The “Philosopher King” Hadrian
No one tried harder than Hadrian to save classical Athens. The Roman emperor completed massive, centuries-old projects, he expanded the city's boundaries, he bolstered the city's intellectual and civic life. His library is a grand demonstration of his "Philhellene" impulse. But in the end, it didn’t work. Why did Hadrian’s “New Athens” fail?
Watch the Video
Click in panel below to tour Hadrian’s Library in Athens and contemplate what happened to it.
To learn more about construction efforts in Athens during the time of Hadrian, see our post: “Hadrian’s Arch: The Gateway Between Two Cities in Ancient Athens.”