Hadrian Aelius, son of Trayanus’s cousin, obtained the principate after Trayanus’s death as the twelfth emperor from Augustus. This was in the year of the Lord’s Incarnation 119 [read: 117], as Hugh of Fleury writes, and the year of the world 4,082; but according to another, more common computation it was the year 5,318. He ruled for twenty-one years.
He was exceedingly learned in Greek letters and was not learned in speech alone, but was also proficient in other disciplines, including the arts of singing and healing. He matched poem with poem and saying with saying so readily that in absolutely everything one would say he had prepared beforehand.
Helinand says of him: Aelius Hadrian, while administering the prefecture at Rome with distinction, was created emperor from among the senators. When the senate begged him to call the son he had Caesar Augustus, he said: “It ought to be enough that I have reigned unwillingly, although I did not deserve it. The principate is not owed to blood but to merits, and he who is born a king but does not merit it reigns uselessly.”
[Running head: Chapter Four, Folio 220.]
“Without doubt he abandons a parent’s affection who crushes his little children beneath an unbearable burden. This is to suffocate one’s children, not to advance them. They must first be nourished in virtues before they are put into action; and when they have so advanced that they are proved to excel in virtues those whom they ought to precede in honors, let them ascend when invited and not withdraw themselves from the wishes of their fellow citizens.”
This Hadrian, Eusebius says, was born at Italica in Spain. He restored at public expense Alexandria, which the Romans had overthrown. Envying Trayanus’s glory, however, he recalled the armies from Assyria, Mesopotamia, and Armenia, which Trayanus had made provinces.
Hadrian himself was most learned in both languages, but was too little restrained in the love of boys. Thus he carefully buried Antinous, a royal boy of extraordinary beauty who had died in Egypt. He had kept him among his delights and enrolled him among the gods. A city too was named after him.
Hadrian remitted the arrears of taxes and publicly burned the records. He also made very many people free from the taxes themselves. He also subdued the Jews when they rebelled against the Romans a second time. These things are from Eusebius in the Chronicles.
Hadrian himself also, as the Comestor says, placed his own statue in the Jerusalem destroyed by Titus, at the place where the ark of the Lord had previously stood, because certain traces of the city still remained. The Jews who had survived while hiding in various places sometimes returned in increased numbers to the holy place and removed the statue. For this reason Hadrian applied a final measure and utterly destroyed the city. He decreed that no Jew should dwell in that land. Luke appears to speak of this last destruction in his Gospel when he says: “They shall be led captive into all nations.”
Finally, as Hugh of Fleury says, Hadrian rebuilt Jerusalem and named it after himself, namely Aelia, because he himself was also called Aelius. By his work it came about that the holy places of the Lord’s Passion and Resurrection, which had formerly lain outside the city, were now enclosed by its northern wall.
At last he decreed that no Jew was to have permission to enter, the city being permitted only to Christians. Thus Marcus by name was installed there as the first bishop from among the Gentiles, and from that time onward bishops began to be taken from the Gentiles and circumcision ceased.
When Hadrian had made many distinguished buildings at Athens, he held games and constructed a library of marvelous workmanship. At last, according to Eusebius, he died of dropsy at Baiae.
It is read in the history of Saint Sophia and her daughters that, when Hadrian had fallen ill, he lost his sight. His flesh also putrefied, with worms flowing from his mouth. At last, when placed at the point of death, he said: “Lord God of the three virgins and their mother, draw my soul from my body more swiftly. For I know that I suffer these things because of them.” Crying out with a great wail, he expired. This happened to him after he had inflicted martyrdom upon Faith, Hope, and Charity, as will appear below.
In Hadrian’s time the heresiarch Basilides lived at Alexandria. Cochebas tortured in every way the Jewish factions that refused to bring him aid against the Roman army. As Helinand says, he is called Barchobas by others, a name that signifies “star.” Cruel and wicked in every way according to his own name, he persuaded the Jews as though they were worthless slaves that for their salvation he was a great star sent down from heaven to bear the help of salvation to sick mortals condemned to long darkness.
In those days Aquila flourished, an orator of Pontic birth and the second translator of the Mosaic law after the seventy translators, as Hugh of Fleury relates.
