One of the major exhibitions planned for the British Museum in London next year is Hadrian: Empire and Conflict. The exhibition will run 24 July - 26 October 2008, and is certain to be huge.

I can't find any advance information on the BM website yet, but the exhibition partners BP say on their website: "With BP’s support, the British Museum hosts a series of outstanding major exhibitions. In July 2008, BP will be supporting the exhibition Hadrian. This will highlight the contradictions of the Roman Emperor’s personality and reign: a military man who combined ruthless suppression of dissent with cultural tolerance. The exhibition will seek to raise awareness of the immense and lasting legacy that he left. It will also focus on the relevance of Hadrian’s reign to our lives today through themes such as the continuing impact of the Pantheon on the modern architectural landscape, and attempts to unify disparate peoples through cultural projects."

As a precursor to this exhibition, there is also a small touring exhibition called The Face of an Emperor: Hadrian Inspects the Wall which will visit two sites along Hadrian's Wall: Tullie House in Carlisle (8 February - 13 April 2008) then Segedunum Roman Fort and Museum in Wallsend (16 April - 8 June 2008). The British Museum are loaning to this exhibition the bronze head of Hadrian that was found in the River Thames in 1834. The head comes from a statue, one and a quarter lifesize, that may have been erected in a public space in London in AD122 to commemorate Hadrian’s visit to Britain, and this will be the first time it will have been displayed outside the British Museum. A few more details about that are on hadrians-wall.org