Hadrian: Empire and Conflict

This exhibition at the British Museum is a celebration of the life and times of the Emperor Hadrian who became emperor in AD 117. The exhibition was quite general. One area discussed Hadrian’s origins in Spain and the trade links with Italy. There was a large area devoted to the Jewish revolt in present day Israel. The section on architecture was probably the most interesting with models of the Pantheon in Rome and Hadrian’s residence near Tivoli, which was the size of a small town. Hadrian took an active interest in architecture and is also most famous in Britain for his wall in the north of England. The exhibition was well produced and not as crowded as the First Emperor, which we saw earlier in the year, this made it much easier to appreciate the items on view and even to sit and admire the photographs of the remains of the residence at Tivoli.