Hadrian's Empire

by Danny; Purcell Danziger

Hadrian's Wall is one of the world's best known legacies of the Roman Empire. It has stood for two thousand years as a moment to its creator, and yet he himself remains an enigmatic figure. Now bestselling author Danny Danziger and Nicholas Purcell reveal the details of the extraordinary life of this mysterious man, and the age in which he lived and ruled. Hadrian was Spanish, and a restless, inquiring intellectual. He travelled constantly and spent much time in cultural centres like Athens and Alexandria. Although he was not warlike, he was a good soldier, and was comfortable mingling amongst all ranks. And yet his personal life was a complicated one, rife with scandal and conflicted sexuality. This complex character was also responsible for some of the world's most enduring architectural treasures. He built the Pantheon in Rome, the largest dome built using pre-industrial methods and a sprawling 900-room villa at Tivoli with a towering 'pumpkin dome' - a fittingly idiosyncratic memorial to this most unusual of emperors.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Roman History, Biography, Classics

302 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Hela Sophie · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF

[Pete daPixie · Rating 3 out of 5]

'Hadrian's Empire-When Rome Ruled The World' is a snapshot picture of the socio-political-religious Roman world of the 2nd century CE. Any reader searching for an insightful biography of the Emperor Hadrian himself, will probably not be satisfied. While we hear of the master builder of the Pantheon and the Great Wall of northern Britain, or the 900 room villa at Tivoli, or his travels around his vast empire, his lover Antoninus, as well as the crushing of the Bar Kochba revolt, I found much detail to be frustratingly sparse and rather shallow.
There is something like a biography of the man hidden in here, but it follows no chronological pattern. A very large part of Danziger and Purcell's work is taken across a very broad canvas of the Empire that could apply to any of the heads of state from Augustus to Constantine.
On a more positive note, for those interested in reading of the social world ruled from Rome, this book is quite rich in detail.

[Aurélien Thomas · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't really enjoy this book. Nothing wrong with it, but I had expected a detailed and straightforward biography of Hadrian while it is, instead, a snapshot of Roman society under his reign. Now it surely is a good piece of social history but, I just felt cheated somehow. In fact, Hadrian's life fades in the background and is reduced to anecdotes just to illustrate points about the social portrait being delivered! It's okay for what it is, but not a biography -be warned!

[Holly Cruise]

A biography of the Roman Empire itself in (and just before/after) the reign of Hadrian, the emperor who gave his name to two Britain's most famous cultural icons, Hadrian's Wall and (H)Adrian Mole. Hadrian's life takes a back seat to a look at the people, politics and social norms of the empire at one of its largest points, from the glamorous Greek parts which Hadrian liked best to the mud of Britain. Don't come here looking for a biography of the man himself, although he does feature, but for the story of the empire at this time.

[Robert Davies · Rating 5 out of 5]

As other reviewers have noted this is not a chronological biography of Hadrian, but rather a survey of the Empire he inherited, maintained and bequeathed. The text is arranged in thematic chapters covering various topics such as war, religion, social status, Britain, etc. I found it a fine and engaging introduction to its subject, although it is aimed at a general readership rather than an academic one.

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy to read and enjoyable but very loosely organised, touching on a topic before skipping on to another. Names are often only given in English translation. However, it does paint a vivid picture and the cruelty and oppression of Rome isn't brushed over.

This is a reasonable piece of pop history.

[Lucia Eriksson · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5 stars.

I learned a lot from this, but it was structured kinda awkwardly which made it difficult to follow sometimes.

[Maan Kawas]

I really liked this book, but it's more about the Roman Empire in the reign of Emperor Hadrian! it's informative and engaging!

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good little race through all aspects of the empire under Hadrian - not especially deep but well researched and readable. Avoid if you’re looking for a proper biography, though.

[Joey · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book fell flat for me...I did not enjoy reading it.