The Library of Hadrian – The Tetraconch (410 AD)
After the invasion of 267, the Library of Hadrian suffered much damage. The Library compound was annexed to the new fortification that surrounded the city. An inscription gives us the information that the building was repaired by the eparchus Herculius between the years 402 and 410. A new colonnade was erected with columns collected from various and diverse buildings that were destroyed by the sack.
General view of the Library of Hadrian with the Tetraconch inside. Early 5th century AD.
CREDITS:
The models of the reconstructions are after the CAD plans by Chrysanthos Kanellopoulos, professor of Archaeology in the University of Athens and were created by Dimitris Tsalkanis for Ancient Athens 3d.
During the early 5th century, a big unusual building was erected in the middle of the central court: the Tetraconch. A tetraconch is a building with four apses, one in each direction and is usually related to a christian church. However, it seems that initially, this building in Athens was used as an administrative edifice and was probably later on converted into a church.
Parts of various destroyed buildings were used for its construction, including blocks of the Pantheon and pier shafts from the Odeon of Agrippa. The building consisted of a big central hall in the form of a square with each side measuring 15,42m. Each side had a semi-circular apse. The three apses had a double colonade which supported a floor looking over the main hall. The eastern apse had 3 large windows. Towards the west, and next to the main hall there was a series of rooms, two of which contained the staircase leading to the upper floor. Further to the west there was an atrium surrounded by columns. The tetraconch was destroyed in the 6th century and was replaced by a smaller basilica dedicated to St. Mary, called Megali Panagia (Great Mary), which was burned in the 11th century. Finally, a third very small church was built over the last one in the 12th century.
View of the Tetraconch through the northern colonnade.
The propylon (entrance) to the repaired Library. The repairs are visible on the right, where the Library’s wall meets the post-herulian city wall. The walls were built out of reused material taken from the buildings destroyed during the sack of Athens by the Heruli.
View of the Library’s interior from the west. On the right is the Tetraconch.
The repaired northern colonnade.
Detail of the northern colonnade where the diversity of the architectural material used during the repair is visible.
The eastern apse of the Tetraconch with the large windows
View of the Library’s interior colonnade from the east. On the right is the Tetraconch.
The interior of the Tetraconch from the east
View of the interior of the Tetraconch.
View taken from the upper floor of the Tetraconch.
In the middle one of the pier shafts taken from the destroyed Odeion of Agrippa from the Agora.
View of the interior
General view of the interior of the Tetraconch from the west, looking towards the eastern apse.
View of the interior
The interior of the Tetraconch from the northern apse.
