Editing Hadrian (section)

=== Anatolia; Antinous (123–124)===
When Hadrian arrived on the [[Euphrates]], he personally negotiated a settlement with the Parthian King [[Osroes I]], inspected the Roman defences, then set off westwards, along the Black Sea coast.<ref>Anthony Birley, pp. 153–165</ref> He probably wintered in [[Nicomedia]], the main city of [[Bithynia]]. Nicomedia had been hit by an earthquake only shortly before his stay; Hadrian provided funds for its rebuilding and was acclaimed as restorer of the province.<ref name="Anthony Birley, pp. 157–8">Anthony Birley, pp. 157–158</ref>

[[File:Bust of Antinous (2). 2nd cent. A.D (cropped).jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.2|[[Bust of Antinous (NAMA)|Bust of Antinous]] from [[Patras]], ([[National Archaeological Museum, Athens]]).]]

It is possible that Hadrian visited [[Claudiopolis (Bithynia)|Claudiopolis]] and saw the beautiful [[Antinous]], a young man of humble birth who became Hadrian's lover. Literary and epigraphic sources say nothing of when or where they met; depictions of Antinous show him aged 20 or so, shortly before his death in 130. In 123, he would most likely have been a youth of 13 or 14.<ref name="Anthony Birley, pp. 157–8"/> It is also possible that Antinous was sent to Rome to be trained as a page to serve the emperor and only gradually rose to the status of imperial favourite.<ref>Royston Lambert, pp. 60–61</ref> The actual historical detail of their relationship is mostly unknown.<ref>Opper, ''Hadrian: Empire and Conflict'', p. 171</ref>

With or without Antinous, Hadrian travelled through [[Anatolia]]. Various traditions suggest his presence at particular locations and allege his foundation of a city within Mysia, [[Balıkesir|Hadrianutherae]], after a successful boar hunt. At about this time, plans to complete the Temple of Zeus in [[Cyzicus]], begun by the kings of [[Attalid dynasty|Pergamon]], were put into practice. The temple received a colossal statue of Hadrian. Cyzicus, [[Pergamon]], [[Smyrna]], [[Ephesus]] and [[Sardes]] were promoted as regional centres for the [[Imperial cult (ancient Rome)|imperial cult]] ([[neocorate|''neocoros'']]).<ref>Anthony Birley, ''Restless Emperor'', pp. 164–167</ref>