Hadrian and the Greek East
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HADRIAN AND THE GREEK EAST: IMPERIAL POLICY AND COMMUNICATION DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of the Ohio State University By Demetrios Kritsotakis, B.A, M.A. * * * * * The Ohio State University 2008 Dissertation Committee: Approved by Professor Fritz Graf, Adviser Professor Tom Hawkins ____________________________ Professor Anthony Kaldellis Adviser Greek and Latin Graduate Program Copyright by Demetrios Kritsotakis 2008 ABSTRACT The Roman Emperor Hadrian pursued a policy of unification of the vast Empire. After his accession, he abandoned the expansionist policy of his predecessor Trajan and focused on securing the frontiers of the empire and on maintaining its stability. Of the utmost importance was the further integration and participation in his program of the peoples of the Greek East, especially of the Greek mainland and Asia Minor. Hadrian now invited them to become active members of the empire. By his lengthy travels and benefactions to the people of the region and by the creation of the Panhellenion, Hadrian attempted to create a second center of the Empire. Rome, in the West, was the first center; now a second one, in the East, would draw together the Greek people on both sides of the Aegean Sea. Thus he could accelerate the unification of the empire by focusing on its two most important elements, Romans and Greeks. Hadrian channeled his intentions in a number of ways, including the use of specific iconographical types on the coinage of his reign and religious language and themes in his interactions with the Greeks. In both cases it becomes evident that the Greeks not only understood his messages, but they also reacted in a positive way. Thus an exchange of ideas began between emperor and the Greeks and helped him advance his program. By the medium of coinage and religion, Hadrian placed himself in the heart of the Greek world, its history and culture. At the same time, he remained loyal to Roman traditions and imperial ideology. As a result, the emperor succeeded ii in his plans: the participation of the Greek people in his imperial program, the creation of two imperial centers, and, finally, the unification of the Empire. iii Όσο µπορείς iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I wish to thank my advisor, Fritz Graf, for his intellectual guidance and his support in all areas of this project, for his tireless efforts to improve my style and his openness in discussions. He is a treasure of knowledge to me. I would like to thank Anthony Kaldellis for his invaluable comments, which are always sharp and insightful, on the various drafts of my dissertation. I also thank Tom Hawkins for his comments and encouragement. Through our many conversations he helped me improve my text and taught me how to write at this level. I also wish to thank Mrs Sophia Kremmyde of the National Hellenic Research Foundation and Mr Volker Heuchert of the Ashmolean Museum for their unconditional assistance in gathering my numismatic evidence. My sincere thanks go to Mrs Wendy Watkins and Mr Phil Forsythe of the Center for Epigraphical and Palaeographical Studies, as well as Mrs Mary Cole, former administrative associate at the Department of Greek and Latin, for their support and willingness to listen and advise. I would like also to thank my family in Greece, whose love, support, and understanding have made it possible for me to pursue my studies. v To my Stavroula I owe a lot. Her cheerfulness, patience, and intellectual conversation helped me succeed. Her love has made me a better person. Thank you more than I can say. Finally, I wish to thank my father, Nikos, for giving me the strength and decisiveness I needed to write this dissertation. He lived with dignity and by his example I live. vi VITA August 25, 1971 …………………………. Born – Athens, Greece 1996 ……………………………………… B.A Archaeology, University of Crete 2002 ……………………………………… M.A Classics, The Ohio State University 2000 – present …………………………… Graduate Teaching and Research Associate, The Ohio State University FIELDS OF STUDY Major Field: Greek and Latin vii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Abstract.....................................................................................................................ii Dedication................................................................................................................iv Acknowledgments.....................................................................................................v Vita .........................................................................................................................vii List of Abbreviations.................................................................................................x Chapters: 1. Introduction ....................................................................................................1 2. Hadrian and the Greek East: realities and expectations..................................18 2.1 Introduction............................................................................................18 2.2 Greeks and Roman in the Empire ........................................................... 20 2.2.1 Political views and expectations in the works of the Second Sophistic...........................................................................................22 2.3 Hadrian’s Adventus ................................................................................31 2.3.1 Hadrian’s involvement in the life of the East............................ 33 2.3.2 Hadrian’s vision for the Greek East.......................................... 38 2.4 The Panhellenion....................................................................................40 2.4.1 Foundation of the Panhellenion................................................ 41 2.4.2 Membership of the Panhellenion.............................................. 44 2.4.3 Administration and responsibilities of the Panhellenion ...........48 2.4.4 The impact of the Panhellenion................................................ 51 2.5 Summary................................................................................................59 3. Hadrian and his audience ..............................................................................62 3.1 Introduction............................................................................................62 3.2 Hadrian’s travels ....................................................................................64 3.3 Imperial journeys ...................................................................................71 3.4 Hadrian and his Greek subjects............................................................... 76 3.4.1 Elites and Hadrian....................................................................79 3.4.1.1 Participation in local administration........................... 80 3.4.1.2 Relief from economic burdens of office..................... 85 3.4.1.3 Entry to the Senate ....................................................89 3.4.2 The πολλοί............................................................................... 94 3.5 Summary................................................................................................98 viii 4. Coinage and Hadrian’s program.................................................................. 101 4.1 Introduction.......................................................................................... 101 4.2 Mint organization................................................................................. 103 4.3 Greek mints and central authority......................................................... 107 4.3.1 Organization.......................................................................... 107 4.3.2 Mints and Rome..................................................................... 110 4.4 Hadrian’s policy as reflected on coinage............................................... 114 4.4.1 Hadrian, the son of Trajan...................................................... 116 4.4.2 Hadrian and saeculum aureum ............................................... 118 4.4.3 Hadrian and Roman past........................................................ 121 4.4.4 Hadrian and Greece: past and present..................................... 129 4.4.5 Hadrian Olympios.................................................................. 133 4.4.6 Hadrian’s “Virtues” series...................................................... 138 4.4.7 The series of the Provinces .................................................... 143 4.4.7.1 The Adventus type ................................................... 143 4.4.7.2 The Restitutor type.................................................. 145 4.4.7.3 The Exercitus type................................................... 147 4.4.7.4 The Province type ................................................... 148 4.4.8 The “Universal” series ........................................................... 150 4.5 Scene and legend selection................................................................... 152 4.6 Summary.............................................................................................. 158 5. The language of religion in Hadrian’s politics............................................. 161 5.1 Introduction.......................................................................................... 161 5.2 Hadrian and divine election.................................................................. 164 5.3 The 13 th god of Greece ........................................................................