Konnor Drewen
3/21/011
Why do many historians consider Hadrian to have been the "best emperor"?
Hadrian was not as popular as Trajan the emperor before him, because as soon as Trajan died Hadrian decided that the Roman Empire couldn't really keep all that land Trajan had conquered in West Asia, and he gave most of it back to the Parthians. He thought that it was too expensive to keep because of it being too far away. He traveled through many provinces visiting the various regions and cities and inspecting all the garrisons and forts. Some of these he removed to more desirable places, some he abolished, and he also established some new ones. Despite his own great reputation as a military administrator, Hadrian's reign was marked by a general lack of major military conflicts, apart from the Second Roman-Jewish War. He surrendered Trajan's conquests in Mesopotamia, considering them to be indefensible. There was almost a war with Parthia around 121, but the threat was averted when Hadrian succeeded in negotiating a peace. The Emperor travelled broadly, inspecting and correcting the legions in the field. Even prior to becoming emperor, he had travelled abroad with the Roman military, giving him much experience in the matter. More than half his reign was spent outside of Italy. Other emperors often left Rome simply to go to war, returning soon after conflicts concluded. A previous emperor, Nero, once travelled through Greece and was condemned for his self-indulgence. Hadrian, by contrast, travelled as a fundamental part of his governing, and made this clear to the Roman senate and the people.
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