138

Events in 138 1

• 117 – 138 Hadrian — the consolidator Hadrian abandons Trajan's eastern conquests, recognising they are indefensible, and devotes his reign to consolidating and fortifying the empire's frontiers. He builds Hadrian's Wall across northern Britain (122–128 AD) — 73 miles of stone — and travels personally to almost every province. A passionate philhellene, he rebuilds Athens and completes the temple of Olympian Zeus. He reorganises the bureaucracy, codifies Roman law and builds the Pantheon — still the best-preserved building of ancient Rome, its concrete dome unsurpassed for 1,300 years.