Messene… what an amazing site!! This is a hidden gem, truly extraordinary. 😍

The first evidence of human activity in Ancient Messene goes back to the beginning of the 3rd millennium BC. A residential settlement of the 9th-8th century BC is detected at the Asklepieion while at the same time the sanctuary of Zeus Ithomatas is operating on the top of mount Ithome. The Messenian wars and the continuous uprisings of the Messenians against the dominant Spartans took place during the 8th-5th century BC.

In 369 BC, the Theban general Epaminondas ended the long Spartan occupation and founded the city of Messene, bringing back the exiled Messenians from Italy (Rhegium), Sicily (Zankle-Messene, Messina) and Cyrenaica (Euesperides). The new Messenian capital was founded in the foothills of Mount Ithome, a place inextricably linked to the local political and religious history.

The city was named after the mythical queen Messene and developed into a notable political, religious and cultural centre mainly during the Hellenistic and Early Imperial years (3rd century BC-1st century AD).

From the 3rd century AD, the city declined and shrank in size. However, during the Early Byzantine years (5th-7th c. AD) until the beginning of the 15th century AD, Messene remained a remarkable centre in the southwestern Peloponnese, known from the written sources of the 10th century AD, and thereafter under the name “Vourkano".

The traveller Pausanias visited the city between 155 and 160 B.C. and recorded significant information regarding its form and all public and holy buildings.
theoi.com/Text/Pausanias…


Arcadian Gate

🧵 In early AD 124, Hadrian toured Bithynia in Asia Minor. After sailing along the southern Black Sea coast, possibly visiting the Pontic towns of Amisus, Sinope and Amastris, Hadrian is thought to have spent the winter of 123/4 in Nicomedia or possibly Byzantium.

Nicomedia was the capital of the dual province of Pontus et Bithynia in what is now Izmit in northern Turkey. It was also the hometown of his lifelong friend Arrian, who may have been his host on this occasion, like in 117/8.

During his stay in the Bithynian province, the Emperor probably visited several major cities, including Heraclea Pontica, Claudiopolis (former Bythinium), Prusias ad Hypium and Nicaea. During one of these visits, Hadrian probably met Antinous, a beautiful young Greek boy who would accompany him on his many travels as a cherished lover and companion.

Early AD 124 – Hadrian spends the winter in Nicomedia, tours Bithynia and "meets" Antinous
👉
#Hadrian1900followinghadrian.com/2024/02/27/ear… Nicomedia and Nicaea were only just recovering from the damage caused by an earthquake. The date of this earthquake is not certain. It probably took place in the fifth year of Hadrian's reign in 121, between August and December, as stated by Eusebius, but definitely before Hadrian visited the area in 124. Saint Jerome places it in the 224th Olympiad, the fourth year of Hadrian's reign, AD 120.

"After an earthquake had happened, Nicomedia lay in ruins, and many things were overturned in the city of Nicaea: for the reconstruction of which, Hadrian generously gave funds from the public treasury."
Jerome, Chronicle 180

Hadrian took special care of the province and contributed to the reconstruction of both cities, as suggested by the new set of coins celebrating Hadrian as Restitutor Bithyniae and Restitutor Nicomediae. Nicomedia also added the epithet 'Hadriane' (Ἁδριανή) to its titulature to express its gratitude (CIG 1720).

[New post] Autumn AD 123 – Hadrian reaches Trapezus and sails westwards along the Pontic coast #Hadrian1900
followinghadrian.com/2023/10/19/aut… After his inspection tour of the eastern frontier provinces, Hadrian travelled through the Pontic mountains to the Black Sea port of Trapezus (present-day Trabzon), the northernmost end of the Cappadocian limes. Trapezus was one of the furthest points reached by Hadrian, and in the AD 130s, his friend L. Flavius Arrianus, as governor of the province of Cappadocia, would report on his visit, following in the footsteps of Xenophon and the Ten Thousand.

"We came in the course of our voyage to Trapezus, a Greek city in a maritime situation, a colony from Sinope, as we are informed by Xenophon, the celebrated historian. We surveyed the Euxine sea with the greater pleasure, as we viewed it from the same spot, whence both Xenophon and yourself had formerly observed it."

