Hadrian: Empire and Conflict (London, July 24-October 26)

Hadrian: Empire and Conflit
London, The British Museum
July 24 - October 26, 2008

Born in Rome but of Spanish descent, Hadrian was adopted by the emperor Trajan as his successor.
Previous emperors had been content to remain at Rome in peacetime. Hadrian, however, travelled throughout the empire for nearly half his reign, building temples, baths and libraries wherever he went.
At Tivoli, to the east of Rome, he built an enormous palace, a microcosm of all the different places he had visited. He was an enthusiastic public builder, and perhaps his most celebrated building is the Pantheon, the best preserved Roman building in the world.
At the end of his life, Hadrian fell seriously ill and retired to the seaside resort of Baiae on the bay of Naples, where he died in AD 134.

* The imperial Palace of Tivoli [video, link]
* Pantheon [link]