What Happened Next? Hadrian’s Wall, the <i>expeditio Britannica</i> and the Fate of the Ninth Legion

Abstract Building on two recent contributions to this journal, this paper investigates the possible connections between Hadrian’s tour of the north-western provinces in a.d . 121–23, the expeditio Britannica , the disappearance of the Ninth Legion, the Hadrianic fire of London and the cessation of work at several sites along Hadrian’s Wall. These events are discussed as independent elements, their date ranges each narrowed to what is normally expected. The convergence of evidence invites a fresh examination of the possibility that a major security crisis erupted following the imperial visit of a.d . 122. Potential causes and consequences are briefly explored, including the apparent suppression of this ignominious episode.