Celebrate Our Anniversary with Trivia!
Join us on August 23 for a free virtual trivia party featuring questions about ancient civilizations, U.S. history, unusual historical facts, pop culture, and more.
Hadrian’s accession journey (117–118 CE) began amid political uncertainty following the death of Trajan (reign 98–117 CE), when Hadrian (reign 117–138 CE) was acclaimed emperor at Antioch on 11 August 117 CE. Rather than preserve Trajan’s recent conquests in Mesopotamia and other territories beyond the Euphrates, Hadrian abandoned most of them and restored a more defensible eastern frontier. His route from the eastern provinces through Asia Minor and the Balkans was shaped by further instability along the Danube, where unrest involving Dacia and neighboring Sarmatian peoples required imperial attention before he could establish himself securely at Rome in 118 CE.
The journey established the central principles that would define Hadrian’s reign: consolidation, defensible frontiers, military preparedness, and direct imperial involvement in provincial government. His withdrawal from Trajan’s eastern conquests was not simply a rejection of expansion but a strategic decision about the limits of Roman power and the resources required to defend an enormous empire. By addressing frontier crises before formally settling into Rome, Hadrian demonstrated a model of emperorship in which authority depended upon mobility and personal intervention as much as command from the imperial capital.
About the Author
Related Images
Map of Odysseus’ 10-year Journey Home
Hadrian's Journey through Achaea, 123-125
Paul the Apostle's First Missionary Journey (c. 46-48 CE)
Paul the Apostle's Second Missionary Journey (c. 49-52 CE)
Paul the Apostle's Journey to Rome (c. 60-63 CE)
Paul the Apostle's Third Missionary Journey (c. 53-57 CE)
Cite This Work
APA Style
Netchev, S. (2021, December 06). Map of the Hadrian’s Accession Journey, 117–118 CE: Securing the Throne and Consolidating the Roman Empire. World History Encyclopedia. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/14936/map-of-the-hadrians-accession-journey-117-118-ce/
Chicago Style
Netchev, Simeon. "Map of the Hadrian’s Accession Journey, 117–118 CE: Securing the Throne and Consolidating the Roman Empire." World History Encyclopedia, December 06, 2021. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/14936/map-of-the-hadrians-accession-journey-117-118-ce/.
MLA Style
Netchev, Simeon. "Map of the Hadrian’s Accession Journey, 117–118 CE: Securing the Throne and Consolidating the Roman Empire." World History Encyclopedia, 06 Dec 2021, https://www.worldhistory.org/image/14936/map-of-the-hadrians-accession-journey-117-118-ce/.