§ I: Secundus the Philosopher
In Hadrian’s time there flourished Secundus the philosopher, who practiced philosophy while maintaining silence throughout his life and leading a Pythagorean life. Vincent relates this in Book 11, Chapter 70 of the Historical Mirror.
While Secundus was still a little boy, he was sent away to learn. In the schools he heard that every woman was a fornicator and immodest. At last, perfected in philosophy, he returned to his native country bearing the ordinary equipment of a traveler, carrying a staff and a pouch, and with the hair of his head and his beard long. He lodged in his own house, but none of the household recognized him, nor did his own mother.
Wishing to test concerning women whether what he had heard was true, he called one of the maidservants and promised her ten gold coins if she would persuade his mother. The mother consented to the maidservant, and had him brought into her room in the evening. When she thought that he was about to have intercourse with her, he embraced her as his own mother and slept between her breasts until morning.
In the morning, when he wished to go out and depart, she seized him and said: “You did this in order to test me.”
He said: “By no means, lady mother. By no means is it fitting that I should defile the vessel from which I came forth.”
When she asked who he was, he said: “I am Secundus, your son.” Reflecting within herself and unable to bear the shame, she died. Secundus the philosopher, knowing that his mother’s death had occurred through his speech, imposed this penalty upon himself thereafter: that he should speak no more. Thus he observed silence until death.
During the same period Hadrian came to Athens. He heard about Secundus and, having caused him to come before him, greeted him first. Secundus remained silent.
Hadrian then said: “Speak, philosopher, so that we may learn something from you.” But Secundus persisted in his intention of silence.
The emperor called an executioner and said: “We do not wish this man, who refuses to speak to the emperor, to live. Lead him away, therefore, and torture him.” But Hadrian secretly called the lictor and said: “Persuade him on the way to speak. If he is persuaded and answers, behead him; but if he does not answer, bring him back to me.”
Secundus was therefore led by the executioner to the place of torments. The man said to him: “O Secundus, why will you die in silence? Speak, and you will live.” But Secundus, despising his own life, awaited death in silence.
When the executioner reached the appointed place, he said to him: “Stretch out your neck and receive death.” Secundus stretched out his neck and placed life after silence. The executioner therefore took him and brought him back to Hadrian, saying that Secundus had remained silent even to the point of death.
Hadrian, seeing the philosopher’s self-restraint, said to him: “Because this law of silence which you have imposed upon yourself can in no way be dissolved, take this tablet and write; speak at least with your hand.”
Taking the tablet, Secundus wrote in this manner: “O Hadrian, I certainly do not fear you because you appear to be the prince of this time. You can indeed kill me, but no power is given to you to bring forth my voice.”
Hadrian said: “You have indeed excused yourself well. But I propose certain problems to you in addition to these, so that you may at least answer them for me in writing.”
The first of these was: “What is the world?”
He answered: “The world is an unceasing circuit, visible furnishing, a multiform formation, an external course, and a circuit without error.”
[Running head: Seventh Title.]
“What is the ocean?”
He answered: “The world’s embrace constrained by boundaries, the lodging of rivers, and the fountain of rains.”
“What is God?”
He answered: “An immortal mind, an unobservable height, a multiform form, an inconceivable inquiry, an unsleeping eye, the one containing all things, and the light of good things.”
“What is the sun?”
He answered: “The eye of heaven, the circuit of heat, splendor without setting, the ornament of day, and the distributor of hours.”
“What is the moon?”
He answered: “The purple of heaven, the rival of the sun, the enemy of evildoers, the solace of travelers, the direction of sailors, the sign of solemnities, the giver of dew, and the foretelling of weather.”
“What is the earth?”
He answered: “The base of heaven, the middle of the world, guardian and mother of fruits, covering of hell, mother of those being born, nurse of the living, devourer of all, and cellar of life.”
“What is a human being?”
He answered: “An incarnate mind, a phantom of time, an observer of life, a slave of death, a passing traveler, a guest of a place, a laboring soul, and the dwelling of a short time.”
“What is beauty?”
He answered: “A fading flower, carnal happiness, and human desire.”
“What is woman?”
He answered: “A human being’s confusion, an insatiable beast, continual anxiety, an unending struggle, the shipwreck of an incontinent man, and a human being’s slave.”
“What is a friend?”
