Works such as M. Yourcenar’s have triggered the image of Hadrian as the philhellenic emperor par excellence. His patria, Italica (on the Baetis river, in southern Hispania) was shown great honors and given many splendid gifts (DC 69, 10, 1). Since its discovery in the mid 1980s, the sanctuary of imperial cult has become one of the highlights of the new urban image of the city. Being the biggest temple in Hispania, it has been traditionally considered a Temple for the Divine Trajan (Traianeum), due to epigraphical, sculptural and historiographical reasons. This communication aims to (re)contextualize the cosiddetto Traianeum within a more comprehensive frame, the imperial-scale policy of Hadrian. Thus, it is essential to dialogue with the Oriental half of the Roman Empire, which concentrated most of his benefactions (Boatwright 2003). Our proposal takes as a reference the full analysis and account of neokoroi temples in the Greek East by B. Burrell (2004), being these the temples and agency that managed the imperial cult in a specific province. Highlighting its main features, we will then analyse the Hispanian case, focusing both on architectonic similarities and political implications. Considering the approaches of studies in ancient religions, we reassess the epigraphical evidences from the place to question the real dedication of the temple. A new picture of a diverse-in-cults temple emerges, as well as the power of the image of Hadrian (genio coloniae) within it. Finally, we discuss the implications of the insertion of this Greek-model temple in the Far Roman West.
Manuel Alejandro González-Muñoz
Universidad Pablo de Olavide (Seville, Spain)
Lyceum Classics Community Seminar 