ABSTRACT
Hadrian (Publius Aelius Hadrianus), Roman philhellene and emperor (117-138 ce), first/second century ce. Nicknamed ‘‘little Greek’’ as a youth, Hadrian fostered and founded competitive festivals when he became emperor. Most were in Asia Minor, but he showed special favour towards Athens: Hadrian founded three eiselastic crown games (Hadrianeia, Olympieia, Panhellenia) and promoted the panathenaea to this status, giving Athens more than any other city. In all, some twenty-one cities added the designation ‘‘Hadrianic’’ to new or existing games; several others hosted festivals in honour of the emperor’s boyfriend, Antinous. Hadrian supported the Greek athletic tradition in other ways, both large – funding the gymnasium at Smyrna, allowing the athletic guilds to establish headquarters at Rome – and small (he restored the boys’ hippios at the Nemean games). His successor Antoninus Pius founded a new Greek-style competitive festival in his honour, the eusebeia at Puteoli, only the third in Italy.
