Elis controlled Olympia and leveraged that authority aggressively during the imperial period, issuing civic bronzes that functioned partly as prestige tokens for the games cycle rather than everyday commercial currency. Hadrian visited Olympia twice — in 124 and again in 128 AD — and his patronage of the sanctuary was substantial, including restoration work on the Altis. Provincial issues from Elis under his reign reflect that relationship directly.
Elis controlled Olympia and leveraged that authority aggressively during the imperial period, issuing civic bronzes that functioned partly as prestige tokens for the games cycle rather than everyday commercial currency. Hadrian visited Olympia twice — in 124 and again in 128 AD — and his patronage of the sanctuary was substantial, including restoration work on the Altis. Provincial issues from Elis under his reign reflect that relationship directly.