Southern Courtyard

Your eyes are drawn to the large marble statue of Isis in the central niche of the colonnaded portico, whose columns and statues are reflected in the sparkling water of the deep basin that fills the semi-circular courtyard. You are reminded that water has always been very important in the cult of Isis as you gaze at the huge reclining statues depicting the great rivers of the Nile and the Tiber, which are linked now by the popularity of Isis and her cult in Rome. In contrast to the Egyptian emphasis in the Northern Courtyard, the symbolism and atmosphere here are very Greco-Roman. Indeed, the ambiance is similar to that created by the emperor Hadrian in the great pool with surrounding statuary, often called the Canopus, from his villa at Tibur (shown in the photo above).