ince, and then pressed on to the Persian gulf, capturing Seleucia,
Babylon and the Parthian capital Ctesiphon on his way. From dreams of
further conquests Trajan was recalled by a serious revolt in Mesopotamia
which was only subdued with great effort, and in 117 A. D. Chosroes was
able to reoccupy his capital. At the same time the eastern provinces were
disturbed by a rising of the Jews, which began in Cyrene in 115 A. D. and
spread to Cyprus, Egypt and Mesopotamia. Horrible massacres were
perpetrated both by the Jews and their enemies, and large numbers of
troops had to be employed before order was restored.

News of revolts in Africa and Britain, and of troubles on the Danubian
border, led Trajan to set out for Rome. On the way he fell ill and died at
Selinus in Cilicia on 8 August, 117 A. D.

II. HADRIAN, 117-138 A. D.

*Hadrian princeps.* Trajan left no male heir and had associated no one
with himself in the _imperium_ or tribunician power. However, on his
deathbed he adopted his cousin and one-time ward, Publius Aelius
Hadrianus, also a native of Italica. Hadrian was married to Sabina, a
grand-daughter of Trajan's sister Marciana. He had had a distinguished
military career and in 117 A. D. was commander of the army in Syria. At
the news of his adoption his troops saluted him as Imperator and his
nomination was confirmed by the Senate. The only opposition came from some
of the ablest of Trajan's officers, notably Lusius Quietus, who soon
plotted against his life. But their conspiracy was detected and the Senate
condemned to death the four leaders in the plot.

*Hellenism.* Hadrian was a man of restless energy and extraordinary
versatility. He had a keen appreciation of all forms of art and
literature, and a great admiration for Hellenism; an admiration which
probably arose from a realization of the fact that the culture of the
Roman empire was in its foundations Hellenic, but which caused him to be
scornfully dubbed a "Greekling" by the Roman aristocracy.

*General character of Hadrian's government.* In public life he displayed
the greatest devotion to duty, in the belief that "the ruler exists for
the state, not the state for the ruler," and there was no branch of the
public administration that was not affected by his zeal. Two extended
tours, one in 121-126 and the other in 129-132 A. D., made him acquainted
with conditions in the provinces and enabled him to take measures to
prom