Hadrian had finally, in 138, selected as…

Commander-in-Chief Liang Shang is, much like his son-in-law Emperor Shun, a kind man who lacks real political abilities, even though he himself appears to be honest and uncorrupt.

For example, in 138, when some eunuchs conspire to undermine him and Emperor Shun discovers the plot, Liang Shang advocates leniency, and while Emperor Shun does not completely agree with him, Liang's intercession clearly saves many lives.

However, both he and Emperor Shun trust his son Liang Ji who, unlike his father, is corrupt and violent.

Construction begins on the Theater of Philadelphia (Amman) in 138.

The pan-Greek parliament known as the Panhellenion created in 126 by Hadrian is primarily a religious organization, and most of the deeds of the institution which we have relate to its own self governing.

Admission to the Panhellenion is subject to scrutiny of a city's Hellenic descent.

The Panhellenic Games are held in 137 CE at Athens as part of the ideal of Panhellenism and harking back to the Panathenaic Festival of the fifth century.

From inscriptions found, member cities include Athens, Megara, Sparta, Chalcis, Argos, Acraephiae, Epidaurus, Amphicleia, Methana, Corinth, Hypata, Demetrias, Thessalonica, Magnesia on the Maeander, Eumeneia as well the cities of Crete.

Fighting between the delegates, however, has turned the Panhellenion into an institution like the Delian League of the fifth century BCE (which to some extent it is emulating) and the Panhellenion will not survive in any real sense after Hadrian's death.

There have been a number of native rebellions in various parts of southern China from 136 to 138.

While these have generally put down with relative ease (in particular, the rebels generally surrender willingly if the corrupt officials they are protesting against are replaced by Emperor Shun), these foreshadow the much more serious rebellions that will plague China in the next few decades.

In 139, the Qiang again rebel, and this time the rebellion is not be put down easily and will plague Emperor Shun for the rest of his reign.

Imperial heir Marcus Aurelius is betrothed in 139 to Antoninus’ daughter Annia Galeria Faustina.

Antoninus makes few initial changes on becoming emperor, leaving intact as far as possible the arrangements instituted by Hadrian.

In Britain, however, Antoninus decides to follow a new, more aggressive path, with the appointment of a new governor in 139, Quintus Lollius Urbicus.

Antoninus Pius recognizes the king of the Quadi, who becomes an ally of Rome, in 140.

The Quadi and Marcomanni, perhaps originating north of the River Main had migrated into what is now Moravia, western Slovakia and Lower Austria where they had displaced Celtic cultures and were first noticed by Romans in 8–6 BCE, briefly documented by Tacitus.

In his Germania, Tacitus only mentions the Quadi in the same breath as the Marcomanni, alike in warlike spirit, alike governed by "kings" of their own noble stock, "descended from the noble line of Maroboduus and Tudrus," the "Tudric" line apparently kings among the Quadi.

The royal powers of both tribes are also alike, according to Tacitus, in being supported by Roman silver.

Their neighbors are the Marcomanni to the west, proto-Slavic tribes to the north, Sarmatian Iazgyians and Asding Vandals arriving to the east somewhat later, and the Roman Empire to the south.

Mithridates IV of Parthia and his son Sanatruces II had taken up the diadem during the invasion of Mesopotamia by the Roman emperor Trajan (98–117) in 116, but were defeated.

After the death of Osroes I in 129, Mithridates IV had assumed the throne and continued the struggle with the rival king Vologases III of Parthia (105–147).

He dies in an attack on Commagene in 140.

Valentinus, an Egyptian by birth and a leading exponent of gnosticism in Alexandria, had moved to Rome in about 136, where he aspires to become pope.

In this year, according to Eusebius, Hyginus had succeeded Telesphorus as pope, instituted godparents at baptism to assist the newly born during their Christian life, and decreed that all churches be consecrated.

Pius, in turn, succeeds Hyginus as pope, possibly in 140.

The Qiang forces annihilate a Han force led by Ma Xian in 141 and set fire to the tomb-gardens of a number of Western Han emperors in the Chang'an region.

Agrarian rebellions eventually start again in Jing (modern Hunan, Hubei, and southern Henan) and Yang (modern Jiangxi, Zhejiang, and central and southern Jiangsu, Anhui) provinces and will not be pacified for the rest of Emperor Shun's reign.

Also in 141, Liang Shang dies.

Inexplicably, Emperor Shun gives his post to his son Liang Ji and gives Liang Ji's post to his younger brother Liang Buyi.

Liang Ji proceeds to seize power at every opportunity, and even though Liang Buyi tries to encourage his brother to be moderate in behavior, his pleas fall on deaf ears.