Hadrian's Library was created by
Roman Emperor Hadrian
Hadrian (; la, Caesar Trâiānus Hadriānus ; 24 January 76 – 10 July 138) was Roman emperor from 117 to 138. He was born in Italica (close to modern Santiponce in Spain), a Roman ''municipium'' founded by Italic settlers in Hispania B ...
in AD 132 on the north side of the
Acropolis of Athens.
The building followed a typical
Roman forum
The Roman Forum, also known by its Latin name Forum Romanum ( it, Foro Romano), is a rectangular forum (plaza) surrounded by the ruins of several important ancient government buildings at the center of the city of Rome. Citizens of the ancient ...
architectural style, having only one entrance with a
propylon
In ancient Greek architecture, a propylaea, propylea or propylaia (; Greek: προπύλαια) is a monumental gateway. They are seen as a partition, specifically for separating the secular and religious pieces of a city. The prototypical Gree ...
of
Corinthian order
The Corinthian order (Greek: Κορινθιακός ρυθμός, Latin: ''Ordo Corinthius'') is the last developed of the three principal classical orders of Ancient Greek architecture and Roman architecture. The other two are the Doric order ...
, a high surrounding wall with protruding niches (''
oikoi'', ''
exedrae'') at its long sides, an inner courtyard surrounded by columns and a decorative oblong pool in the middle.
The library was on the eastern side where rolls of
papyrus "books" were kept. Adjoining halls were used as reading rooms, and the corners served as lecture halls.
The library was seriously damaged by the
Herulian invasion of 267 and repaired by the prefect Herculius in AD 407–412.
During
Byzantine times, three churches were built at the site, the remains of which are preserved:
*a
tetraconch
A tetraconch, from the Greek for "four shells", is a building, usually a church or other religious building, with four apses, one in each direction, usually of equal size. The basic ground plan of the building is therefore a Greek cross. They are m ...
(5th century AD)
*a three-aisled
basilica (7th century), and
*a simple
cathedral (12th century), which was the first cathedral of the city, known as
Megali Panagia.
Around the same period as the cathedral another church,
Agios Asomatos sta Skalia
''Agios'' ( el, Άγιος), plural ''Agioi'' (), transcribes masculine gender Greek words meaning 'sacred' or ' saint' (for example Agios Dimitrios, Agioi Anargyroi). It is frequently shortened in colloquial language to ''Ai'' (for example Ai ...
, was built against the north facade, but it is not preserved.
File:Library of Hadrian (Athens) - Model in Colosseum - 1.jpg, Library of Hadrian (Athens) - Model in Colosseum
File:Βιβλιοθήκη Αδριανού 7983.JPG, View from south. Here is visible the tetraconch
A tetraconch, from the Greek for "four shells", is a building, usually a church or other religious building, with four apses, one in each direction, usually of equal size. The basic ground plan of the building is therefore a Greek cross. They are m ...
, built in the court of the library
File:Stone inscription inside the Library of Hadrian honouring Hadrian, Athens, Greece (13891392542).jpg, Stone inscription inside the Library of Hadrian honouring Hadrian
Hadrian (; la, Caesar Trâiānus Hadriānus ; 24 January 76 – 10 July 138) was Roman emperor from 117 to 138. He was born in Italica (close to modern Santiponce in Spain), a Roman ''municipium'' founded by Italic settlers in Hispania B ...
File:Athens - Library of Hadrian - sculpture 01.jpg, Relief fragment of a Gorgoneion. Museum at Hadrian's Library. 2nd century AD
File:The backside of the facade of Hadrian's Library in Athens.jpg, The backside of the facade of Hadrian's Library in Athens
See also
*
Library of Pantainos
The Library of Pantainos was a building in ancient Athens. It was located at the southeast end of the Agora of Athens, south of the Stoa of Attalus, on the left side of Panathenaion Street. It was built by the Athenian philosopher Titus Flavius ...
References
External links
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{{Authority control
132
Buildings and structures completed in the 2nd century
Ancient Greek buildings and structures in Athens
Landmarks in Athens
Ancient Roman buildings and structures in Greece
Roman Athens
Library
Ancient libraries
Libraries in Greece