was insane he ordered him to be taken care of by his physicians. Hadrianus returned to Rome in the consulship of Aulius Aviola and Cornelius Pansa in 122; but he left it again soon after, and the next year we find him at Athens, a city to which he was much attached. He ordered the embankment of the Cophisus, which had damaged the town of Eletais, and tho construction and reparation of various edifices; thence he went to Syria, and bad a conference with the King of the Parthians, when peace was confirmed between the two empires. In the year following he visited varioua parts of Asia Minor, and after bnilding temples and other edifices at Nicomedia, Cyzicum, Nice*, and other towns, he sailed to the islands of the tEgean Sea, and retnrned to spend the winter at Athens, where he was initiated into the Eleusinian mysteries, presided at the public games, and showed many marks of favour to the Athenians. He next went to Sicily, and ascended to the summit of "Etna to see the sun rise. He returned to Rome under the consulship of Verus and Junius Bibulne in and we know nothing of his movements for tho two following years. He appears to have been at Rome in the year 129, under the consulship of Juvcntius Coleus and Julius Balbus, when a violent earthquake having destroyed the towns of Nicomedia and Nieces in Bithynia, and others, he ordered them to be rebuilt at his own expense, for which be is styled on some medals the Restorer of Bithynia. In the same year he set off for Africa, where he distin guished himself, as he had done on his previous travels, by his munificence. Plautina having died meantime, Hadrianus returned to Rome, and celebrated her funeral with great ceremony, and had her numbered among the gods. In tho following year, 130, ho raised a magnificent temple in honour of Venus and Rome, some remains of which are still seen near the arch of Titus. The plan of the building was made by Roman architects, and sent by the emperor to Apollo dome, a celebrated Grecian architect, for his opinion. Apollodorus observed that the building appeared too low for the size of the statues of Venus and Rome, which were intended to be placed therein, and which it would appear were represented seated, as Apollodorus remarked that those divinities, when once within, could not stand upright or walk out of the temple, if they should take a fancy to do so. Hadrianus, stung at this sarcasm, sent Apollodorus into exile; and it is added by some writers that he afterwards ordered him to be put to death on some frivolous pretence. In that year Hadrianus set off again for the east. He visited Cappadocia, where ho held a con ference with several kings or chiefs of the Caucasian tribes, the Abaxi, Zidretee, &c., whom he sent back loaded with presents. Even the Bactrian sent an embassy to propose an alliance with Rome. Ile next proceeded to Syria, Palestine, and Egypt, In which last country he remained two years. While he was in Egypt, and under the consulship of Lana, Pontianus and Antonius Rufinus, in 131, the jurist Salvius Juliana., completed by his order the Perpetual Edict, which may be considered as the first general code of Roman law published by authority.
There is a letter of Hadrianus, written from Alexandria, to Scrvianus, his brother-In-law, in which he describes the state of the population of Egypt, and speaks of the various sects, Jews, Christians, Samaritans, irec., who were very numerous in that country ; he says that they all adored but one god, namely, their own interest He also notices as an extraordinary thing, that at Alexandria everybody, even the blind, followed some trade or occupation ; a circumstance which probably struck him by contrast with the habitual idleness of the people of Rome. He restored the palace and museum of Alexandria, and held disputations with the learned men there. About this time his favourite Autinoue died; some say he drowned himself in the Nile, and Hadrianus disgraced himself by the apotheosis and other absurd honours which he paid to his memory. He next went to Cyrenaica, where he is said
to have killed a large lion. Iladrianus water' expert sportsman, and is said to have killed many wild beast' in his travels. Under the consul ship of Hiberus and Sisenna, in 133, Hadrianus repaired to Syria, whence be set off for Thrace and Macedonia, and lastly stopped at Athens.
