Heads or Tails. Representation and Acceptance in Hadrian's Imperial Coinage.

Abstract

Publius Aelius Hadrianus, better known as emperor Hadrian, was one of the adoptive emperors in the Nerva-Antonine dynasty. He ruled the Roman Empire from 117 until his death in 138 AD. The emperorship, developed under Augustus, and given more shape by later emperors, was just over a century old at the time of Hadrian's rule.

Although the power of the Roman emperor seemed limitless, his position was not inviolable. In order to retain power, each emperor had to take into account the expectations and interests of different important political sectors within Roman society, namely the army, the élite, the plebs urbana, and the provincial élites. The emperor should commit himself to the expectations of these groups, as that would ensure their loyalty and acceptance. However, Hadrian’s rule stood out because he seems to have been neglecting some of these expectations.