Ancient Rome - AR Denarius - Hadrian - Circa 136 CE
$1,250
Denomination: AR Denarius
Mint: Rome
Reign: Hadrian
Date: Circa 117-138 AD.
Mount: 18K gold
Description: Hadrian. Obverse: inscription (HADRIANVSAVGCOSIIIP). Bare head right. Reverse: Inscription, (FIDESPVBLICA). Fides standing right, holding grain ears and plate of fruit.
History: Hadrian was born January 24, 76. The exact place of his birth is still in dispute. Alth0ugh it has been narrowed down to either Italica, near Seville, Spain. or Rome. His father died in 85, at which time Hadrian held various civil and military post. Trajan became emperor in 98, at which time he appointed Hadrian Archon of Athens.
In Athens he immersed himself in Greek culture, for which he developed a deep and abiding attachment. Upon Trajan's death in 117 the army declared Hadrian emperor, which was followed by senate ratification. Soon after ascending as emperor, Hadrian declared an end to expansion of the Empire. and withdrew to the limits established by Augustus. A lover of all things cultural, Hadrian surrounded himself with poets, philosophers, and scholars. He was exceptionally skilled at writing verse and prose in both Latin and Greek.
During his Reign as emperor, 117 to 138, he was able to indulge his love for architecture and travel. Examples of these two passions still exist to amaze us, from Great Britain to Rome. Hadrian's wall, the Athenaeum, the Temple of Venus and Roma, the Pantheon, and his massive mausoleum, called Castel Sant' Angelo.
