Museum of Tripoli, Libya

There are several reasons to write about the Archaeological Museum of Tripoli. It is one of those ‘must-see’ places that sadly are off the beaten track for the average tourist, especially since Gaddafi has been eliminated and the country has not regained its stability. 

I was privileged to visit this wonderful collection just before the outbreak of the Arab Spring, unaware of the quantity and high quality of artwork that awaited me. It must be said that I discovered these treasures on my first day in Libya, and, as always, I should have returned after my tour of the archaeological sites as well. 

Anyway, I took in as much as I could fully aware that the best pieces from any excavation made their way to the museum in the country’s capital. Tripoli was no exception. 

The bulk of the collection comes from Leptis Magna, second to Rome (see: An introduction to Leptis Magna in Libya). 

The first statues I see are two magnificent Roman copies of Praxiteles’ originals from the 4th century BC. One is the Diadumenos, a young athlete who is tying the ribbon of victory around his head. The other is Apollo-Antinous hinting at Dionysus, combining the body of Apollo with the head of Antinous, the lover of Emperor Hadrian. Both life-size marbles were recovered from the Baths of Hadrian in Leptis Magna. The arched vaults of these baths from the 2nd century AD, have simply collapsed burying and saving its precious statues in the process. 

Stealing the show is the marble Apollo playing the lyre. He is a little taller than life-size and as true to life as imaginable. Apollo’s delicate hands and fingers seem to strike the strings as he holds his instrument with his left hand and the plectrum in his right. The lyre is intact, except for the strings, and it is a unique opportunity to have a close-up look. His eyes, whose traces of paint make them alive, stare melancholically into the distance. They are a vivid reminder of all the painted statues in antiquity. Apollo’s body is truly worthy of a god. 

The elegant Muse Calliope is sitting nearby listening carefully to his tune. More remarkable statues gather around Apollo. An unspecified sea goddess is looking up to him and Mars is standing in a niche behind him. The slender Isis is wearing a diadem, and Venus is very similar to other copies of the famous Aphrodite of Cnidos (see: Was Alexander the Great aware of Cnidos?). Hadrian definitely had an outspoken taste for beauty! 

Another large group of statues and busts is brought together from the theater of Leptis Magna, consisting mainly of Roman emperors: Augustus, Tiberius, Claudius, Marcus Aurelius, Lucius Verus, etc. Even Augustus' wife Livia, and granddaughter, Agrippina the Elder are present. Upstairs, in the Mezzanine there is a statue of Faustina, the wife of Marcus Aurelius. 

Inside the theater of Leptis Magna stood a small temple dedicated to Ceres-Augusta, goddess of the harvest – our word for cereal derivates from the name Ceres. A seated statue of this goddess also found its way to the museum. 

The goddess Cybele with the many breasts (or whatever they represent) as worshiped in Ephesos was unearthed in the sanctuary of the amphitheater. A Roman copy of a Greek original Diana/ Artemis, as displayed at the Louvre in Paris and the Archaeological Museum of Antalya is also exhibited. 

The Ancient Forum of Leptis Magna yielded a rather damaged Dionysus with satyr and panther, and a headless Lady Fortuna wearing a beautifully draped tunic. 

The museum’s impressive main hall also displays four delicate mosaics from a private villa in Leptis Magna. It dates from the 2nd century AD and depicts scenes of daily life in and around the Nile – hence its name, Villa of the Nile. 

Upstairs, a special room holds the original reliefs of the Arch of Septimius Severus (see: A solid gold bust of Septimius Severus), proof of the political loyalty of the inhabitants of Leptis Magna in the 3rd century. The relief of Septimius Severus standing between his two sons, Caracalla and Geta, was meant to express the good harmony inside the imperial family. Here is also a statue of Caracalla as a child. 

The Cyrene Room has a wooden scale model of the Agora, which, unfortunately, is meaningless unless one has visited the site. Nearby are faceless goddesses believed to represent Persephone from the necropolis of Cyrene. Also, a rare Minerva wearing the Aegis tied to her waist as opposed to her Greek version, Athena, who wears it around her shoulders. She also holds her owl and carries the spear and shield. The statue is carefully carved in pure Greek tradition. 

The Archaeological Museum of Tripoli has a rich collection of mosaics from the 2nd century AD. Many villas were built along the Mediterranean coast by wealthy landowners who loved to show off. One such example is the Roman Villa of Zliten, some 200 km east of Tripoli. It yielded a large floor mosaic executed in a wonderful combination of opus sectile and clearly outlined opus vermiculatum. The central panel is filled with different sorts of fish, and the border with less peaceful scenes of gladiator fights. From the same villa comes the floor mosaic representing the Four Seasons. Tajura is located closer to Tripoli where another Roman villa from the 2nd century AD has been spotted. A large mosaic with geometric figures and the head of the sea god, Amfitritus, in its center has been removed from the Villa of the Nereids. 

