On July 10th, 138 Hadrian died. Hadrian was the Roman emperor from 117 to 138. He was considered one of Five Good Emperors of Rome (#3). When I took a trip to Rome last year with some friends, we learned a little about Hadrian, and buildings that he had built during a tour of the Forum. We were shown the ruins of The Temple of Venus and Roma, which was the largest, most beautiful, religious building in ancient Rome. It was very close to the Colossium.
My first book is “Rome Reconstructed”. This interesting book shows many of the Roman Forum ruins as they look today, and then flip another page over the top, and you can see what it looked like 2000 years ago.
This is a picture of The Temple of Venus and Roma now, looking west from the Colosseum
This is what the Temple of Venus and Roma would have looked like.
This picture, that a friend took, is a close up of the alter of The Temple of Venus and Roma. We are looking West.
This next beautiful shot was also taken by her. In the foreground center, is the Arch of Titus. Behind that, are columns from the Temple of Venus and Roma. Behind those, is the Colosseum. To our left, behind the white building with flag (which is the Basilica Santa Francesca Romana, a church built in the forum), is the backside of the Alter of the Temple of Venus and Roma, seen in the above picture.
We had a wonderful tour guide. He spoke well, and answered our many questions. He also recommended that we read the book “Memoirs of Hadrian” by Marguerite Yourcenar. He said that even though is is a historical fiction, it gives the best descriptions of Roman Life 2000 years ago. It is a good book.
That night after our tour, when we were strolling the town looking for a place to eat, we stumbled upon “Ristorante La Nuova Piazzetta”. It was a cozy looking little place. When we walked in, we saw our tour guide-Marco! This was his mother’s place. He worked days doing tours, and evenings he worked for his mother. She greeted us at our table, and fixed the best meal we had in Rome. They were fantastic hosts.
Another book I have is “The Pantheon” by William L. McDonald, 1976. The Pantheon had burned down in antiquity, and the Emperor Hadrian had it rebuilt and dedicated in year 126. This book goes deep into the history and architecture of the Pantheon. The inside is open and a circle 142 feet in diameter. It is also 142 feet from the floor to the Oculus.
There are no windows in the Pantheon, just a large oculus-an opening 23 feet wide, at the top of the dome. When it rains, the floor is slightly angled so the water drains away. The dome is made of concrete, and is the largest unsupported dome in the world. It is said that the concrete at the base of the dome is 23 feet thick, thinning to only two feet thick at the oculus. To make the concrete lighter and stronger, there was a lot of pumice and volcanic ash mixed in.
Thanks to Hadrian, the Emperor of Rome, we are able to see the Pantheon in all of its splendor. Since the year 609, it is also known as The Basilica of St. Mary and the Martyrs, and still hosts masses on Sundays, and certain holy days.
Hadrion also visited his entire realm, to see and to help protect. In northern England, he built Hadrian’s wall, which runs for 73 miles across England. This is on my bucket list.
“To be grateful for what we have is the beginning of true happiness.” – Hadrian
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