He answered: “A desirable name, a person scarcely appearing, a refuge in unhappiness, and unending happiness.”
“What are riches?”
He answered: “The weight of gold, a servant of cares, unpleasant delight, insatiable envy, inexhaustible desire, a proud mouth, and hated covetousness.”
“What is poverty?”
He answered: “A hateful good, the mother of health, the removal of cares, the discoverer of wisdom, a business without loss, possession without accusation, and happiness without anxiety.”
“What is old age?”
He answered: “A desired evil, the death of the living, sound infirmity, and breathing death.”
“What is sleep?”
He answered: “The image of death, rest from labors, the wish of the sick, and the desire of the wretched.”
“What is life?”
He answered: “The joy of the blessed, the sorrow of the wretched, and the expectation of death.”
“What is death?”
He answered: “Eternal sleep, the fear of the rich, the desire of the poor, an inevitable event, the robber of a human being, the flight of life, and the dissolution of everything.”
“What is a word?”
He answered: “The betrayer of the mind.”
“What is the body?”
He answered: “The dwelling of the soul.”
“What is the beard?”
He answered: “The distinction of sex.”
“What is the brain?”
He answered: “The guardian of memory.”
“What is the forehead?”
He answered: “The image of the mind.”
“What are the eyes?”
He answered: “The guides of the body, the vessel of light, and the judges of the mind.”
“What is the heart?”
He answered: “The receptacle of life.”
“What is the liver?”
He answered: “The guardian of heat.”
“What is gall?”
He answered: “The arousing of anger.”
“What is the spleen?”
He answered: “The faculty of laughter and joy.”
“What is the stomach?”
He answered: “The cook of foods.”
“What are the bones?”
He answered: “The strength of the body.”
“What are the feet?”
He answered: “A moving foundation.”
“What is wind?”
He answered: “A disturbance of the air, movement of the waters, and dryness of the earth.”
“What are rivers?”
He answered: “An unfailing course, refreshment of the sun, and irrigation of the earth.”
“What is friendship?”
He answered: “Equality of minds.”
“What is faith?”
He answered: “Marvelous certainty about an unknown thing.”
“What is it that does not permit a person to become weary?”
He answered: “Profit.”
§ II: Quadratus and Aristides
At that time Quadratus, a disciple of the apostles, was appointed in the place of Publius, bishop of Athens, after Publius had been crowned with martyrdom. By his faith and diligence Quadratus gathered together the Church, which had been dispersed by great terror.
When Adrianus had spent the winter at Athens, visiting Eleusis and being initiated into almost all the sacred rites of Greece, he gave those who hated the Christians an opportunity to afflict the believers without the emperor’s command.
Quadratus then presented him with a book composed in defense of our religion, a most useful work, full of reason and faith and worthy of apostolic teaching. In it, showing the antiquity of his own age, he said that he himself had seen many who under the Lord had been afflicted by various calamities and who had risen from the dead.
Aristides too, a most eloquent Athenian bishop and a disciple of Christ still wearing his former garb, gave Prince Adrianus at the same time as Quadratus an apologetic work on behalf of the Christians, a volume containing a reasoned account of our doctrine. Persevering to this day, it is held among natural philosophers as a testimony to his talent.
Then, as Hugh of Fleury says, Adrianus commanded by a letter given to Minutium Fundanum, proconsul of Asia, that no one should be permitted to condemn a Christian without the accusation and proof of a crime.
This, Eusebius says, is a copy of the emperor’s letter to the aforesaid Minutium Fundanum:
“I have received the letters written to me by your predecessor Serenius, a most illustrious man. It does not please me to pass over the report in silence, lest the innocent be disturbed and an opportunity for plunder be given to slanderers.
“Therefore, if the provincials clearly wish to support this petition of theirs against the Christians, so that they may accuse them before the tribunal of some offense, I do not forbid them to pursue this. But I do not permit them to use petitions and acclamations alone. For it is much more equitable that, if someone wishes to accuse them of the charges alleged, you should judge the matter.
“If, therefore, someone accuses and proves that the men named have done anything contrary to the laws, you shall impose punishments in accordance with the gravity of their sins. You shall take very great care, however, that if anyone charges any of them for the sake of slander, you avenge the accused upon the slanderer with more severe punishments for his wickedness.”