#TheatreFriday - The Roman Theatre in Phaselis, Lycia (Turkey), built in the 2nd century AD on Hellenistic Greek foundations, is located on a hill's western slope overlooking the central avenue. It seats about 1,500–2,000 spectators and is smaller than major Lycian theatres like Myra or Patara.

#PortraitThursday - This half-life-sized bronze head, believed to depict Marcus Aurelius and featuring bright blue glass-inlaid eyes, was discovered in a field in Northamptonshire in 1976. Several features suggest it was not made in Rome but in Britain or northern Gaul. Ashmolean Museum, Oxford.

The Berlanga Cup: Examining a new addition to the Hadrian’s Wall ‘souvenir’ vessels. the-past.com/feature/the-...

#TempleTuesday — The Temple of Antoninus and Faustina in the Roman Forum was built by Antoninus Pius in AD 141 in memory of his wife, Faustina, and later dedicated to both after his death. Its six cipollino marble columns still dominate the Forum, and its conversion into a church helped preserve it.

#MosaicMonday — The Madaba Map, created in the 6th century AD, is the oldest surviving mosaic map of the Holy Land. Discovered in Madaba (Jordan), it depicts cities, rivers, and biblical sites, including a remarkably detailed representation of Byzantine Jerusalem.

#ArtefactSunday - The Amiens Patera, discovered in Amiens, France, in 1949, is one of the most remarkable souvenirs of Hadrian’s Wall. Like the famous Rudge Cup, this bronze vessel bears a list of forts along the Wall, including Mais, Aballava, Uxelodunum, Camboglanna, Banna, and Aesica.

#RomanSiteSaturday - The Triumphal Arch of Anazarbus in Cilicia (Türkiye), built in the 3rd century AD for Septimus Severus, is one of the most impressive Roman gateways in the eastern Mediterranean. It marked the city’s entrance and signified its prosperity under Roman rule.

#AmphitheatreSaturday - The amphitheatre of Eleutheropolis (Israel) was built in the 2nd century AD by the Roman army and later modified under the Severan emperors. It held 3,500 spectators for gladiatorial contests & beast hunts. It ceased functioning after severe damage from the AD 363 earthquake.

#FrescoFriday - Fresco with garland of fruits, leaves and sacrificial bull's head (bucranium). From the exedra of the Villa of Publius Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale, dated 40–30 BC.

#TheatreFriday — The theatre at Hierapolis (Türkiye) was built under Hadrian in the 2nd century AD and later enlarged by Septimius Severus. Seating around 15,000 spectators, it is one of the best-preserved Roman theatres, famed for its richly decorated stage façade and spectacular setting.

[New Post] Opramoas of Rhodiapolis – The Man Who Rebuilt Lycia followinghadrian.com/2026/05/25/o...

#OnThisDay in AD 107, Trajan celebrated his second Dacian triumph in Rome. The celebrations lasted 123 days and entertained the populace with a vast display of gladiators and wild animals.

#MythologyMonday - Half-man, half-bull, the Minotaur was one of the most feared creatures of Greek mythology. Born of a curse from Poseidon, it was trapped in Crete's Labyrinth, a maze impossible to escape. Theseus finally killed the monster with Ariadne’s thread guiding him.

#MosaicMonday - Mosaic depicting fish and molluscs escaping from a basket, symbolising generous abundance. Dated to the mid-3rd century AD. Sousse Archaeological Museum, Tunisia.

#OnThisDay in 15 BC, Germanicus was born into the heart of Rome’s imperial dynasty. The son of Drusus the Elder and Antonia Minor, he was the great-nephew of Augustus and grandson of Mark Antony. A gifted and charismatic commander, he became one of the most admired figures of Tiberius’ reign.

#RomanSiteSaturday - The Roman bridge at Alcántara in Extremadura, Spain, is an exceptional example of Roman engineering. Built over the Tagus River in Lusitania c. AD 104-106, it was dedicated to Trajan by local populations. It spans the river at almost 200 m and rises 40 m above the water.

#AmphitheatreSaturday - The Amphitheatre of Italica in Spain, built under Emperor Hadrian, is one of the largest and best-preserved Roman amphitheatres on the Iberian Peninsula. It measures about 156 by 134 meters with a seating area for roughly 25,000 spectators.

