9th pope Hyginus = Emperor Hadrian(us)? (Hyginus seems to match either Hadrian or else Antoninus Pius. Hadrian seems the more likely match.)
Name match or Meaning of name match? Both names Hyginus & Hadrianus are similar H...s names. The name Hyginus could possibly relate to Hadrian by: Hyacinthus was a beautiful youth loved by Apollo, like Hadrian loved beautiful Antinous. (Hyacinth supposed to be from 'ai' "woe", compare Hadrian grieved Antinous' death.) Or, Hyginus could mean hygene? In Hadrian's reign "If you and your children are in health, it is well; I and the legions are in health." (Fell ill, ailing, suffering poor health ca 136.)
Dates match? Pope Hyginus 136/138/139-140/142 (compiled from six different official popes lists). Hadrianus reigned 117-138. Both dates coincide 136-138. End dates 138/140 close?
(Hyginus: "4 yrs". Hadrian: "4 yrs after". 4th yr of 227th Olympiad. [3 & a 1/2 years seige Beitar?])
Hyginus died aged "62" (ref Wiki). Hadrian died aged 62.
Hyginus born 74/78 ad (ref Wiki?) Hadrian born 76 ad.
Hyginus called "Graecvs", "Greek by birth" (born in Athens Greece). Hadrian nicknamed 'Graeculus' "Greekling", was a Phil-Hellene/Helleno-phile, "Hadrian's defined Greekness", ardent admirer of Greece, wanted to make Athens capital, he visited/travelled to Greece/Athens, Legio V Macedonica; the 'Adriatic Sea'?
Pope Hyginus was previously a Philosopher. Emperor Hadrian attended lectures of philosopher Epictetus, was familiar with the work of the philosophers Epictetus, Heliodorus and Favorinus. ("Antoninus followed the policy adopted by Hadrian of ingratiating himself with local elites, especially with local intellectuals: philosophers, teachers of literature, rhetoricians and physicians were explicitly exempted from any duties involving private spending for civic purposes – a privilege granted by Hadrian that Antoninus confirmed by means of an edict preserved in the Digest.")
Hyginus bearded in pictures. Hadrian had a beard ("all Roman emps before Hadrian except for Nero were clean shaven").
Hyginus: "Saint", shown with a halo/aura. Hadrian: deified.
Both pontiffex maximus: Hyginus is bishop / "pope" / "pontiffex maximus" / "supreme pontiff" (Annuario Pontificio, Liber Pontificalis). Hadrian was pontiffex maximus (the emperors from Augustus to Gratian were pontiffex maximus). Hadrian's mausoleum later converted into a papal fortress. [The argument that the titles pontiffex maximus and pope were not used by/for bishops of Rome until later (mid-5th & mid-6th centuries) and so is an anachronism is not necessarily valid because bishop/pope/pontiff are still related/similar.]
With both the popes & emperors before & after match all in order. 1 Peter (Nero) = Nero (Peter) 2 Linus = Vespasian 3 Cletus = Titus 4 Clement 1 = Domitian (Clemens) 5 Evaristus = Nerva 6 Alexander 1 = Trajan (Alexander) * 7 Sixtus 1 = Trajan? or Hadrian? * 8 Telesphorus = Hadrian? * 9 Hyginus (Graecvs) = Hadrianus (Graeculus) * 10 Pius 1 = Antoninus Pius etc. See each separate pope & emperor chapter for matches details.
* If anyone criticises that we have 1 or 2 emperors (Trajan? Hadrian?) matching 2 or 3 popes (Alexander, Sixtus, Telesphorus, Hyginus): Well most of the popes each match only one emperor, and only a few match 2 or 3. Of course the makers of the popes would have altered some details here and there to mask the origin/match of the popes list in the emperors list. Compare: "In several cases, due to martyrdoms, multiple bishops presided over the Roman church during the reign of a particularly bloody emperor", "there were three bishops of Rome during the reign of Hadrian."
Hyginus: Decreed that all churches should be consecrated. Hadrian: Constructed temple/temples. Rebuilt the Pantheon.
Hyginus: Tradition holds he was martyr(ed) (but they say ancient authorities say nothing as to his having died a martyr). Hadrian: Persecution of christians of Trajan & Hadrian (3rd of 10 major persecutions from Nero to Diocletian). [Justin Martyr??] '10 martyrs' (Judaic scholars). Bloody repression of Jewish revolt 132-6 (Roman looses heavy, an entire legion destroyed; 580000 Jews killed.)
There is no contemporary proof of existence of any pope Hyginus. Though Hyginus is mentioned by Irenaeus in 180. But this may just mean that they first came up with the popes/emperors match as early as Irenaeus.