What Roman arch in Athens was built in 132 AD to honor Emperor Hadrian?

The Roman arch in Athens built in 131 or 132 AD to honor Emperor Hadrian is the Arch of Hadrian.

The monument stood beside the road leading from central Athens toward the Temple of Olympian Zeus. Its construction is associated with Hadrian’s arrival and benefactions to the city, although scholars debate whether the Athenians or the Panhellenes commissioned it.

Two Greek inscriptions face opposite directions. One associates Athens with the legendary founder Theseus; the other calls it the city of Hadrian. Older interpretations claimed that the arch marked a boundary between an old city and a new Hadrianic district, but excavations have challenged that view.

Often called Hadrian’s Gate, the structure is made from Pentelic marble and rises about 18 metres. It is not a conventional triumphal arch with a massive decorated attic, making its design distinctive among Roman arches.