Inv. Scu 890

This sculpture depicts the Emperor Hadrian in military guise.

He wears a breast plate, tunic, and military cloak. His gaze is turned to the left and he seems to wear a firm expression upon his face. The Emperor’s age and experience is reflected in the lines incised on his forehead.

Unlike many of the early emperors, Hadrian was not a native of Rome; instead he came from the area of Santiponce in Spain. He was chosen as the heir of Emperor Trajan and became one of the five good emperors of Rome, ruling from 117 to 138 A.D.

This portrait, executed between 130 and 138 AD, was found during the excavations carried out in the Horti Tauriani, on the Esquiline hill, in via Filippo Turati.