Place names commemorating Hadrian – an attempt to approximate the scale of the phenomenon

Abstract

According to Historia Augusta (Vita Hadriani 20, 4), many cities in the Roman Empire were named Hadrianopolis after the emperor Hadrian. The aim of this article is to approximate the number of places named after Hadrian not only Hadrianopoleis mentioned. Cities were named after Roman emperors to commemorate the rulers’ role as the founders or benefactors of localities. This practice deserves special attention. The extent to which Hadrian had been commemorated in place names has not been researched extensively to date, but the approximate number of cities and towns named or possibly named after the emperor was relatively high. The exact number of localities named after Hadrian cannot be determined based on historical sources for a number of reasons, as discussed on the examples of localities such as Turris Tamalleni or Bisica Lucana. However, regardless of these difficulties, research suggests that Hadrian could have been commemorated in the names of up to 15 colonies, 19 municipalities (municipia), 4 localities that were most likely colonies or municipalities, and 43 other localities (mainly peregrine towns), which gives a total of more than 80 place names (the colonies and municipalities whose names commemorate the emperor should be distinguished from those that had been founded by Hadrian). In this article, the localities named after Hadrian were classified based on their legal status and are presented in tables. Particular attention has been paid to the controversies surrounding some of the cities thought to have been named after Hadrian (such as the colonial titulature of Avennio, the modern-day Avignon). The estimated number of localities named or possibly named after Hadrian indicates that these toponyms may have played a significant role in shaping the emperor’s public image.