Statue of Emperor Hadrian
Statue of Emperor Hadrian
The statue of Roman emperor Hadrian (117 – 138 CE) was discovered on a wall inside the ruins of the Temple of Hera, located in Olympia, Greece, and is now on display at the Olympia Archaeological Museum.
As a supporter and admirer of Greece, Emperor Hadrian toured Greece in 124 CE and committed vast resources for numerous engineering projects, including aqueducts, and rebuilding temples and monuments throughout Greece.
Notice the finely-carved tunic worn by Hadrian in the statue. It symbolizes the fusion of Greek and Roman cultures and represents Hadrian’s world-view.
At the center of the tunic is Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom and war, standing on top of a she-wolf with two sucklings, and flanked by two figures with wings believed to represent Nike, the Greek goddess of victory. Above the wolf and to the right of Athena is an owl and to the left is a snake standing upright. Goddess Athena represents Greece and the she-wolf suckling the twins, Romulus and Remus, symbolizes Rome as it is based on the legend of the founding of Rome.
There are many temples and monuments honoring Hadrian in Greece and Turkey. Here are some of the images related to them:
Related Pages
– Athens, Olympia, Delphi, Meteora, Crete, Greek Islands, Greece
– Ephesus
– Minoan Civilization, Mycenaean Civilization
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