V · Roman Alexandria · 130 CE
Hadrian at the Mouseion
Known · Attested
Visiting Egypt, Hadrian puts questions to the professors of the Mouseion and answers them himself, by the account of the Historia Augusta. He enrols the poet Pancrates as a member, and L. Julius Vestinus serves as the Mouseion's head.
The evidence: The Historia Augusta is late and often unreliable; Athenaeus and the inscription of Vestinus are firmer.
The witnesses
| Witness | Written | Reference | What it says | Readings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The event: 30 BCE–272 CE | ||||
| StraboNames it, no number | c. 20 BCE | Geography 17.1.8 | A walk, an exedra, a hall where the scholars dine together; a priest named by Caesar. | none |
| PhiloNames it, no number | c. 40 CE | Embassy to Gaius 151 | Names libraries among the porticoes of the Caesareum. | none |
| I.Ephesos 3042Inscription or papyrus | c. 41–100 CE | Inscription honouring Ti. Claudius Balbillus 3042 | Lists a post over the Alexandrian libraries; the title is partly restored. | none |
| IG XIV 1085Inscription or papyrus | 117–138 CE | Inscription of L. Julius Vestinus 1085 | Vestinus, under Hadrian, head of the Mouseion and of the libraries in Rome. | none |
| SuetoniusNames it, no number | c. 120 CE | Lives of the Caesars Claudius 42.2; Domitian 20 | Claudius adds a new Mouseion; Domitian sends copyists to Alexandria. | none |
| AthenaeusNames it, no number | c. 200 CE | Deipnosophists 15.677d–f | Hadrian makes the poet Pancrates a member. | none |
| PhilostratusNames it, no number | c. 230 CE | Lives of the Sophists 1.22.3 | Calls the Mouseion an Egyptian table that summons the famous men of every land. | none |
| Cassius DioNames it, no number | c. 230 CE | Roman History 78[77].7.3 | Caracalla abolishes the Aristotelians' common meals in 215. | none |
| Historia AugustaNames it, no number | c. 380–400 CE | Hadrian 20.2 | Hadrian questions the professors of the Mouseion. Late; often unreliable. | none |
Who and what
- Places
- The Mouseion
In the show
The show has not yet spoken of this moment.
Sources (4)
- Historia Augusta, Hadrian 20.2
- Athenaeus, Deipnosophistae 15.677d–f
- Inscriptiones Graecae XIV 1085
- Philostratus, Lives of the Sophists 1.22.3