Emperor Hadrian
Hadrian was emperor of Rome from 117 to 138 AD
Connected Sites
| Site | Rationale | Link |
| Ancient Thebes | Hadrian and his wife Sabina visited the Valley of the Kings in AD 129. This included a visit to the Colossi of Memnon to hear the statue "sing" and the court poet who accompanied them, Julia Balbilla, recorded the event in 2 epigrams carved in Greek on the legs of the Northern statue. The statues are actually thought to be of Amenhotep III but the Romans associated them with the Greek mythological King Memnon of Ethiopia (Killed by Achilles and immortalised by Zeus). The Northern statue (erroneously thought by Romans to be of Memnon) contains 107 inscriptions in Greek and Latin - mainly about Memnon and carved by Roman "tourists" documenting "expressions of religious and intellectual wonder, crystallized at the moment of hearing Memnon’s voice" . The epigrams by Balbilla make reference to the King but are primarily a panegyric to Hadrian. | |
| Aphrodisias | public baths dedicated to the emperor Hadrian (AB ev) | |
| Archaeological Site of Delphi | in 125, the emperor Hadrian had a statue in his honor built at Delphi (AB ev) | |
| Frontiers of the Roman Empire | Ordered construction of Hadrian's Wall | |
| Old City of Jerusalem | Emperor Hadrian visited the, then ruined, Jerusalem in 129 AD | |
| Palmyra | Visited in 129 AD | |
| Rome | Castel Sant' Angelo - his mausoleum, plus several other buildings | |
| Villa Adriana (Tivoli) | His rural residence | |
| Xanthos-Letoon | Letoon - Emperor Hadrian founded an emperor worship cult at the site |
Suggestions?
Do you know of another WHS we could connect to Emperor Hadrian?
A connection should:
- Not be "self evident"
- Link at least 3 different sites
- Not duplicate or merely subdivide the "Category" assignment already identified on this site.
- Add some knowledge or insight (whether significant or trivial!) about WHS for the users of this site
- Be explained, with reference to a source