Library of Hadrian- Athens

And one at his villa near Tivoli, too

On the edge of the Roman Agora in Athens, Greece¹ is the ancient Hadrian's Library, founded by Emperor Hadrian in AD 132. The ruins reflect Hadrian’s ambition to establish Athens as the cultural center of his empire. It had a facade of 100 columns, painted ceilings and high surrounding walls. The building was used to store important literary works and legal and administrative documents as well as offer a place to hear lectures and host various philosophical schools.

Documents were usually in the form of papyrus scrolls which were kept in partitioned wooden cupboards (armaria) set in niches in the walls of the room. Libraries were also a place to hear lectures and orators, and discuss intellectual matters with fellow visitors in the tranquility of the library garden.

During the invasion by the Heruli in 267 century CE, the library suffered notable damage and in 277 CE, when the city sought to better protect itself, the library was made part of a fortification wall. The library was renovated by Herculius (407-12 century CE), the Prefectus (Eparch) of the Illyricum, and a statue of him was erected at the building's entrance. The inscription related to this statue is still visible on the left side of the entrance. ²

Hadrian's villa

Small, private libraries belonging to Roman emperors were integral parts of imperial residences in the first and second centuries A.D.

Hadrian's villa stands a few kilometers southwest of modern Tivoli on the site of a smaller Republican residence. It is the grandest villa of classical antiquity; indeed it is more an assemblage of individual buildings than an integrated whole. Its creator, a dedicated patron of the arts, maintained the villa as a monumental showcase for architectural wonders witnessed on his extensive travels.³

The Library Courtyard was a large peristyle next to which were located the Imperial Triclinium, Hospitalia, Imperial Palace, Heliocaminus Baths, Maritime Theater, and the Greek and Latin Libraries. The colonnades consisted of 19 columns on the long sides (66 m) and 14 on the short sides (51 m). In the center of the northern colonnade was a nymphaeum (1) that survived from the republican villa, as does the courtyard itself. See image here.

Hadrian and the Cities of the Roman Empire.

Cities throughout the Roman Empire flourished during the reign of Hadrian (A.D. 117-138), a phenomenon that not only strengthened and legitimized Roman dominion over its possessions but also revealed Hadrian as a masterful negotiator of power relationships. In this comprehensive investigation into the vibrant urban life that existed under Hadrian’s rule, Mary T. Boatwright focuses on the emperor’s direct interactions with Rome’s cities, exploring the many benefactions for which he was celebrated on coins and in literary works and inscriptions.⁴

1. Camp, John M. (2001). The Archaeology of Athens. London: Yale University Press.

2. Cartwright, Mark. "The Library of Hadrian, Athens." World History Encyclopedia.

3. Bruce, Lorne. 1986. “Palace and Villa Libraries from Augustus to Hadrian.” Journal of Library History 21 (July): 510–52.

4. M. T. Boatwright, Hadrian and the Cities of the Roman Empire.Princeton University Press, 2000.