#GeorgiaOdyssey Day 3 - Today, we visited Gelati Academy and Monastery, built by King David the Builder in 12th century AD. Gelati was the center of spiritual and scientific life of the Middle Ages, the tomb of Georgian kings, and the cult place for pilgrims. It is under UNESCO… https://t.co/tSbujVz76utwitter.com/i/web/status/1…

#RuinoftheDay - The remains of the Temple of Hadrian at Cyzicus in Mysia, the eighth wonder of the ancient world. The Temple was a monumental structure; it measured 120 m in length and 50 m across. The sixty massive columns surrounding the cella were well over 2 m in diameter and… https://t.co/enPO1tYtEKtwitter.com/i/web/status/1…






The Byzantine chronicler John Malalas called the Temple of Hadrian at Cyzicus “a very large temple, one of the wonders" with a very large bust of Hadrian on the roof and a marble stele inscribed "of Divine Hadrian". (Malalas, Chronography Bks 1-7, 10-18)

Cassius Dio called it… https://t.co/J5BDTaVjBCtwitter.com/i/web/status/1…

I saw the wonderful Apollo Kithara by Jeff Koons yesterday at the Liebieghaus in Frankfurt. The polychromed and animatronic sculpture is a version of the Apollo Kitharoidos from Cyrene in the British Museum. Music from @AncientLyre accompanies the presentation, layered with… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… Apollo Kitharoidos (holding a lyre), a 2nd century AD Roman copy of a Hellenistic original of about 200-150 BC. From the Temple of Apollo at Cyrene (modern Libya).
British Museum, London.
britishmuseum.org/collection/obj…

#MosaicMonday - Late Roman Mosaic of the Vine Harvest depicting the transportation of grapes with donkeys after harvesting wine grapes. It was discovered during illegal excavations in the Hassa district of the Hatay Province in Türkiye, an area with a long history of grape… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… Turkey’s wine heritage dates back nearly 7,000 years. The red grape, Barburi, is unique to the city of Antakya / Hatay region (Türkiye). In 2009 Hatay-based Antioche Winery brought the grape back from the brink of extinction. 🇹🇷🍇🍷 #TurkishWine
thequirkycork.com/barburi-grape-…

RIP Lucius Aelius Caesar, Hadrian's first intended successor, who died #OnThisDay in AD 138.
Lucius was adopted by Hadrian in AD 136 but never attained the throne as he died of tuberculosis a few months before Hadrian. Hadrian was then forced to choose a new heir, Antoninus Pius. “He [Lucius Aelius Caesar] was a man of joyous life and well versed in letters, and he was endeared to Hadrian, as the malicious say, rather by his beauty than by his character.”
Historia Augusta

🧵 With New Year approaching, I thought I'd share some of my favourite moments and photos from my 2022 archaeological travels, which have seen me travel to Egypt, Turkey, Hadrian's Wall and Algeria.
#Throwback2022 #archaeologytravel #FollowingHadrian Sailing on Lake Nasser in Egypt between Aswan and Abu Simbel and visiting the temples that used to lie on the banks of the Nile but were moved when the Aswan High Dam flooded the region in the 1960s.
#Throwback2022 #archaeologytravel #Egypt

Some photos of Timgad, the "Pompeii of Africa". It was founded by Trajan around AD 100. The full name of the city was Colonia Marciana Ulpia Traiana Thamugadi.

The Forum The Theatre 🎭

Thread: Last week, I sailed on Lake Nasser between Aswan and Abu Simbel. I visited the temples that used to lie on the banks of the Nile but were moved when the Aswan High Dam flooded the region in the 1960s. Follow me on this timeless journey through the legends of Nubia. #Egypt Day 1 - New Kalabsha, a promontory located near Aswan which houses several temples, structures, and other remains that have been relocated here from the site of Old Kalabsha and other sites in Lower Nubia. #Egypt
🔸 Kalabsha Temple
🔸 Kiosk of Qertassi
🔸 Beit el-Wali
🔸 Dedwen

THREAD 👇🏻
Celebrating #Halloween 🎃👻 with some ancient monsters. Let's start with the Gorgon, perhaps the best-known monster from Classical Mythology. The snake-haired Medusa was one of the three Gorgons. Anyone who looked at her face was turned to stone.
#ClassicalMonsters The Minotaur was a bull-headed monster that devoured human flesh deep within the twisting maze of the Labyrinth. It was the offspring of the Cretan Queen Pasiphae and a snow-white bull. The monster was eventually slain by the Athenian hero Theseus.
#ClassicalMonsters #Halloween

