This widely acclaimed book brilliantly uses new evidence to chronicle the life of a man who, while broken and hated at his death, nevertheless left an indelible stamp on the Roman Empire.

Birley shows how Hadrian brazenly abandoned his predecessor Trajan's eastern conquests, constructed new demarcation lines in Germany, North Africa, and most famously Hadrian's Wall in Britain, to limit the expansion of the Empire. This engrossing book also explores Hadrian's dramatic personal life, including his tragic love affair with the young Antinous, whose death in the Nile caused speculations of suicide and even ritual sacrifice.