Unfortunately, I did not visit any of these villas since they were usually closed to preserve them. Under the present chaotic regime, I wonder how much of these precious villas have survived the revolt and looting in the wake of Gaddafi’s execution. 

From Ghirza, a Roman fortress near Misrata, an entire Mausoleum from the 4th century AD has been moved to the entrance hall of the museum. It has a strange mixture of different styles that can hardly be defined. 

It is, of course, preferable to leave such constructions and the precious statues and mosaics in situ, but in case of political unrest and war, the artifacts are generally better protected inside the walls of a museum. It so happens that the Archaeological Museum of Tripoli is housed inside the so-called Red Castle of Tripoli. In 2011, following the outbreak of the Libyan Civil War, the museum was closed, but rebels managed to break into the museum and steal a few of Gaddafi’s belongings that were kept in a special room. Previously, the most valuable artifacts had been moved to a safer location. As of 2020, the museum is still closed.

Leptis Magna or What Rome must have looked like - Conclusion

( continued from Leptis Magna or what Rome must have looked like - Part II)

The city of Leptis Magna covered far more ground than the official buildings I just visited tend to imply. Two major constructions are still waiting for me, the Amphitheater and the Hippodrome. 

The Amphitheater lies approximately one kilometer from the center of Leptis Magna, close to the sea. It has been excavated in the natural rocky depression or possibly an ancient quarry. 

Thanks to an inscription, we know that it was inaugurated by the ruling governor, Marcus Pompeius Silvanus Staberius Flavinus, in his third year in office. He and his deputy dedicated the monument to Emperor Nero, meaning it was finished in 56 AD. 

The Amphitheater measured 57 x 47 meters and would accommodate as many as 16,000 people. Compared to the 50,000 seats in Rome’s Coliseum, it may seem small, but looking at it from the higher ground, it appears more impressive. The elite of Leptis Magna would elect to sit on the southeastern side of the Amphitheater, where they could enjoy a gentle breeze. 

The games were an all-day event. Typically, the early morning starts with animals fighting each other. Around noon, the criminals would be executed, i.e., thrown to the wild beasts. The afternoon was reserved for gladiators of different kinds and named after their equipment. 

In the southeastern corner of this monument stood a temple from the time of Hadrian dedicated to the goddess Artemis. Excavations early in the 20th century yielded a statue similar to the one in Ephesus, which is now exhibited at the Museum in Tripoli.

Closer to the sea are the remains of the Hippodrome or Circus built under Trajan in 112 AD. It roughly runs parallel to the coastline and is 450 meters long and 100 meters wide. Two tall vaulted passageways connected the Amphitheater to the Hippodrome. From my vantage point above, I can clearly see the spina, the central spine of the Hippodrome. Since it is not entirely excavated, the only visible rows of seats are at the far end, seemingly resting on the side of the dunes facing inland. It is estimated it could seat 23,000 spectators. 

Exceptionally, I would like to underscore the beauties of the Archaeological Museum of Tripoli because so many of the most exquisite statues and artifacts from Leptis Magna (and other antique cities on Libya’s coastline) are exhibited there. 

Leptis Magna has a small museum of its own, which collects artifacts whose quality does not rise to the standards of Tripoli. In front of the building stands a beautiful bronze statue of Septimius Severus, created by the Italians in 1940. 

At the entrance of this museum stands a welcoming marble African elephant who lost his trunk. A place of honor is reserved for the original Arch of Septimius Severus reliefs. Otherwise, there are many statues from the Theater and Hadrian’s Baths. In the corner, a group of headless figures in a toga gathers, generally larger than life-size, retrieved from the Old Forum and the Forum Novum Severianum. Rather striking and very lifelike is the face of Isis with inlaid glass eyes. The glassware and other vessels in various shapes and sizes, as well as the small frescos, merit attention. 

We mentally have to put the artwork from this museum and the one in Tripoli back into place. Still, we hardly catch a fraction of the magnificence and wealth Leptis Magna displayed in its time of glory. Picturing the wealth and opulence of Rome is clearly beyond reach!

It is evident that life in Libya has changed since my last visit. I expressed my concern in an earlier blog: Still hope, though scant, for Libya’s cultural heritage, but that was almost ten years ago. Nothing much has transpired since, and it seems the country's cultural heritage is not a priority, yet. I sincerely hope for the best!

Food for thoughts

Strolling through the Graeco-Roman section of a museum, I often come face to face with a statue or a head of Antinoüs, the lover of Emperor Hadrian. His outstanding beauty and the perfect traits of his being are true eye-catchers.

