Hadrians pool with lush and cooling vegetation

What are the 6 figures at the side down by the arch?

Now Gee - don't say you didn't ask !!! Found these pearly gems of wisdom on internet .....

Hadrian's villa was a complex of over 30 buildings, covering an area of at least 1 square kilometre (c. 250 acres) of which much is still unexcavated. The villa was the greatest Roman example of an Alexandrian garden, recreating a sacred landscape. The complex included palaces, several thermae, theatre, temples, libraries, state rooms and quarters for courtiers, praetorians and slaves.

The Villa shows echoes of many different architectural orders, mostly Greek and Egyptian. Hadrian, a very well travelled emperor borrowed these designs, such as the caryatids by the Canopus, along with the statues beside them depicting the Egyptian dwarf and fertility god, Bes. A Greek so called "Maritime Theatre" exhibits classical ionic style, whereas the domes of the main buildings as well as the corinthian arches of the Canopus and Serapeum show clear Roman architecture. Hadrian's biography states that areas in the villa were named after places Hadrian saw during his travels. Only a few places mentioned in the biography can be accurately correlated with the present-day ruins.

One of the most striking and best preserved parts of the Villa are a pool and an artificial grotto which were named Canopus and Serapeum, respectively. Canopus was an Egyptian city where a temple (Serapeum) was dedicated to the god Serapis. However, the architecture is Greek influenced (typical in Roman architecture of the High and Late Empire) as seen in the Corinthian columns and the copies of famous Greek statues that surround the pool. One anecdote involves the Serapeum and its peculiarly-shaped dome. A prominent architect of the day, Apollodorus of Damascus, dismisses Hadrian's designs, comparing the dome on Serapeum to a "pumpkin". The full quote is "Go away and draw your pumpkins. You know nothing about these [architectural] matters." Once Hadrian became emperor, Apollodorus was exiled and later put to death.

An interesting structure in the Villa is the so-called "Maritime Theatre". It consists of a round portico with a barrel vault supported by pillars. Inside the portico was a ring-shaped pool with a central island. During the ancient times the island was connected to the portico by two drawbridges. On the island sits a small Roman house complete with an atrium, a library, a triclinium and small baths. The area was probably used by the emperor as a retreat from the busy life at the court

The villa utilizes numerous architectural styles and innovations. The area has an extensive network of underground tunnels. The tunnels were mostly used to transport servants and goods from one area to another. The paths and roads above ground were reserved for more high-ranking residents of the Villa. Domes and barrel vaults are used extensively. The domes of the steam baths have circular holes on the apex to allow steam to escape. This is reminiscent of the Pantheon, also built by Hadrian.

wow ive learnt a lot today.

Oh my goodness, so much information! Very interesting. I do like old buildings and the history behind them. Thanks for this, Terry.

Great thing this internet lark- it's amazing how easy it is to find information...(mind you it took me ages to admit it tho' !!!)

I find it astonishingly fast ...but not always accurate...as I was always told "check your facts" lol.... but that is so easy with the internet as well...I check my wikipedia facts against Britannica... any thought you have, any question that pops up...just google it...lol. and there it is, in a fraction of a second most of the time! Thanks for this history/travelogue...What an amazing place...

Hubby (almost an ex-teacher - two weeks to go !!) reckons that perhaps it's a bit TOO easy these days and why computer children don't seem to retain as much information as pen and paper/encyclopaedia children -

Being a teacher myself I heartily agree - they don't really have to remember much unfortunately as they simply use the mighty google whenever needed. I, on the other hand, can use the mighty google whenever I please - I'm too old to remember anything anyway!

I suppose it's a price society has to pay for progress (or is it regress??!!)

Different skills for different generations, I suppose. I'm still no good at reading texting!

You mean that abbreviated language with numbers and letters, they all seem to use? I agree Bernieh, it takes me ages to fathom out what is being said (in both langauages!) and even then, the penny often doesn't drop - wouldn't it be much easier just to use plain old fashioned words ???

My thoughts exactly - our local newspaper has a section for the general public's thoughts but they're asked to text them in. The paper then prints what they text and I sit there without a solitary clue about what they're saying!

Well Well...my husband is two weeks from retirement too! He has taught courses in Ancient History...and mentored students who showed interest in what has been considered a "dying subject" for a very long time. I love the way facts seem to pop up instantly at request on the computer...but it makes research a lot more work because you have to separate bias, error and hubris from all the information ...it's like a sifting exercise. My husband, however, has found a valuable ally when it comes to marking exercises and essays...should the student lift a phrase here or there or paraphrase internet sources...all my husband has to do is google the phrase...he hands it back to the student with a copy of the page from which it was taken...and tells them that they have 24 hours to produce a work of their own...or they fail! tough love...we have to learn to use our brains before we use the computer.

Yes totally agree Lori - I think we need more of the brain power.