The insurrection of the Jews of Palestine under Bareochebas raged about this time. They took Jerusalem, and spread all over Syria, and Hadrianua was obliged to send for his best general, Julius Severus, who was in Britain, to assume the direction of the war against them, which lasted about three years. [Beecoeueees.] Hadrianue raised a new city on the ruins of Jerusalem, which he called %Elia Capitoline, and he peopled it with a Roman colony, forbidding by an edict all Jews from setting their feet within it. The Christians, who were still confounded with the Jews by the Romans, were included in the prohibition. Hadrianus meantime made another long residence at Athens, and in the festivals of Bacchus he appeared in the dress of an archon, and distributed money and corn to the people. Ha greatly embellished that city, a district of which was called by the name of Hadrianopolis. He also completed the temple of Jupiter Olympicus, which had been commenced a long time before. He returned to Rome under the consulship of Lupercua Pontianus and Rufus Aqui lianus in 135, where he received the visit of Pharasmanes, king of Iberia, who came to answer several complaints laid against bins by Vologesus, king of Armenia. An exchange of rich presents took place, and Hadrianus took care that his should exceed in value those brought to him by his visitor. Soon after, falling ill, be thought of choosing a successor, and he fixed his choice upon Lanus Aurelius Ceionius Commodus Verus, whom he adopted and appointed Caesar by the name of .tElius Verus. In the following year Hadrianus retired to the neighbourhood of Tibur, where he built a magnificent villa, many remains of which are still existing, end which contained repre sentations of the wonders of nature and of art which he had seen in his travels. Protracted illness seems to have soured his naturally enspicious temper, and he condemned several individuals to death, among others his brother-in-law Sarvianua, a man far advanced in age. eElius Verne having died in the second year after his appointment as Caesar, Hadrianus now fixed his choice upon Titus Aurelius Anto ninus, on condition that be should adopt Lucius Verus, son of YElius Verus. After some deliberation Antoninus accepted the proposal, and the double adoption was aolernnised with the usual ceremonies in February, 137. Sabius, Hadrianus'a consort, died about the time, and was numbered among the gods. Hadrianus still finding his illness increase, at last removed to Bake, where, in spite of the prescriptions of his physicians, he began to eat and drink according to his pleasure. Seeing his end approach, be composed some lines addressed to big soul, which show his doubts and fears concerning another existence. He died in July 138, in his sixty-third year, and the twenty-first of his reign. (Spartianus, Life of Hadrianus; Dion; Aurelius Victor ; Eusebitus.) In his personal character Hadrianua bad valuable qualities, tarnished Vy some vices. As emperor, his reign may upon the whole be consi dered a happy one for the empire, which enjoyed almost uninterrupted peace. Lees warlike than Trajan, be made himself respected by foreign nations without having occasion to resort to arms. His extensive travels form an important epoch in the history of Roman civilisation, which they must have tended to spread, while he corrected many abuses of provincial administration, and thus cemented the union between Rome and its vast dependencies. Ile used to say that an emperor ought to be like the sun, visiting by turns all the regions of the earth. Ile built numerous towns, embellished others, and peopled them with fresh colonies. Dion, who is in general not favourable to Hadrianue's character, admits that he never appropriated to himself other people's property, and that be would not receive auythiog left him by will when the testator had children. liadrianus gave no power to his Jibed', and punished those about him who boasted of their influence for the purpose of extorting money. lie was attentive to business, and an enemy to pomp and parade. If he cannot be counted one of the beat emperors, be certainly must not be reckoned among the bad. lie had an extraordinary memory ; was a good orator, grammarian, poet, end musician; was acquainted with mathe matics and medicine and delighted in the company of learned men ; be was also a great friend to tho arts of sculpture and architecture. Ile was the first emperor who let his beard grow—in order, it is said, to conceal some blemish in his face.
The busts, statues, and medals of Iladrianus are very numerous, and all bear a striking resemblance to each other In the character of the countenance. There is a full-length statue of him and two busts in the Townley Gallery, British Museum.