King Edward II of England

King Edward II of England This profile of King Edward II of England is part ofWhos Who in Medieval History Edward II was also known as: Edward of Caernarvon Edward II was known for: His extreme unpopularity and his general ineffectiveness as king. Edward lavished gifts and privileges on his favorites, fought against his barons, and was ultimately overthrown by his wife and her lover. Edward of Caernarvon was also  the first Crown Prince of England to be given the title Prince of Wales. Occupations: King Places of Residence and Influence: Great Britain Important Dates: Born:  April 25, 1284Crowned:  July 7, 1307Died:  September, 1327 About Edward II: Edward appears to have had a rocky relationship with his father, Edward I; upon the older mans death, the first thing the younger Edward did as king was give the most prestigious offices to Edward Is most notable opponents. This did not sit well with the late kings loyal retainers. The young king angered the barons still further by giving the earldom of Cornwall to his favorite, Piers Gaveston. The title Earl of Cornwall was one that had hitherto only been used by royalty, and Gaveston (who may have been Edwards lover), was considered foolish and irresponsible. So incensed were the barons over Gavestons status that they drew up a document known as the Ordinances, which not only demanded the favorites banishment but restricted the kings authority in finances and appointments. Edward seemed to go along with the Ordinances, sending Gaveston away; but it wasnt long before he allowed him to return. Edward didnt know who he was dealing with. The barons captured Gaveston and executed him in June of 1312.   Now Edward faced a threat from Robert the Bruce, the king of Scotland, who, in an attempt to throw off the control England had gained over his country under Edward I, had been retaking Scottish territory since before the old kings death. In 1314, Edward led an army into Scotland, but at the Battle of Bannockburn in June he was roundly defeated by Robert, and Scotlands independence was secured. This failure on Edwards part left him vulnerable to the barons, and his cousin, Thomas of Lancaster, led a group of them against the king. Beginning in 1315, Lancaster held real control over the kingdom. Edward was too weak (or, some said, too indolent) to dislodge Lancaster who was, unfortunately, an incompetent leader himself, and this sad state of affairs persisted until the 1320s. At that time the king became close friends with Hugh le Despenser and his son (also named Hugh). When the younger Hugh attempted to acquire territory in Wales, Lancaster banished him; and so Edward gathered some military might on behalf of the Despensers. At Boroughbridge, Yorkshire, in March of 1322, Edward succeeded in defeating Lancaster, a feat that may have been made possible by a falling-out among the latters supporters. After executing Lancaster, Edward annulled the Ordinances and exiled some of the barons, freeing himself from baronial control. But his tendency to favor certain of his subjects worked against him once more. Edwards partiality toward the Despensers alienated his wife, Isabella. When Edward sent her on a diplomatic mission to Paris, she began an open relationship with Roger Mortimer, one of the barons Edward had exiled. Together, Isabella and Mortimer invaded England in September of 1326, executed the Despensers, and deposed Edward. His son succeeded him as Edward III. Tradition has it that Edward died in September, 1327, and that he was probably murdered. For some time a story circulated that the method of his execution involved a hot poker and his nether regions. However, this gruesome detail has no contemporary source and appears to be a later fabrication. In fact, there is even a recent theory that Edward escaped his imprisonment in England and survived until 1330. No consensus has yet been reached on the actual date or manner of Edwards demise. More Edward II Resources: Edward II in Print The links below will take you to an online bookstore, where you can find more information about the book to help  you get it from your local library. This is provided as a convenience to you; neither Melissa Snell nor About is responsible for any purchases you make through these links.   Edward II: The Unconventional Kingby Kathryn Warner; with a foreword by Ian MortimerKing Edward II: His Life, His Reign, and Its Aftermath 1284-1330by Roy Martin Haines Edward II on the Web Edward II (1307-27 AD)Concise, informative bio at Britannia Internet Magazine.Edward II (1284 - 1327)Brief overview from BBC History. Medieval Renaissance Monarchs of EnglandMedieval Britain   The text of this document is copyright  ©2015-2016 Melissa Snell. You may download or print this document for personal or school use, as long as the URL below is included.  Permission is   not  granted to reproduce this document on another website. For publication permission,  please   contact  Melissa Snell. The URL for this document is:http://historymedren.about.com/od/ewho/fl/Edward-II.htm

