Papers of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens (1.1882-1883)

204

THE OLYMPIEION AT ATHENS.

482), who place the ceremony as late as 135 a.d., assign it of course
to the last visit of Hadrian to Athens ; as do also Corsini (EasfsAtt.,
II. p. 105), Boeckh (C. I. G., 1072, cf. 342), Franz (Elem. Epigr.
Gr., p. 2S6), and Keil {Philologus, Suppl.-Bd. II., 1863, p. 596),
although these place this journey as early as 132 a.d. This was until
lately the most widely accepted opinion, although Flemmer {de itin.
ct rebus gestis Hadr. Imp., p. vi., and pp. 2, 30, 46, 53-58) thinks that
the temple was dedicated during the visit before the last, in the sum-
mer of 130 a.d. ; and lastly, Haakh (Pauly, Real-Encyc, III. 1033 ff.)
assigns this visit and the dedication to the year 129 a.d. The result
of Flemmer has been rendered very probable by a most ingenious
combination of Renier. (Lebas-Foucart, p. 34 of the Exeg. of the
Mcgarian Insert) The following is the substance of his argument.
In an inscription found in the province of Lambaesa is an order of the
day addressed by the Emperor Hadrian to the auxiliary troops of the
African army while Q. Fabius Catullinus was Imperial Legate in that
province. Now the latter was made consul for the year 130 a.d.,
and must therefore have left his province before the autumn of
129 a.d. But the visit of Hadrian took place in the rainy season,
i.e., autumn (Spart., Hadr., c. 22), so that the order cannot be later
than the autumn of 128. Again, Ve learn from Spartianus {Hadr.
13) that Hadrian on leaving Africa betook himself immediately to
Rome, where he remained but a short time, and departed shortly
after for the East, visiting Athens on his way, in order to dedicate
the works which he had begun there, among them the Olympieion.
Lastly, we learn from an Egyptian inscription (Boeckh, C. I. G.,
4727) that the Emperor arrived in Thebes in November of the fif-
teenth year of his reign, i.e., 131 a.d. Accordingly, the dedication
must have taken place in the time between 129 and 131 a.d., proba-
bly in 130 a.d. If we can trust Spartianus in details, this is almost
complete demonstration ; and the fact that Haakh and Flemmer, in-
dependently of each other and on somewhat different grounds, had
already arrived at almost the same result, adds to it no little force.

* Renier follows Boeckh in placing the date of the Egyptian inscription in
November, 130 a.d., and consequently fixes the dedication in 129 or the begin-
ning of 130 a.d. Eut the inscription is dated Nov. 20 of the fifteenth year of
Hadrian's reign, w hich is 131 and not 130 a.d., for he was proclaimed emperor
on the nth of August, 117 a.d.