On July 25, 1975, an American tourist discovered a magnificent bronze cuirassed statue of the Roman Emperor Hadrian while searching for ancient coins with a metal detector in Tel Shalem, located in the Beth Shean Valley, Israel. This site was once occupied by a detachment of the Sixth Roman Legion (Legio VI Ferrata). The statue was found in 50 fragments within a building that likely served as the principia (Headquarters Building) of the Roman camp. Today, the statue is on display at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem.
Israel Museum, Jerusalem.
This remarkable statue was used for the ritual worship of the emperor. Evidence suggests that it may have been erected in AD 132-133 to commemorate Hadrian’s personal involvement in suppressing the Bar Kokhba Revolt. Alternatively, it could have been set up around AD 135 or 136 to celebrate Hadrian’s reorganisation of Judaea into a new province called Syria-Palestina.
The statue likely portrays Hadrian in the pose of the supreme military commander greeting his troops (adlocutio) or as a conqueror stepping on a defeated enemy (a head of a youth was found next to the statue). However, it is uncertain whether the head and the armour originally belonged together. Despite this, the Jerusalem bust is considered one of the finest bronze portraits to have survived from antiquity. Very few statues have been preserved in bronze, as most surviving examples are made of marble. The significance of this statue is further underscored by its exceptional quality of craftsmanship.
The head, cast in one piece and found intact, is among the finest surviving portraits of the emperor and is characteristic of a popular style in the provinces known as the Rollockenfrisur. It was likely cast in an imperial workshop located in Rome, Greece, or Asia Minor. The statue features a standardised likeness of the emperor, including the distinctive shape of his earlobe, which is indicative of the heart disease that ultimately led to his death.
Israel Museum, Jerusalem
The cuirass is decorated with an enigmatic depiction of six nude warriors. It has been suggested that the scene depicts a duel between Aeneas, wearing a Phrygian cap, and Turnus, the king of the Rutuli. The scene may be seen as an allegory of Hadrian’s triumph over the Bar Kokhba Revolt.
Israel Museum, Jerusalem
As is typical with cuirassed statue decoration, the torso wears a cingulum, a military belt wrapped around the waist and tied in an elaborate knot at the front (also commonly called the Hercules’ knot). A paladumentum, or military cloak, falls over his shoulders.
About a year and a half after the statue’s discovery, a monumental inscription dedicated to Hadrian was discovered near the camp. The inscription had been part of a triumphal arch built in AD 136 in honour of the emperor.
Sources:
- G. Foerster, A Cuirassed Statue of Hadrian, IMN 16 (1980) 107-110* G. Foerster, A Cuirassed Bronze Statue of Hadrian, Atiqot (English Version) 17 (1985), pp. 139-157
- RA Gergel, The Tel Shalem Hadrian Reconsidered, American Journal of Archaeology, Vol. 95, No. 2. (Apr., 1991), pp. 231-251
- The Israel Museum, Publisher: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 2005 (museum link)
Outstanding
this must be one of the best bronze statues of anyone, let alone Hadrian. Incredible! Always wonder how something as significant as this would originally have become buried and forgotten…
Reblogged this on The World of Caroline Ludovici and commented:
A beautiful bronze of Hadrian discovered by a tourist…
“…a duel between Aeneas, wearing a Phrygian cap, and Turnus, the king of the Turuli.” Turnus’ tribe was the Rutuli; I believe that you inverted your letters here when typing the article.
Well spotted, thank you! I just corrected it.
Height of Greco-Roman art. Hadrian was a thorough Phil-hellene who did much to advance Greek culture throughout the empire.