Greekling’s Beard
)](https://micrio.thingsthattalk.net/QcUfh/views/max/640x640.jpg)
Figure 1: bust of Socrates, 1st century copy made out of marble - Wikimedia
Besides Hadrian’s bust, another very interesting iconographic feature needs some attention: his beard. This might not be something we find necessarily revolutionary. The fact that Hadrian was depicted with a beard, however, was something truly unique.
Beards were commonly associated with Greek philosophers. They were known for their long beards, like the statues of Socrates for example. (Figure 1) Romans however, had been used to having clean-shaven faces and associated beards with something entirely different. Roman statues depicting aristocratic men or statesmen were designed to convey a message of seriousness: beards made it clear to the people that this person was to be associated with philosophers and thinking about abstract thoughts instead of the well-being of the state.
Hadrian, however, was known for his connection and love for Greek culture. This earned the nickname of the ‘Greekling’. It has also been argued that because of these Greek influences - these so-called Greek influences were venerated by his Greek close circle - he grew out his beard. Cassius Dio, however, has an entirely different story of how this happened: “his hair was curled on a comb, and he wore a full beard to cover up the natural blemishes on his face.”
In this case, we will not know exactly what happened. The one thing we do know is that Hadrian created an entirely different idea of the bearded emperor. By doing so, he heavily influenced his successors, because after him the beard was established in Roman Imperial iconography.