#FrescoFriday - Second-style Pompeian fresco from the Villa Poppaea at Oplontis with a theatre mask, a peacock and a perspective view of colonnades.

#TheatreFriday - The Hellenistic theatre on Pergamon's Upper Acropolis (Turkey) is the steepest in the ancient world, carved into a hillside in the 3rd century BC with 78 rows for about 10,000 spectators. It was later used in the Roman period with some modifications.

#PortraitThursday - Marble head of the poetess Sappho of Lesbos, from Smyrna (Izmir, Turkey). Roman copy, probably from the 2nd century AD, of a portrait type belonging to the Hellenistic period. Istanbul Archaeological Museum, Turkey.

#TempleTuesday — The Temple of Concordia in Agrigento (Sicily), built c. 440–430 BC, is one of the best-preserved ancient Greek temples in the world. Its remarkable survival is largely due to its conversion into a Christian basilica in the 6th century AD, before later restoration.

#HadrianFactTuesday - Did you know that Hadrian's travels were commemorated on coins? The provinces he visited were personified as female figures with local attributes, celebrating the emperor as a travelling ruler, benefactor and restorer. These coins served as imperial propaganda.

#MythologyMonday - Narcissus of Boeotia was famed for his extraordinary beauty. After rejecting all who loved him, including the nymph Echo, he was punished by falling in love with his own reflection. Unable to look away, he wasted away, and the narcissus flower grew where he died.

#MosaicMonday — Mosaic from the 6th century AD depicting the personifications of Rome, Gregoria, and Madaba (left to right), each shown as Tyche with a turreted crown, cornucopia, and cross. From the so-called Hippolytus Hall at Madaba (Jordan). The identity of Gregoria remains uncertain.

#AncientSiteSunday — The Argive Heraion in Greece, the chief sanctuary of Hera, located 8 km northeast of Argos. Built over a Mycenaean settlement, worship here dates back to at least the 10th century BC. The sanctuary remained important into Roman times, receiving dedications from Nero and Hadrian.

#ArtefactSunday - Large Roman silver bowl decorated with a bust of Antinous. Found in the tomb at Armaziskhevi (modern-day Georgia) believed to belong to the high Iberian dignitary Aspaurukis. Dated between AD 130 and 138. National Museum of Georgia, Tbilisi, Georgia.

#RomanSiteSaturday — The Roman bridge over the Guadiana River at Emerita Augusta (Mérida, Spain), built soon after the city’s foundation in 25 BC under Augustus. With 60 surviving spans and a length of 721m, it remains the longest surviving bridge from antiquity.

#AmphitheatreSaturday — The Amphitheatre of Uthina (Tunisia), dating to the reign of Hadrian. Partly cut into a hillside, its seating follows the natural slope, while only the upper arches rise above ground. Measuring 113 × 90m, it could hold around 15,000–16,000 spectators.

#FrescoFriday - Fourth style fresco depicting Perseus in the act of freeing Andromeda after killing the monster to whom the young girl had been destined as a punishment. From the House of the Dioscuri in Pompeii. Naples National Archaeological Museum.

#TheatreFriday - The Hellenistic/Roman theatre of Kyaneai in Lycia (Turkey), with seating for approximately 2,500 people. Built on a slope, the theatre remains largely unrestored and partially overgrown. The area is famous for containing over 380 Lycian and Roman sarcophagi in the nearby necropolis.

#PortraitThursday - Roman Egyptian mummy portrait of a girl wearing a laurel wreath and a white tunic. Encaustic painting on sycamore wood, dated AD 120-150. Liebieghaus, Frankfurt am Main.

#MosaicMonday - Hellenistic-era pebble mosaic floor depicting a griffin. From Ancient Sikyon, dated to the second half of the 4th century BC. Archaeological Museum of Sikyon, Greece.

#AncientSiteSunday — Patara, at the mouth of the Xanthos River in Lycia (Türkiye), was a major harbour city and an important centre of the Lycian League. Under Rome, it gained monumental buildings, baths, and a theatre, before decline set in as its harbour gradually silted up.

