THE LIBRARYOF HADRIANATHENSBuilt in AD 131-132 as a donation of the Roman Emperor Hadrian to the cityof Athens, at the site of a prosperous quarter of the Late HellenisticEarly Roman period.
The Library was a rectangular peristyle structure with interior courtyard(122x82 m.). It had only one entrance through a monumental propylon on
its western side, with four Corinthian columns of Phrygian marble.
Its imposing Pentelic marble facade was adorned on each wing by seven
unfluted Corinthian columns of marble from Karystos. The interior courtyard was surrounded by porticos with a total of 100 columns; at its center
was an oblong cistern with semi-circular ends. The main areas of the Library were on the monument’s eastern side. The books (papyrus scrolls)
were kept in a large central two-storey building, as is shown by the storage
niches for them along its eastern wall. On either side of this space were
two smaller rooms that probably functioned as reading rooms. Two cornerrooms with curved seating were lecture halls. There were three niches on
the northern and southern sides of the building, two semi-circular and onesquare, with pairs of unfluted columns facing the peristyle. The Library suffered severe damage during the Herulian invasion in AD 267, and was later
repaired by Herculius, the Prefect of Illyricum (AD 407-412).
In the early 5th century, in the area of the interior courtyard of the Romanmonument, an imposing tetraconch edifice with an atrium was built on its western side. This tetraconch edifice was destroyed in the late 6th century AD, andconverted in the second half of the 7th century AD into a three-aisled basilica.
Atop its ruins there was built in the 11th century AD a Byzantine church known
as the church of the Megali Panaghia, which was demolished in 1885.
In the 12th century AD, the Chalkokondylis family built a small church of
the not fully developed cross-in-square type dedicated to Saint Asomatos(the Archangel Michael) adjoining part of the facade and propylon of theLibrary. Today, the only preserved visible remains of this church, which wasdemolished in 1843, are a wall and wall painting on the Library’s facade withdepictions of the Prayer at Gethsemane, Judas’s Betrayal of Christ and portraits of saints in bust form.
There is a small exhibition area in the Library where the colossal statueof Nike is on display together with other finds from excavations in the area.

OPERATINGOPERATINGRULES
RULES
PleasePleasebe
beinformed
informedthat
thatthethefollowing
followingisisstrictlystrictlyprohibited:prohibited:(Law(Law3028/2002
3028/2002andandOfficial
Official
Government
GovernmentGazette
Gazette88/B/23.1.2004)
88/B/23.1.2004)•• totocollect,collect,remove
removeorordamage
damageany
anykindkindofofobject,
object,includingincludingancientancient
andandcontemporary
contemporaryworks
worksofofartartas
aswellwellasasany
anynatural
naturalitem,
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consumefood
foodororbeverages,
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producelitter
litterofofany
anykind,kind,•• totobehave,
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compatiblewith
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natureofofthethearchaeologicalarchaeologicalsite/museum,site/museum,•• entrance
entrancetotopeople
peopleunder
underthetheinfluence
influenceofofsubstances
substances(intoxicants,(intoxicants,
narcotics
narcoticsetc.),etc.),•• entrance
entrance toto pets,pets, except
except forfor dogs
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accompanying people
people withwithdisabilities,disabilities,•• entrance
entrancetotoall
allvehicles,
vehicles,except
exceptfor
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emergencyvehicles
vehiclesandandthosethoseusedusedforforconducting
conductingarchaeologicalarchaeologicalworks.
works.

nonnonvisible
visible1. 1.Propylon
Propylon
2.2.Bibliostasio
Bibliostasio
3.3.Auditoria
Auditoria
4.4.Late
LateHellenisticHellenistic- -Early
EarlyRoman
Romanhouses
houses

5.5.Part
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thePost-Herulian
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6.Tetraconch
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church
8.8.Gallery
Galleryofofstatue
statueofofNike
Nike

Furthermore,
Furthermore,visitors
visitorsand
andguides
guidesarearekindly
kindlyrequested:
requested:•• toto comply
comply withwith thethe instructions
instructions andand indications
indications ofof thethe security
security
guards,guards,•• totofollow
followthe
thesigns,
signs,walkwalkalong
alongmarked
markedroutes
routesandandavoid
avoidentering
entering
restrictedrestrictedareas,
areas,•• notnottototouch
touchany
anywork
workofofart,art,•• totobebeveryverycareful
carefulwhilst
whilstbeing
beingnear
nearareas
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areas
where
whereworks
worksareareininprogress.
progress.
PHOTOGRAPHY
PHOTOGRAPHYANDANDFILMING
FILMING(Official(OfficialGovernment
GovernmentGazette
Gazette1138/Β/10.04.2012,1138/Β/10.04.2012,3046/Β/30.12.20113046/Β/30.12.2011andand648/Β/07.03.2012)
648/Β/07.03.2012)•• Photography
Photography andand filming
filming withwith professional
professional cameras
cameras as
as wellwell asasaerialaerialphotography
photographyand
andfilming,
filming,withwithororwithout
withouthuman
humanpresence,
presence,
areareallowed
allowedonly
onlyafter
afteraaspecial
specialpermit
permithashasbeenbeenissued
issuedand
andfeesfees
have
havebeen
beenpaid.
paid.
•• Photography
Photographyand
andfilming
filmingwith
withamateur
amateurcameras
camerasare
arepermitted
permittedforforfreefreeunlessunlessthey
theyarearetotobe
beusedusedforforcommercial
commercialpurposes.
purposes.
•• Photography
Photographywith
withthetheuseuseofofsupplementary
supplementarylighting
lightingsystemssystemsininsidesideaamuseum
museumisisnot
notallowed,allowed,unlessunlesspermission
permissionisisgranted.
granted.
Non-complianceNon-compliancewith
withthetheabove
aboverules
rulescancanleadleadtotothe
theeviction
eviction
ofofrecalcitrant
recalcitrantvisitors.
visitors.
TheThe archaeologicalarchaeological site
site isis partiallypartially accessible
accessible toto visitors
visitors withwithdisabilities
disabilitiesusing
usingaawheelchair,wheelchair,withwiththetheassistanceassistanceofofananescort.
escort.

THE LIBRARYOF HADRIANATHENSi T: 210 3249350

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004 BAD.GR EN - 2019 © T.Α.Π.

TEXT: D. SOURLASPHOTOGRAPHS: E. BARDANI
TRANSLATION: D. BROWN-KAZAZISGENERAL SUPERVISION: ARF, PUBLICATIONS DEPARTMENT