The height of the Roman Empire’s power was during the reign of Hadrian. While endless predecessors and their rivals fought for expansion, Hadrian focused on sustaining his domain and his people’s livelihood. Readers will learn how even such an internal focus can lead to tragedy, specifically by intersecting religion with absolute statesmanship, as the Bar Kokhbah Revolt demonstrated. Regardless, conducting massive city-building projects, fortifying the borders of the empire, and other feats christen Hadrian as the third of the Five Good Emperors. Santillian and Morgan’s exhaustive research culminates in a comprehensive examination of all that Hadrian left in his wake.