#ArtefactSunday - The Cologne Diatreta (cage cup), an early 4th-century AD beaker-shaped glass discovered in a grave at a villa rustica in Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium. Its Greek letters read: ΠΙΕ ΖΗΣΑΙΣ ΚΑΛΩΣ ΑΕΙ = Drink, live well forever. Römisch-Germanisches Museum, Cologne.

#RomanSiteSaturday — The Roman lighthouse at Patara in Lycia (Türkiye), built under Nero beside the ancient harbour. Probably destroyed by an earthquake in the medieval period, it has now been reconstructed using its original blocks, a rare Roman lighthouse brought back to life in situ.

9 May is Europe Day! The goddess Europa gave her name to Europe. In Greek mythology, Europa was a Phoenician princess whose beauty prompted Zeus, who appeared as a white bull, to seduce her and carry her to Crete. She bore Zeus three sons, including Minos, ruler of Crete.

#FrescoFriday - Wall painting from Herodium, a fortified desert palace built by Herod the Great, king of Judaea, depicting a naval battle. It may represent the victory of Octavian at Actium. Dated 20-15 BC. Israel Museum, Jerusalem.

#OnThisDay in 2007, an Israeli team of archaeologists led by Ehud Netzer discovered the tomb of Herod the Great at Herodium. Read more ➡️ followinghadrianphotography.com/2016/06/23/h...

#TheatreFriday - The Theatre at Patara in Lycia (Turkey), built into Kurşunlutepe's northern slope, used the terrain for its semi-circular cavea. It seated 6,000 spectators in 38 rows. Dating to the Hellenistic period, it was restored and expanded in the 2nd century AD during Roman rule.

AD 126. After years of travel, Hadrian remained in Rome, overseeing building works and administrative reforms. Among the year’s notable events was the dedication of the Templum Divorum in the Campus Martius, celebrated with games of exceptional scale #Hadrian1900 followinghadrian.com/2026/05/04/a...

#EpigraphyTuesday - Pedestal with a Latin dedication for a statue of Hadrian erected by the boatmen (the nautae Rhodanici) of the Rhône River. The statue was erected at the confluence of the Rhône and the Doux. CIL XII, 1797. Dated AD 119.

#TempleTuesday — The Hadrianeum in Rome, built by Antoninus Pius and dedicated in AD 145 to the deified Hadrian. Eleven 15m Corinthian columns of grey Proconnesian marble still stand, now part of Rome’s stock exchange. Excavations revealed the original ground level 5m below today’s floor.

#MosaicMonday - Mosaic floor from a late Roman building in Sepphoris (Israel), dating from the 5th century AD, depicting a gate of the city of Alexandria, as indicated by the inscription. To the right of the gate, a tower with a flame at its summit likely represents the Lighthouse of Alexandria.

[New Post] AD 126 – Hadrian spends the year in Rome and dedicates the Templum Divorum #Hadrian1900 followinghadrian.com/2026/05/04/a...

Alexandria Lighthouse Rises Again After 1,600 Years greekcitytimes.com/2026/04/09/a...

#AncientSiteSunday - Gadara (Umm Qais) in Jordan is an ancient Hellenistic city founded by the Ptolemies. Under Roman rule, it became one of the semi-autonomous cities of the Decapolis and, in the 2nd century AD, prospered with large-scale public building works.

#ArtefactSunday - Roman oil lamp featuring Odysseus and the Sirens. The lamp bears on the back the signature SAECVL of an Italian workshop that was very active in the years AD 175-225. Bibliothèque nationale de France, Paris.

#AmphitheatreSaturday - The Roman Amphitheatre of Augusta Emerita (modern Mérida) was built in 8 BC under Augustus. It formed part of the monumental complex that made the city the capital of the Roman province of Lusitania. Measuring roughly 126 by 65 metres, it could hold around 15,000 spectators.

#FrescoFriday - Fresco from the Constantine ceiling painting depicting a young woman with two flutes. From a Roman palace in Augusta Treverorum, discovered underneath the Trier Cathedral. Dated ca. AD 310. Cathedral Museum (Museum am Dom), Germany.

Happy first day of May! Here's a #MayDay mosaic from El Jem depicting the third month of the Roman calendar and featuring Maia's son, Hermes. Dated to the 3rd century AD. May was named after Maia, the mother of Hermes-Mercury, and a festival honouring mother and son was held on the Ides of May.