Hadrian, who lived 76-138 AD, was a world traveler in our modern concept. He regularly visited many cities of the prosperous Roman Empire, and the occasion was often thankfully remembered by the citizens who built a triumphal arch. Many such monuments are still visible today. They have become so familiar that I genuinely miss them when they are absent. This was the case, for instance, in Albania. In the historical context, that is not surprising, but as it turned out, I got used to the comforting idea of having Hadrian around.

As the arches remained in place, the statues of the emperor were generally safely removed to a museum. It is there that Antinoüs pops up next to him. In the back of my mind, I am confident that when you see one, you are almost certain to find the other nearby.

In antiquity, a man having a male friend or lover was a way of living. Such relations were commonly accepted, not like today when many people raise their eyebrows, to put it mildly, and condemn the relation entirely. In our modern world, people belonging to LGBTQ groups are still far from being accepted. But that is not the point I want to make, and this is not the place to discuss the matter either.

We’ll find various examples of such relationships in Classical Greece. The Theban Band, which was ultimately destroyed by Alexander at Chaironeia, consisted of elite pairs of lovers. It was a fierce and unbeatable Band of Brothers precisely because they were lovers and would defend their partner to the very end. It was a great honor to belong to this Band famed to be invincible, that is, till they were defeated by Alexander.

Achilles and Patroclus, as described by Homer, is another example. They were so vividly remembered that when Alexander reached the tomb of Achilles in Asia Minor, he and Hephaistion stripped their clothes and ran around the burial mound. They identified themselves with Achilles and Patroclus.

Another famous pair of lovers was Harmodius and Aristogeiton from Athens, who became the symbol of democracy after committing an act of political assassination in 514 BC. They killed Hipparchus, the last tyrant of the city, during the Panathenaic Festival. The Athenians recognized them as the founders of democracy and erected a bronze statue group in their honor. It stood on the Acropolis till it was robbed by Xerxes during the Persian War in 480 BC, and it was installed in Susa. This is where Alexander found the group in 330 BC, and he sent it back to Athens.

Clearly, the friendship/love between Alexander and Hephaistion was nothing new. It was common knowledge among the troops, who accepted it for what it was. The special place Hephaistion occupied in Alexander’s life was, however, a source of envy and even resentment among the other Companions and generals. They must have watched that relationship with Argus’ eyes as they all coveted Hephaistion’s privileged position. Yet, Hephaistion never took advantage of that position. He must have walked a tightrope trying to stay aloft and still accomplish the missions Alexander entrusted to him. He must have been a gifted diplomat, blessed with a huge dose of self-control and endless love for Alexander.

I find it quite intriguing that most of the statues of Hadrian and Antinoüs were made during their lifetime and have survived to this day. This is not the case for Alexander, whose statues were made after his death. Most are Roman copies from the 1^st and 2^nd century AD based on originals by Lysippos, Praxiteles, and other great artists whose works no longer exist. The images of Hephaistion are even scarcer, and one could wrongly assume that his relationship with Alexander was not important enough to be underscored in the art world.

On the other hand, we know that after the death of Hephaistion, many effigies were made. They were presented to the mourning Alexander by his generals. Perhaps they hoped to clear their own conscience or to find a way to console Alexander. It remains to be seen whether that gesture was genuine or only a way to plead their own case to obtain favors. It is not impossible that after Alexander’s own death, his generals destroyed the effigies of Hephaistion in an ultimate urge to satisfy their own desire for revenge.

The fact remains that Alexander and Hephaistion are rarely seen together. I have come across only two such cases. One set of statues stood in a showcase at the National Archaeological Museum of Athens (see: Alexander and Hephaistion side by side). Those statues, found in Alexandria, are a little less than life-size and date from the 1^st century BC. The other example is their respective heads on display at the Getty Museum in Malibu, California (see: Ode to Alexander and Hephaistion). They once belonged to a larger group made as early as 320 BC and found in Megara, near Athens. Both heads have been reworked in antiquity, and Hephaistion’s hair has been trimmed in the process.

Both men are evidently also depicted on the famous Alexander sarcophagus, now at the Archaeological Museum in Istanbul. However, they are not placed next to each other but on either side of the sarcophagus. Alexander is depicted fighting a Persian on one panel and Hephaistion is part of a hunting scene on the opposite side.

The unequaled beauty of gems in antiquity

It seems like a flood of gems that have been flushing towards the Getty Museum just a few months ago (May 2019).

We find rings from antiquity with exquisitely carved gems in some museums and, unfortunately, they are often overlooked by the casual visitor who is more impressed by large statues and impressive reliefs.

