Arch of Hadrian

Athens Municipality, Greece

Freely accessible

Public space — no opening hours to check.

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Wheelchair access: Accessible

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ReferenceKulturenvanteri↗

The Arch of Hadrian is a monumental gateway in Athens, Greece, built in 131 or 132 AD from Pentelic marble and standing approximately 17 metres high. Though resembling a Roman triumphal arch, it functioned as a ceremonial entrance spanning an ancient road from the city center eastward to the Temple of Olympian Zeus complex. Constructed likely at the initiative of Athenian citizens, the arch honored the Roman emperor Hadrian—who had become an Athenian citizen nearly two decades prior—on the occasion of the temple's dedication and in recognition of his benefactions to the city. Twin inscriptions on opposing faces named both Theseus and Hadrian as founders of Athens, though their precise meaning—whether referencing the city as a whole or its division into old and new quarters—remains uncertain. Located 325 metres southeast of the Acropolis, the arch survives as an important archaeological site testifying to the cultural integration of Rome and Athens in the second century AD.