This month's sculpture from Hadrian's Villa is a marble head of Antinous depicted as the god Dionysos, the closest Greek equivalent to the Egyptian god Osiris. It was unearthed in 1769 during excavations undertaken by the art dealer and archaeologist Gavin Hamilton, who secured it for Lord Lansdowne. The latter was an avid collector of… Continue reading Art and sculptures from Hadrian’s Villa: The Lansdowne Antinous
Today I was thrilled to discover that a beautiful bust of Hadrian had been excavated at the archaeological site of Los Torrejones in the Region of Murcia in Spain. The bust, characterized by its excellent condition, was discovered during archaeological digs at the site which ran from October to December 2014. It was only unveiled… Continue reading Exquisite marble bust of Hadrian found in Spain
An over-life-size Parian marble statue of Antinous restored as Ganymede can be admired at the Lady Lever Art Gallery at Port Sunlight on the Wirral (near Liverpool, UK). Rediscovered in the late 18th century during a revival of interest in the Classical World, the statue of Antinous was purchased in Italy in 1796 by Thomas… Continue reading Statue of Antinous restored as Ganymede, Lady Lever Art Gallery, Port Sunlight (UK)
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… Continue reading Bronze statue of Hadrian from the legionary camp at Tel Shalem (Judaea), Israel Museum
This week marks the bimillennial anniversary of the death of the first Roman emperor, Augustus. He died on 19th August AD 14 at the age of 75 after a 41-year reign, the longest in Roman history. Augustus left his mark on Rome and western civilisation like few others. He vastly expanded the Roman Empire and… Continue reading A tribute to Augustus
Built in 1974 over the remains of a Roman villa, the Romano-Germanic Museum in Cologne houses an extensive collection of Roman artefacts from the Roman settlement of Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium (named after Agrippina the Younger, born in Cologne), the capital of the Imperial Province of Germania Inferior. The museum houses the largest collection of… Continue reading The Nerva-Antonines in Cologne
This statue depicts Hadrian nude, in the guise of Mars, the god of war, using a well-known classical body type of the divinity; the Ares Borghese, attributed to the Greek sculptor Alcamenes. Hadrian was the first emperor to be represented in this manner. The statue shows characteristics of early versions of Hadrian's portrait type, indicating that… Continue reading Statue of Hadrian as Mars, Capitoline Museums
The National Roman Museum Palazzo Massimo alle Terme in Rome houses one of the world's most important collections of Greek and Roman art. On the four floors of the museum, sculptures, frescoes, mosaics, coins, and jewels document the evolution of the Roman artistic culture from the late Republican age through Late Antiquity. In the rooms… Continue reading The Nerva-Antonines in Palazzo Massimo alle Terme, Rome
Lucius Ceionius Commodus, the future Lucius Verus, was born on December 15 in AD 130. He was the son of Lucius Aelius Caesar, Hadrian's first choice as heir, but Lucius' father died when he was only seven years old. Having lost his successor, Hadrian designated Antoninus Pius to be his successor and required him, in… Continue reading Felicem diem natalem, Luci Vere!
The NY Carlsberg Glyptotek in Copenhagen has a spectacular imperial Roman sculpture gallery. Their collection of portraits of the members of the Nerva-Antonine dynasty is particularly impressive. The Nerva–Antonine dynasty was a dynasty of seven Roman Emperors who ruled from AD 96 to AD 192. These Emperors were Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, Marcus Aurelius,… Continue reading The Nerva-Antonines in Copenhagen