Happy birthday to Antinous, born #onthisday in a rural locality called Mantineion just outside Claudiopolis in Bithynia (today’s Bolu, Turkey). 🎉🎂🎊 We know about Antinous' birthday thanks to a valuable inscription discovered in Lanuvium where the 'dies natalis Antinoi', the birthday of Antinous, was celebrated on 27 November (Ante diem V Kalendas Decembres).
Read more ➡️ followinghadrian.com/2016/11/27/the…

#onthisday 117 AD, after a 19-year reign of military glory, Trajan dies at Selinus in western Cilicia.
Read more ⤵️
followinghadrian.com/2017/08/08/8th… The Fountain of Trajan in #Ephesus, located on the northeastern side of the Curates street, the main thoroughfare of the city.
The nymphaeum was erected ca. AD 104 in honour of Artemis of Ephesus and Emperor Trajan by Tiberius Claudius Aristion, a prominent citizen of Ephesus.

The Arch of Trajan at Benevento (Italy) was set up in AD 114 outside of Beneventum to commemorate the of the new Via Traiana between Rome and Brundisium.
Each side of the arch carries relief panels that depict different aspects of the emperor's care for his people and the Empire. Relief panel from the Arch of Trajan commemorating the alimenta, the institution of public funds for the support of poor children in the Italian towns.

Life has returned to "normal" activity here in Germany, with all the museums, hotels & restaurants already open. I am therefore resuming my travels tomorrow, going back along the Limes Germanicus and the Mosel river where the Romans planted vineyards and built rustic villas. The beginning of the Limes (Roman Frontier) on the Rhine near Rheinbrohl.
#LimesGermanicus #Archaeologytravel

On this #WorldHeritageDay we are celebrating the World Heritage Sites. 🏛️

I've been lucky enough to visit 133 of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 31 countries!
📷➡️ followinghadrian.com/my-archaeologi… #WorldHeritageDay Persepolis in #Iran 🇮🇷whc.unesco.org/en/list/114

I was meant to be visiting Lambaesis today where Hadrian reviewed the fighting skills of Rome's African army. He witnessed its manoeuvres and criticised/praised them in speeches to the troops. The army recorded the speeches in an inscription on the parade ground.
📷Fayeqalnatour Architectural reconstruction of Lambaesis by French architect and archaeologist Jean-Claude Golvin.
Lambaesis was a huge military settlement and the camp housed the Third Augustan Legion. Hadrian visited the fortress in the early summer of AD 128.
jeanclaudegolvin.com/en/lambaesis/

One thing is certain... Antiquity was colourful!
The touring 'Gods in Color' #exhibition has now returned in expanded form to Frankfurt's Liebieghaus museum (Germany), with more than 100 objects including a number of new reconstructions.
Find out more... liebieghaus.de/en/exhibitions… Experimental colour reconstruction of the so-called Small Herculaneum Woman.
Original from Delos, copy made in the 2nd c. BC of a famous original dating from 300 BC.
#exhibition Gods In Color— Golden Edition. Polychromy in Antiquity, Liebieghaus Skulpturensammlung, Frankfurt.

THREAD ↩️
The so-called Colossus of Memnon, situated on the west bank of the Nile opposite Thebes, was among the main attractions in #Egypt during Graeco-Roman times. They were in fact two colossal statues set up to honour Pharaoh Amenhotep III who ruled during the 18th Dynasty. The statue on the right earned itself the name Colossus of Memnon because it began to sing after its upper part toppled to the ground following an earthquake in 26 BC. At dawn a whistling sound was produced through the cracks that was interpreted as Memnon singing to his mother.

Iran is a country with a long and rich history where many civilisations thrived, stretching back thousands of years. With 24 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, each with its own story to tell, Iran offers an incredible variety of archaeological & cultural wonders.
#IranianCulturalSites From ziggurats to ancient palaces, Zoroastrian temples, sublime mosques, Christian monasteries, and beautiful Persian gardens, there is no shortage of wonderful places to explore in Iran.
#IranianCulturalSites