Hadrian's Campaign Essay

Emperor Hadrian concentrated more on how the Empire was run verses making it larger. He also helped start the Pax Romana (Roman Peace). (Mahoney, 2001)

as to what the people wanted to do. Instead, he took complete control of the

lived through as many battles as he has, and because he remains king was because

of the people in his city and he becomes loved. He did a great deed for his people, and he felt very gratifying about it. Although this played a role in his personality

After their exile, around fifty-thousand Jews returned to Jerusalem which was now called Judaea. The leader of Judea, the Persian King Cyrus, allowed the Jews to return and to build another place of worship (Fisher 251). The second temple was built in 515 BCE and according to the text Living Religions, became “the central symbol to a scattered Jewish nation” (Fisher). The temple became a place where the Torah was formed and where the religion prospered. However, Jewish prosperity was not going to last. After four centuries of Roman rule, that was domineering and dreadful, a group of Jews decided to rebel against their oppressors. This led to Jews being slaughtered by the Romans and to the second Temple being destroyed. All that is left of the Temple are foundation stones which are referred to as the Western Wall. The temple has never been rebuilt and the Western Wall has become a place for prayer and remembrance for Jews all over the world. Jewish people look at the Western Wall as a representation of the hardships and oppression that their religion and people have endured. According to the article, Mystical Secret of the Western Wall:

politicians had to go. He removed almost the entire old regime and replaced them with people

realized he was deprived of all power and the only way to do this was to start a rebellion.

He was later adopted by His uncle, Antoninus Pius. He was also Hadrian’s successor, but Hadrian’s original successor was L. Ceionius Commodus, but he died before he could succeed him. His uncle was married to his aunt, who was know as Annia Galeria Faustina. Because Marcus was adopted by his uncle, this allowed him

Nero, who took the throne after his mother poisoned Claudius, the current emperor, ruled from 54 to 68 AD. At first, Nero was the picture-perfect emperor. He lowered taxes, allowed more freedom to the Senate, granted permission to slaves who wanted to sue their unfair owners, and rid Rome of capital punishment. Eventually, Nero

Hadrian ruled the Roman Empire at the time it was considered the greatest empire in the history of the world. According to Elizabeth Speller, Hadrian was the first Roman Emperor who went beyond the common stereotype of good and bad Roman leaders (Speller 230-288). She describes his regime as that which had a wavering beginning, a celebrated middle and a disastrous ending. He is known for having made several travels and visiting almost all the provinces during his regime. However, his travels were not pleasure oriented but rather driven by his determination to see the Roman Empire get to the top by constantly keeping in check the discipline of the army around the provinces and ensuring that the provinces had the right administration. Being the fourteenth Roman Emperor, Hadrian is ranked third among the five best emperors who ever ruled the Roman Empire and emerged as the few leaders who ruled justly. Speller also cites his great public speaking ability and his excellent philosophical knowledge as some of the reasons which made him more powerful and projected his authority. Therefore, it is important to note that there are several attributes, deeds and projects that Hadrian used to project his authority and power.

Nero’s rise to power was a “long road full of treachery.” (T.V.) It was also full of change such as his name he was not always know as Nero his name was Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus until his dad had died and his mom married her widowed uncle, who was the emperor of the time, and they changed it to Nero Claudius Divi Claudius Filius Caesar Agustus Germanicus. Later she convinced him to name Nero heir to the throne and allow him take his daughter Octavia as his wife. His adopted brother was reaching age to take the throne but he mysteriously died, “Many suspect that Nero poisoned him.” (biograpy.com, 2017) So, as one can see Nero was a very shady character who would stop at nothing to seize and hold the throne.

leader in the Roman Empire. He made Rome what think of it as and what we study today.

the traits of a “good king”. He was a warrior with extraordinary abilities which made him seem

	After nineteen years of ruling Rome, Marcus Aurelius died on March 17, 180 in Vindobona, which is currently Vienna. He died of a plague while in the middle of yet another war to defend the territory of Rome. Aurelius was succeeded by his son, Commodus, who was the polar opposite of his father. Commodus was a corrupt and evil ruler. Apparently, his father was never aware of this fact, for Commodus fooled him into believing they were of the same mind when it came to ruling. Commodus was the first of the bad emperors to Aurelius’ last of the good emperors. This lack of an able ruler cemented the descent of the Roman empire.

Rome had become a corrupt political center, to become Emperor was to sign your own death warrant, therefore the only people interested were the most unskilled the empire had yet seen.