At times it can be hard to imagine the daily life of ancient people as they are often viewed as historical objects rather than actual human beings. This is especially the case when looking at those who held great deals of power, such as the Emperors of Rome, however, walking through an ancient location that they once occupied can help paint a picture of their life and the life of those around them more fully. Thus, walking through the Villa of Hadrian allowed me to see Hadrian not only as a historical figure who once held great amounts of power, but also allowed me to see the more human side of this historical figure and the people who may have been around him.
As we got into the Villa the first thing I did was sit down somewhat near the casino and watch bees and ants go about their business. I was encapsulated by these tiny insects while I was surrounded by incredible architectural artifacts, which made me think about how ancient peoples probably did the same thing. Following this train of thought, I then thought of Hadrian, a member of his family, or one of the many enslaved people that he claimed to own to maintain his Villa sitting down and being infatuated with the actions of bees and ants in the manner that I was. Though this was not the most “academic” way to think about an ancient place or an ancient people, it allowed me to view both the location and the people that occupied it as human; not simply as a historical object, but as something that truly had an essence of life and character like the people and places that exist today.
This was my viewing experience at Hadrian’s Villas; it was a nice change of pace for me.
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