Product Description

Hadrian: The Restless Emperor provides a thorough and fascinating account of a man who, though hated when he died, left an indelible mark on the Roman Empire.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #96423 in Books
• Published on: 2000-02-24
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 424 pages

Review
'This is a historical work that must rank amongst the most important biographies of the Roman emperors; it deserves to be read as much for its account of Hadrian's restless traveling through the provinces as for its analysis of policies and matters of state.' - Paul Bidwell, British Archaeology

'An epic account of one of ancient Rome's most fascinating and influential emperors.' - Booklist

'This fascinating book is the latest in Routledge's Roman Imperial biographies series.' - Globe & Mail

From the Back Cover
This is the first biography of Hadrian since 1923. Hadrian's reign (AD 117-138) was a watershed in the history of the Roman Empire. Hadrian abandoned his predecessor Trajan's eastern conquests - Mesopotamia and Armenia - trimmed down the lands beyond the lower Danube, and constructed new demarcation lines in Germany, North Africa, and most famously Hadrian's Wall in Britain, to delimit the empire.
No comprehensive account of Hadrian's life and reign has been attempted for over seventy years. In Hadrian: The Restless Emperor, Anthony Birley brings together the new evidence from inscriptions and papyri, and up to date and in-depth examination of the work of other scholars on aspects of Hadrian's reign and policies such as the Jewish war, the coinage, Hadrian's building programme in Rome, Athens and Tivoli, and his relationship with his favourite, Antinous, to provide a thorough and fascinating account of the private and public life of a man who, though hated when he died, left an indelible mark on the Roman Empire.

About the Author
Anthony R. Birley is Professor of Ancient History at the University of Dusseldorf. He was previously Professor of Ancient History at Manchester University. His previous books include three on Roman Britain as well as biographies of Marcus Aurelius and Septimius Severus.

Customer Reviews

The Wandering Emperor Re-Examined
I have just completed Anthony Birley's methodical biography of Hadrian. While weakened by a lack of psychological insight into the character and motivations of my favorite emperor, this tome did splendid work of mentioning the very numerous individuals whose careers in the military and civil service crossed Hadrian's own unique path. Birley's use of epigraphic sources greatly fleshes out the skimpy, and often tertiary, record of Hadrian's rule. In spite of these scholarly advances, Hadrian remains an enigma in this work, which devotes little attention to Hadrian's villas in Tivoli or Praeneste, and ultimately, to his grand legacy.

very dry
The book was so dry and boring, I never became interested in Hadrian through the whole book. The book was a detailed chronology of his life, but only the events. His life as a whole wasn't pulled together. I finished the book without a better understanding that I started with.