ROM046 - The Emperor Hadrian
Hadrian was emperor from 117-138 AD. Born into a Romano / Italo / Hispanic family he energetically pursued his own imperial ideals and personal interests by visiting almost every province in the Empire including Britannia which had recently suffered a major rebellion. There, he initialed the design and construction of a huge wall, ‘to separate Romans from their northern barbarian neighbours.’ Shrewdly he reckoned it was cheaper to build and garrison the wall and its many forts along his northern border than keep a huge standing army there. Even today remains of the wall can still be seen in northern England and southern Scotland. Hadrian was also one of the few leading Emperors to wear a beard... nearly all the others were clean-shaven.