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====The reign of Hadrian====
[[File: Hadrian Wall.jpg|200px|thumb|left|A section of Hadrian’s Wall]]
Hadrian was faced with several crises. Trajan’s military campaign had greatly overextended the Empire and especially the military. The conqueror of Dacia had found the Parthian Empire very difficult to conquer and even though he had captured its capital and western provinces, it was still resisting Roman occupation. At the time of Trajan’s death, the areas of Parthia that he conquered were in open revolt and many feared that the Roman legions would be cut-off. Many Roman legions had been diverted to the Parthian theatre and this had left many provinces poorly guarded. As a result, there were serious revolts in North Africa, Pictish incursions into Roman Britain and a serious insurrection among Jews in North Africa, Cyprus, and Egypt. The Roman World was on the verge of a crisis. Hadrian upon securing his position in Rome, moved first to Britannia (122 AD) and repelled the Pictish invaders and ordered the building of a wall between the Picts and Romano-Britons, which was later named in his honor. His generals were able to subdue the Jews after much violence in the Eastern Mediterranean. The situation in the east demanded his attention, the legions were still trying to quell the revolts in the former provinces of the Parthian Empire, it appeared that the Parthians were determined to re-conquer their western lands, that had been lost to Trajan. Hadrian immediately went to Parthia and realizing the predicament of the Romans he negotiated terms with the Parthian monarch.<ref> Speller, Elizabeth, Following Hadrian: a second-century journey through the Roman Empire (London, Review, 2003), p 34 </ref>. A peace treaty was agreed, and Rome evacuated many of the territories that had been conquered by Trajan. This was very unpopular with the Senatorial elite and according to one source, he pretended that the policy had been ‘enjoined upon him by Trajan’ before his death .<ref> Historia Augusta, Life of Hadrian, 1 10.1</ref>. In 124 AD he visited Greece and then returned to Italy. Once more he angered the Senate by his administrative reforms in Italy .<ref>Danziger, Danny; Purcell, Nicholas Hadrian's empire: when Rome ruled the world. (London Hodder & Stoughton, 2006), p 112 </ref>. Hadrian continued to journey around his Empire in the following years. Everywhere he went he sought to portray himself as a restorer. He would pay out of the Imperial treasury, funds for the building of temples and other public buildings. This made him very popular with the common people all over the provinces. Hadrian also used his immense personal wealth to rebuild and found cities. By 130 AD the Roman world was at peace. However, Hadrian was to provoke a terrible revolt in Judea .<ref> Augustus Historia, 2, 4</ref>. The Emperor clearly distrusted the Jews and sought to establish a military colony in Jerusalem and there is speculation that he wanted to integrate the Jewish religion into the traditional polytheistic faith of Rome. This provoked a massive anti-Roman revolt by the Jews under a messianic leader, named Simon bar Kokhba. He was a military genius and use guerrilla tactics to drive the Romans from Judea for many years .<ref>Danzinger, p 201</ref>. The Second Jewish Revolt as it became known only ended the year of Hadrian’s death. By 137 AD, Hadrian’s health was falling, and he returned to Rome where he amused himself by writing poetry and overseeing architectural projects. He named as his successor, Antonius Pius on the stipulation that Antonius, would adopt the young Marcus Aurelius, as his heir. Hadrian died in 138 CE, presumably of a heart attack, at the age of 62. His death was mourned by the common people and the nobles in the provinces, but his demise was celebrated by many in the Roman senatorial class.
==Hadrian and the consolidation of the Empire==