Hadrian cult - Hadrian as Neos Theos

In the second century, the concept of an emperor becoming a god on his death (in the Latin west)
and being a living god (in the Greek East) was not a new one. Hadrian’s characterization as “theos”
was just part of the religious language employed to address the Roman emperors and the Hellenistic
kings before them.

But Hadrian’s case is different, because he was presented as a new manifestation of a deity and the
Greeks showed this using the epithet “neos” followed by the name of the divinity.

Hadrian was mostly associated with Zeus, father of the gods. The emperor was seen as appointed by
the gods to rule the earth in a same way as Zeus was ruling the heavens. It was also a part of
Hadrian’s plan to promote himself in the Greek East through the promotion of the cult of its major
divinity. With regard to Hadrian neos Zeus, we have several epithets that mostly show his actions
and benefactions to a city or a province, which in the eyes of his subjects raised him to the
status of a divinity. The most used epithet is “Olympios”, which comes from number of Greek cities
and also Roman colonies of the Greek East and even Rome. It become popular around the year 131,
when Olympieion was finished in Athens. Another epithet is “Panhellenios”, which Hadrian received
after the the foundation of the Panhellenic Council in 131.
More epithets of Hadrian as Zeus are related to local traditions and events that occurred during a
visit of the emeperor. One epithet is Hadrian Zeus Dodonaios from Nikopolis, then Kynegesios, which
comes from an inscription on a statue base in Hadrianapolis in Mysia. Then we have epithet
Epikarpios in the city of Corycos. Hadrian’s arrival and gifts to the region created an opportunity
to equate him to the local deity of Zeus Epikarpios. Last epithet comes from Athens, where Hadrian
is called the son of Zeus Eleutherios. Interestingly, more emperors were honoured with this
epithet, like Domitian or Augustus.

Another divinity associated with Hadrian is Dionysos. In Athens, on the front seat of the theatre
of Dionysus, he received the epithet Eleutheraios in an inscription. He also had a statue in the
theatre and presided as agonothetes at the Great Dionysia.
Throughout the Greek world Hadrian was known as neos Dionysos. Since Trajan fused all the different
Dionysiac colleges into one universal college, the emperor become the patron of the college and in
a sense, took the place of Dionysos.

Hadrian is also a new manifestation of Apollo with the epithet Pythios, mainly in Tegea and Megara,
where he completed the temple of Apollo Pythios. Hadrian also contributed a lot to the revival and
welfare of the oracle of Delpfi.

There is some evidence of Hadrian’s connection to Asclepios, which is primarily numismatic. There
is an inscription in Pergamos recording a dedication of a stoa and the propylon to the gods,
Asclepios, Hadrian and the city. Another inscription that connects Hadrian to Asclepios gives him
the epithet Epiphanestatos. Another epithet is “despotes “, which comes from the Eastern
Mediterranean and becomes very frequent with later roman emperors as well. This epithet has also
some negative connotations since it alludes to “absolute or non-free regime” and Augusts even
forbade using it.
Last manifestation is Hadrian as Neos Helios. First evidence for this comes from an inscribed
statue base from Paphlagonia dated to 119.
The epithets clearly reveal the association of Hadrian with Greek culture and his appropriation of
local and Panhellenic myths. Hadrian’s personality certainly encouraged the use of such language in
an environment of competition among the cities, all of which wanted to draw the most benefits from
him.