Arco di Adriano
Athens
Hadrian's Arch is a monumental gate from around AD 131, about 18 metres high. The Athenians built it to honour the emperor Hadrian.
A thank-you in marble
Hadrian was one of the Roman emperors who loved Athens most. He had buildings, streets and a whole new district built. Around AD 131 the Athenians dedicated this gate to him.
The arch stood on an ancient road, between the city centre and the area of the new Roman buildings.
What to look at
On the lower level there is a single large arched passage. On the upper level there are three openings, with Corinthian columns and pillars.
Look for the two sentences carved above the passage, one on each side. They answer each other: one speaks of the ancient city, the other of Hadrian's city.
A puzzle still unsolved
For a long time people thought the arch marked the boundary between the old city and the new. Excavations showed that it did not stand on the line of the ancient walls.
Scholars still debate the true meaning of the two sentences. Behind the arch you can see the columns of a gigantic temple, completed by Hadrian himself. At sunset the marble turns the colour of honey.
