SUCCESSION BY ADOPTION• HOW DID “ADOPTION” CHANGE DURING THE PERIOD FROM 138-192 CE?

• HADRIAN ADOPTED ANTONINUS PIUS• ANTONINUS PIUS WAS REQUIRED TO ADOPT MARCUS AURELIUS AND LUCIUS VERSUS• THIS ASSURED A PEACEFUL SUCCESSION FOR ANOTHER GENERATION

• HOW IS HADRIAN REMEMBERED?• AFTER HIS DEATH, HE WAS PROCLAIMED A GOD.

• IN WHAT WAYS WERE HADRIAN’S SUCCESSORS SIGNIFICANT?• THE ANTONINES WOULD CONTINUE FOR ALMOST 60 YEARS BECAUSE OF THE GOVERNMENT HE

ESTABLISHED.• MARCUS AURELIUS AND LUCIUS VERUS ESTABLISHED ROME’S 1ST CO-EMPERORSHIP.

• WORKS OF ART THAT COMMEMORATE THIS PERIOD:• APOTHEOSIS OF ANTONINUS PIUS AND FAUSTINA• DECURSIO, PEDESTAL OF THE COLUMN OF ANTONINUS PIUS

APOTHEOSIS OF ANTONINUS DECURSIO

• IMPERIAL MAJESTY ON HORSEBACK• WHILE THE COLUMN OF ANTONINUS PIUS PRESENTS ONE OF

THE LEADERS OF THE ANTONINES, THE EQUESTRIAN STATUE OF MARCUS AURELIUS PROVIDES ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE.

• THIS WORK IS A BREAK WITH TRADITIONAL ARTWORKS FROM IMPERIAL ROME.

• HOW IS THE EQUESTRIAN STATUE A BREAK WITH THE PAST?• ALL OF THE ORIGINAL REPRESENTATIONS OF IMPERIAL

ICONOGRAPHY ARE FOUND ON THIS WORK!• THIS IMAGE IS MEANT TO CONVEY SUPREME CONFIDENCE:

• SUPERHUMAN GRANDEUR• OUTSTRETCHED ARM IN GREETING AND CLEMENCY• PERHAPS A COWERING ENEMY BEGGING FOR MERCY• MARCUS AURELIUS IS PRESENTED IN GOD-LIKE FORM.