Statue of Roman Emperor Hadrian in full military costume.

Statue of Hadrian

Publius Aelius Hadrianus (Titulature as Emperor: Emperor Caesar Traianus Hadrianus Augustus; 24 January 76 – 10 July 138.) was the fourteenth Roman emperor. He ruled from 117 until his death.

A statue of Hadrian, in full military costume, with bare but bearded head, right arm and hand extended forward, and the left hand bearing the parazonium, or small short sword, in its sheath. The paludamentum falling over the left shoulder is wound round the arm.

Upon his body is a cuirass richly decorated, the upper part near the neck exhibiting the head of winged gorgon, below which is an embossed allegorical representation of Fortune, with her usual emblems, the torch and cornucopiæ, and beneath her, agaien, a reclining and half-nacked female, probably representing a province on the earth; to the right and left of this principal group are two trophies, at the feet of which are, respectly, a male captive with his hands tied behind him, and another figure, perhaps, from the dress, intended to represent a Dacian captive.

On his feet are boots, caligae, richly ornamented and reaching up to the calves of his legs; the upper part of them above the instep being adorned with a lion’s head, and the lower part and sides of the feet with various floral decorations.

Source: A description of the collection of ancient Marbles in the British Museum by Combe Taylor, London 1861.

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