Yet, this newly acquired group of seventeen such engraved gems constitutes an exceptional and extremely rare collection, the previous possession of a Roman art dealer. These truly unique gems, some of which are still set in their original rings, range from the Minoan, Archaic and Classical eras down to Etruscan and Roman times.

The acquisition includes some of the most famous gems like the portraits of Antinoüs, the lover of Emperor Hadrian, and Demosthenes, but also lesser-know work by exceptionally talented jewelers.

Antinoüs is carved on a large black chalcedony stone and is depicted wearing a cloak pinned in place by a fibula. He is presented as a hunter and carries a spear. His traits are rendered with such precision and delicacy that it leads many to say that this is the finest rendition of Antinoüs ever.

The portrait of Demosthenes, on the other hand, carries the name of its engraver, Dioskourides who is known for working at the court of Emperor Augustus. The cut of this gem is so deep that the portrait looks more like a high relief. Demosthenes is depicted wearing a mantle over one shoulder and his face shows the serious expression befitting his famous Philippics.

As to the other gems in the collection, they all show the exceptional skill of their creators. Especially noteworthy are the pictures of three swans on a Bronze Age seal from Crete (approx. 1600 BC) and that of a semi-divine Perseus with detailed naturalism.

Before being housed at the Getty Villa, the entire collection will be shown to the public as part of a special exhibition at the Getty Center in December 2019.

[Pictures from Archaeology News Network]

Time to Honor Emperor Hadrian

Emperor Hadrian was a world traveler in the modern sense of the word. He understood Public Relations like no other and made sure all his subjects knew him, whether in the Far East or in remote Britain, where he left his “Hadrian Wall.” He was very much appreciated also since so many cities built arches in his honor and dedicated temples and baths to him. A rare exception on my traveling through Albania, where I found no trace of him. Strange, to say the least!

Hadrian was born in 76 AD and died in 138 AD after having reigned over the Roman Empire for twenty-one years. He belongs to the category of the five “good emperors,” joining ranks with Nerva, Trajan, Marcus Aurelius, and Antoninus Pius. More importantly, he ruled at the height of Roman power in the middle of the Pax Romana, which started under Augustus in 27 BC and ended in 180 AD. This Pax Romana, a two hundred years-long peace period, was mainly due to Alexander the Great – a generally overlooked detail. Through his two years of fierce guerilla wars in Sogdiana and Bactria from 229 to 227 BC, Alexander had scared the hell out of the Scythian tribes on the northern frontiers of Central Asia to such an extent that they did not dare interfere with the Roman occupation in the following centuries.

Hadrian comes to me as a good-natured and friendly person who likes his contact with people. He is known to be generous to the soldiers under his command, making sure they were properly garrisoned; additionally, he implemented many military reforms and built appropriate forts. The emperor was on good terms with the civilians of the cities he visited and is said to have defended the weaker population against the empowered ones, which may be why he was so popular. He loved everything that was Greek, and that included his beautiful lover Antinous. He sought to make Athens the cultural capital of his empire, and he ordered the construction of many buildings all over the city for this purpose. Best known is probably his arch in the center of Athens carrying two typical inscriptions reading on one side. Here starts the city of Hadrian and on the other, Here ends the city of Hadrian. Athens, in turn, honored the emperor with a bronze statue at the Theatre of Dionysus. According to Pausanias, Hadrian also built a gymnasium with columns of Libyan marble, a Temple of Hera, an extensive Library, and a Pantheon dedicated to all the gods. We still can admire his life-size statue at the very heart of the Greek Agora. Another noteworthy feature of Hadrian’s legacy is the vaulted Eridanos River exposed during the metro construction works at the Monastiraki station.

This emperor is also remembered for his generosity and fairness, for changing the law to make sentences more humane and honest. In Rome, he restored many buildings, including the Pantheon, and allowed himself the luxurious Villa Hadriana at Tivoli, which he furnished with the most beautiful Greek statues he could find; if not the originals, then the best copies would do. During his travels, he often implemented public works projects and granted Latin rights to many communities.

Nothing much has transpired from his personal life except his affair with the gorgeous Antinous (when you see the very recognizable Antinous in a museum, you can be sure that Hadrian is not far off). Whatever his relationship with his wife Sabina was, she is often represented at his side. One such case that springs to my mind is Andriake, the harbor of Myra, where a bust of the couple enhances the entrance to the granary.

According to the latest news, the city of Antalya is renewing its appreciation for Hadrian by cleaning up the area around the gate built in his honor in 130 AD, known locally as the “Three Doors.” They are planning rather fancy landscaping with lighting in the shape of the sun. The project is not too clear, but it is nice to hear that this impressive city gate will gain prestige after many centuries of abandonment.