A Historical Paper

The Pantheon The Pantheon, a grand architectural landmark, is one worth discussing. This building has survived the test of time, more or less, for a reason. Its enigmatic history and rich design make it a timeless building. Some aspects of the building are still discussed today. The Pantheon we see today was probably built during the time of Hadrian*, the 14th emperor of the Roman Empire who had ruled from 117-38 A.D. It is not known exactly what the original use of the Pantheon was, but many architectural scholars have argued that it may have been built for the Roman gods. The architect of the Pantheon is unknown, and it is almost certain that the original architect was not Hadrian. There is no doubt, however, that Hadrian had constructed the idea of the Pantheon. “He stands in relation to it as… Louis XIV to Versailles” (MacDonald 12).
Hadrian was an accomplished man not only in the administrative and military fields but also in painting, poetry and architecture. And although Hadrian had elements of genius in him, he was, overall, a very humble person. The absence of his name from some of the imperial inscriptions put up on public buildings erected or renovated around the Roman Empire during his reign was very curious on Hadrian’s part. This humbleness, however, effectively confused historical analysts, and here’s why: During the reign of Augustus (27 B.C. to 14 A.D.), Augustus had commissioned a rectangular sanctuary in the location of the where the Pantheon now stands. Agrippa, Augustus’ minister, designed the sanctuary. That building had been burned down twice. The Pantheon entirely replaced the original building, which is where the Pantheon’s mystery begun. As previously stated, Hadrian was a humble emperor. So when the Pantheon was built, he restored Agrippa’s original inscription on his new building: MAGRIPPALFCOSTERTIVMFECIT (Marcus Agrippa the son of Lucius, three times consul, built this.) Since Agrippa and Hadrian come from different time