Biography of Hadrian, Roman Emperor

Biography of Hadrian, Roman Emperor Hadrian (January 24, 76–July 10, 138) was a Roman emperor for 21 years who unified and consolidated  Rome’s  vast empire, unlike his predecessor, who focused on expansion. He was the third of the so-called  Five Good Emperors; he presided over the glory days of the  Roman Empire and is known for many building projects, including a famous wall across Britain to keep out the barbarians. Known For: Roman Emperor, one of the five good emperorsAlso Known As: Imperator Caesar Traianus Hadrianus Augustus, Publius Aelius HadrianuBorn: January 24, 76, possibly in Rome or in Italica, in what is now SpainParents: Aelius Hadrianus Afer, Domitia PaulinaDied: July 10, 138  in Baiae, near Naples, ItalySpouse: Vibia Sabina Early Life Hadrian was born on Jan. 24, 76. He probably was not originally from Rome. The Augustan History,  a collection of biographies of the Roman emperors,  says his family was from Picenum, but more recently of Spain, and moved to Rome. His mother Domitia Paulina came from a distinguished family from Gades, which today is Cadiz, Spain. His father was Aelius Hadrianus Afer, a magistrate and cousin of future Roman Emperor Trajan. He died when Hadrian was 10, and Trajan and Acilius Attianus (Caelium Tatianum) became his guardians. In 90 Hadrian visited  Italica, a Roman city in present-day Spain, where he received military training and developed a fondness for hunting that he kept for the rest of his life. Hadrian married Vibia Sabina, grand-niece of Emperor Trajan, in 100. Rise to Power Toward the end of Emperor Domitians reign, Hadrian started out on the traditional career path of a  Roman senator. He was made a military tribune, or officer, and then became a quaestor, a low-ranking magistrate, in 101. He was later curator of the Acts of the Senate. When Trajan was consul, a higher magistrates position, Hadrian went with him to the Dacian Wars and became tribune of the plebeians, a powerful political office, in 105. Two years later he became praetor, a magistrate just below consul. He then went to Lower Pannonia as governor and  became consul, the  pinnacle  of a senator’s career, in 108. His rise from there to emperor in 117 involved some palace intrigue. After he became consul his career rise stopped, possibly triggered by the death of a previous consul, Licinius  Sura, when a faction opposed to Sura, Trajans wife Plotina and Hadrian came to dominate Trajans court. There is some evidence that during this period, Hadrian devoted himself to studying the nation and  culture  of Greece, a long-held interest of his. Somehow, Hadrian’s star rose again shortly before Trajan died, probably because Plotina and her associates had regained Trajan’s confidence. Third-century Greek historian Cassius Dio says that Hadrians former guardian, Attianus, then a powerful Roman, also was involved. Hadrian was holding a major military command under Trajan when, on  Aug. 9, 117, he learned that Trajan had adopted him, a sign of succession. Two days later, it was reported that Trajan had died, and the army proclaimed Hadrian emperor. Hadrians Rule Hadrian ruled the Roman Empire until 138. He is known for spending more time traveling throughout the empire than any other emperor. Unlike his predecessors, who had relied on reports from the provinces, Hadrian wanted to see things for himself. He was generous with the military and helped to reform it, including ordering the construction of garrisons and forts. He spent time in Britain, where in 122 he initiated the building of a protective stone wall, known as Hadrians Wall, across the country in to keep the northern barbarians out. It marked the northernmost boundary  of the Roman Empire until early in the fifth century. The wall stretches from the North Sea to the Irish Sea and is 73 miles long, eight to 10 feet wide, and 15 feet high. Along the way, the Romans built towers and small forts called milecastles, which housed up to 60 men. Sixteen larger forts were built, and south of the wall the Romans dug a wide ditch with six-foot-high earthen banks. Though many of the stones were carried away and recycled into other buildings, the wall still stands. Reforms During his reign, Hadrian was generous to citizens of the Roman empire. He awarded large sums of money to communities and individuals and allowed the children of individuals charged with major crimes to inherit part of the family estate. According to the Augustan History, he wouldnt take the bequests of people he didnt know or of people whose sons could inherit the bequests, contrary to earlier practice. Some of Hadrians reforms indicate how barbaric the times were. He outlawed the practice of masters killing their slaves and changed the law so that if a master was murdered at home, only slaves who were nearby could be tortured for evidence. He also changed laws so that bankrupt people would be flogged in the amphitheater and then released, and he made the baths separate for men and women. He restored many buildings, including the Pantheon in Rome, and moved the Colossus, the 100-foot bronze statue installed by Nero. When Hadrian traveled to other cities in the empire, he implemented public works projects. Personally, he tried in many ways to live unassumingly, like a private citizen. Friend or Lover? On a trip through Asia Minor, Hadrian met Antinoà ¼s, a young man born about 110. Hadrian made Antinoà ¼s his companion, though by some accounts he was regarded as Hadrians lover. Traveling together along the Nile in 130, the young man fell into the river and drowned, Hadrian was desolate. One report said Antinoà ¼s had jumped into the river as a sacred sacrifice, though Hadrian denied  that explanation. Whatever the reason for his death, Hadrian mourned deeply. The Greek world honored Antinoà ¼s, and cults inspired by him appeared across the empire. Hadrian named Antinopolis, a city near Hermopolis in Egypt, after him. Death Hadrian became ill, associated in the Augustan History with his refusal to cover his head in heat or cold. His illness lingered, making him long for death. When he couldnt persuade anyone to help him ​commit suicide, he took up indulgent eating and drinking, according to Dio Cassius. He died on July 10, 138.   Legacy Hadrian is remembered for his travels, his building projects, and his efforts to tie together the far-flung outposts of the Roman empire. He was aesthetic and educated and left behind several poems. Signs of his reign remain in a number of buildings, including the Temple of Rome and  Venus, and he rebuilt the  Pantheon, which had been destroyed by fire during the reign of his predecessor. His own country residence, Villa Adriana, outside Rome is considered the architectural epitome of the opulence and elegance of the Roman world. Covering seven square miles, it was more a garden city than a villa, including baths, libraries, sculpture gardens, theaters, alfresco dining halls, pavilions, and private suites, portions of which survived to modern times. It was designated a  UNESCO  World Heritage site  in 1999. Hadrians tomb, now called the Castel Sant’Angelo in Rome, became a burial place for succeeding emperors and was converted into a fortress  in the 5th century. Sources Birley, Anthony. Lives of the Later Caesars: The First Part of the Augustan History, with Lives of Nerva and Trajan. Classics, Reprint Edition, Kindle Edition, Penguin, February 24, 2005.Roman History by Cassius Dio. University of Chicago.Pringsheim, Fritz. The Legal Policy and Reforms of Hadrian. The Journal of Roman Studies, Vol. 24.Hadrian. An Online Encyclopedia of Roman Emperors.Hadrian: Roman Emperor. Encyclopaedia Britannica.