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The Pantheon |
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by asc1 / 09.08.2004 |
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Patron |
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| http://www.mingyuen.edu.hk/history/5rome/03kings.htm |
| Hadrian |
| The emperor Hadrian emulated Greek style by curling his hair and maintaining a full beard. |
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Hadrian was born in 76 AD in Italia, near Seville in modern Spain, to an aristocratic family originally from Rome. The death of his father at age nine was very significant in Hadrian’s life because at this time he went to live with his cousin, Trajan, who was a general in the Roman army at that time. Trajan and his wife took Hadrian in as their own son, and provided for him to be educated partially in Spain, but mostly in Rome. During this time, Hadrian developed an interest in art and architecture that continued throughout the rest of his life.
After Trajan became emperor, Hadrian quickly climbed the ranks of the Roman elite and was given many different titles, especially after proving himself in battle in the Dacian wars. When Trajan died in 117 AD, he proclaimed that Hadrian would succeed him as emperor of Rome.
As an emperor, Hadrian was a very interesting character. A great orator, he would write his own speeches. Hadrian recognized the importance of support of the military and people on the outer parts of the empire, and spent a great deal of his reign traveling the empire for support. Hadrian’s experience in war made him weary of continuous fighting, which had long been the means by which the Roman empire gained wealth and expanded. As a result, Hadrian believed that the Romans should just maintain the borders of the empire, rather than continually expanding. As part of this policy, Hadrian had a wall that bears his name built in England, meant to separate the barbaric British tribes from civil Roman society.
Hadrian’s policy against expanding the borders of the empire was met by a great deal of resistance by many government officials who believed that the only way to continued Roman success was by conquering other lands. Along with this was a belief by several senators that they had more right to the throne. Shortly after coming to power, a plot was discovered in which four popular senators planned to have Hadrian assassinated. Hadrian’s bodyguard quickly had the senators killed. This scandal caused Hadrian to begin losing the public’s support. As a result, he began his building program to give Rome something to be proud of, as well as to remind the public of Hadrian’s generosity and concern for the city, even when he was away traveling. This extensive building program eventually led to such great works as the Pantheon, Hadrian’s Villa in Tivoli, and Castel Sant’Angelo.
One of Hadrian’s great interests was in Greek culture. Hadrian emulated the Greek style of dress and appearance, by having his hair curled and by maintaining a full beard. This earned him the nickname of “the Greekling.” Hadrian believed that Greek art and literature was far superior to that of the Romans, and consequently commissioned several building projects in Greece. Hadrian also had a love affair with a Greek youth named Antinous, which he flaunted. Antinous’ sudden death caused tremendous sorrow to Hadrian who then set up a cult in his memory. This Greek influence in Hadrian’s life is thus reflected in the Pantheon.
Hadrian’s legacy as an emperor was his buildings. While it was not uncommon for emperors to commission building, what sets Hadrian apart was his extensive involvement in the buildings, possibly even designing some of them.
In the Pantheon, Hadrian attempted to convey a connection to the gods, and to the great emperor Augustus. The Pantheon was built facing north, and prior to the construction of the city around the building, the Pantheon would have faced the mausoleum of the beloved emperor Augustus. This position of the Pantheon was meant to honor Augustus and also associate Hadrian with the great emperor. The themes evident in the structure of the dome, meant to remind the viewer of the heavens, also gave an impression of Hadrian’s connection to the gods, and thus showed the relationship between Roman government and religion. One of the great mysteries regarding the Pantheon that still remains is the reason why Hadrian chose to have Agrippa’s name put on the building. The choice to do so was meant to be perceived as a great sign of humility, and although the exact reason is unknown, it probably was meant to honor the original building, and by association Augustus. This would be another sign of the emperor lineage.
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