Deprecatio ad Hadrianum

The Deprecatio ad Hadrianum is an epigram by the Roman poet Claudian, written around 395 CE. It was a plea to Hadrian, a patron, and its content jeopardized Claudian's civil service position. Claudian, born in Alexandria, was the last significant poet of the classical tradition and wrote in Latin. He gained favor by praising Stilicho, a minister of the Western emperor Flavius Honorius, and denouncing rivals at the court of Flavius Arcadius. This led to his appointment as tribunus et notarius. Hadrian himself was a Roman emperor from 117 to 138 CE, known for his admiration of Greek civilization and his efforts to unify and consolidate the Roman Empire.12