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Hadrian's Rome

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This is a colour photograph of a relief within a carved architrave.

A man with a close-cut beard is sitting on a stool facing left with his left hand resting on his lap. His right hand is raised with his closed palm towards him and index finger pointing upwards. He is wearing a toga and a wreath. His left foot is on the ground in front of him. His right foot is drawn back towards his stool. He is shown larger than the other figures in the scene.

A bearded man stands behind him and a bare-chested young man reclines on the floor at his feet. His back is to the viewer. His right elbow rests on his thigh and his hand is raised as he turns his head towards the seated man to the right.

In the background to the left is a burning pyre. A winged female figure is shown rising diagonally from it. Her hair is pinned up and her breasts and right thigh are visible. She is holding a flaming torch and is looking up to the left at a woman who is riding on her back. The woman is holding the folds of her veil out towards the left. Her other hand rests on the shoulder of the winged figure and she looks towards the right as she is carried upwards.

 3 Death, divinity and the emperor