CIRCA 117-138 A.D.

Publius Aelius Hadrianus, better known as Hadrian, was perhaps the most popular of all Roman emperors. His portraits have been found throughout the Empire, from Britain to Persia, from Asia Minor to Egypt. The Eastern Mediterranean provenance of this piece is consistent with the somewhat provincial style of the portrait. The signs of age (note the wrinkled brow and creases under the eyes) suggest that this portrait was erected late in his reign, if not somewhat posthumously. That the Emperor was intended is confirmed by the similarities to the known portrait types and the colossal size of the head, which was an imperial prerogative.