or HADRIAN, (Publius Aelius), the Roman emperor. He was born at Rome the 24th of January, in the 76th year of Christ. His father left him an orphan, at ten years of age, under the guardianship of Trajan, and Cælius Tatianus a Roman knight. He began to serve very early in the armies, having been tribune of a legion before the death of Domitian. He was the person chosen by the army of Lower Moesia, to carry the news of Nerva's death to Trajan, successor to the empire. He accompanied Trajan in most of his expeditions, and particularly distinguished himself in the second war against the Daci; and having before been quaestor, as well as tribune of the people, he was now successively praetor, governor of Pannonia, and consul. After the siege of Atra in Arabia was raised, Trajan, who had already given him the government of Syria, left him the command of the army; and at length, when he found death approaching, it is said he adopted him. Adrian, who was then in Antiochia, as soon as he received the news thereof, and of Trajan's death, declared himself emperor, on the 11th of August, 117. No sooner had he arrived at the imperial dignity, than he made peace with the Persians, to whom he yielded up great part of the conquests of his predecessors; and from generosity, or policy, he remitted the debts of the Roman people, which, according to the calculation of those who have reduced them to modern money, amounted to 22,500,000 golden crowns; and he burnt all the bonds and obligations relating to those debts, that the people might be under no apprehension of being called to an account for them afterwards. There are medals in commemoration of this fact, in which he is represented holding a flambeau in his hand, to set fire to all those bonds which he had made void. He went to visit all the provinces; and did not return to Rome till the year 118, when the senate decreed him a triumph, and honoured him with the title of Father of his country; but he refused both, and desired that Trajan's image might triumph. No prince travelled more than Adrian; there being hardly one province in the empire which he did not visit. In 120 he went into Gaul; from thence he went over to Britain, in order to subdue the Caledonians, who were making continual incursions into the provinces. Upon his arrival, they retired towards the north; he advanced however as far as York, where he was diverted from his intended course.

Vol. I.

(a) This work, though called by the Roman historians murus, which signifies a wall of stone, was only composed of earth covered with green turf. It was carried on from the Solway Frith, a little west of the village of Burgh on the Sands, in as direct a line as possible, to the river Tyne on the east, at the place where the town of Newcastle now stands; so that it must have been above 60 English, and near 70 Roman miles in length. It consisted of four parts:

1. The principal agger, mound of earth, or rampart, on the brink of the ditch. 2. The ditch on the north side of the rampart. 3. Another rampart on the south side of the principal one, about five paces distant from it. 4. A large rampart on the north side of the ditch.—This last was probably the military way to the line of forts on this work; it was so to those formerly built by Agricola; and if it did not serve the same purpose in this, there must have been no military way attending it.—The south rampart might serve for an inner defence in case the enemy should beat them from any part of the principal rampart, or it might be designed to protect the soldiers from any sudden attack of the provincial Britons.—For many ages, this work hath been in so ruinous a condition, that it is impossible to discover its original dimensions with certainty. From their appearance it seems probable that the principal rampart was at least 10 or 12 feet high, and the south one not much less; but the north one was considerably lower. From the dimensions of the ditch taken as it passes through a lime-stone quarry near Harlow hill, it appears to have been 9 feet deep, and 12 wide at the top, but somewhat narrower at the bottom. The north rampart was about 20 feet distant from the ditch.

(b) The verses are these:

Animula vagula, blandula, Hospes, comequique corporis, Quae nunc abibis in loca Pallidula, rigida, nudula, Nec, ut foles, dabis jocos?

Thus translated by Mr Pope: Ah! fleeting spirit! wond'ring fire, That long hast warm'd my tender breast, Melt thou no more this frame inspire! No more a pleasing cheerful guest? Whither, ah whither art thou flying? To what dark undiscover'd shore? Then seem't all trembling, shivering, dying, And wit and humour are no more! his own life; to which, however, he did not choose to put his name; but that of Philemon, one of his freedmen, a very learned person, was prefixed to it. He had great wit, and an extensive memory. He understood the sciences perfectly well; but was very jealous of others who excelled in them. He was also cruel, envious, and lascivious. Antoninus his successor obtained his apotheosis; and prevented the reification of his cult, which the senate once intended.