- Paperback: 352 pages
- Publisher: Headline Review; New edition edition (7 April 2003)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 074726662X
- ISBN-13: 978-0747266624
- Product Dimensions: 19.6 x 12.8 x 2.6 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 993,649 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
Following Hadrian
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Review
'She excels in expressing her subject's chief success: marrying the ways of Greece with those of Rome' (The Times )
Independent on Sunday
'A meandering though often interesting journey in the footsteps of the emperor'
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
It goes without saying that anyone with any interest in ancient history will be captivated by this book. The scholarship is sound. The story of Hadrian reveals an extraordinary combination of introspective melancholy and psychologically devastating showmanship in the 'ringmaster' of the greatest Empire the world has ever known. And Speller's narrative technique -- yielding up a parallel view of Hadrian through the imagined diaries of the real Iulia Balbilla, the Empress's commpanion -- is simultaneously gripping, witty and deeply moving. I defy any reader not in the end to cry tears of compassion: for Hadrian himself; for his plain, sad wife who once, as a girl, believed that the greatest man in the world had chosen her, and loved her, only to discover she was merely a choice of convenience... I could go on. Enough to say that Speller is a poet as well as a historian, and "Following Hadrian" beautifully balances the two ways of seeing.
But, more to the point right now, Hadrian's story is eerily similar to events currently unfolding in the Middle East. Hadrian, normally the most politick of men, took on the Jews in an unprecedented act of outright hostility. In an empire held together by mutual advantage and a mixture of trade agreements, local compromises, stealth and public display, the Jews found themselves faced instead with defilement and (intended) obliteration. The result: terrorism, guerilla warfare, perpetual instability and the great Diaspora which still casts its shadow on the region and the world almost two millennia on. Will we learn? Will we EVER learn?
If there's one book Mr Blair and Mr Bush might profitably read, it is this one. If there's one book the rest of us might read, not for profit but for delight, it's also this one. In my humble opinion, a masterpiece.
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Hadrian, the great Roman emperor, has long needed a biography like this one. I enjoyed reading Ms. Speller's book very much.
The overall biography of Hadrian is probably known to most people. He was one of the greatest (indeed, THE greatest) Roman emperors. His reign is characterized by his travels, his philhellenism, and his love for a Greek youth named Antinoos, whose death brought Hadrian despair and misfortune. Overall, the book is very informative and creative. The author is a poet and her narrative is good. Every chapter is introduced with a narrative from Balbilla's (a poet in Hadrian's court) diary, where the young poetess talks about her time with Hadrian and his wife Sabina. This part is creative and sets the book apart from other biographies on Hadrian. Unlike Birley's bio, "Following Hadrian" has psychological depth; indeed, a little too much of it. It was nice to see some analysis on the depth of the relationship between Hadrian/Antinoos. My only complain has to do with the fact that the author focuses a little too much on Hadrian's negative qualities. Somehow, she seems to see him as a melancholy, unhappy person who doesn't smile a lot; this is the author's opinion, of course. Furthermore, she has some wild theories about the death of Antinoos (one of her theories is that Hadrian drowned him himself after a fight!)
Overall, it's an informative book regardless of its minor faults. Highly recommended for anyone interested in Roman history, psychology, anthropology, the classics....or anyone who wants to read a good book.
The overall biography of Hadrian is probably known to most people. He was one of the greatest (indeed, THE greatest) Roman emperors. His reign is characterized by his travels, his philhellenism, and his love for a Greek youth named Antinoos, whose death brought Hadrian despair and misfortune. Overall, the book is very informative and creative. The author is a poet and her narrative is good. Every chapter is introduced with a narrative from Balbilla's (a poet in Hadrian's court) diary, where the young poetess talks about her time with Hadrian and his wife Sabina. This part is creative and sets the book apart from other biographies on Hadrian. Unlike Birley's bio, "Following Hadrian" has psychological depth; indeed, a little too much of it. It was nice to see some analysis on the depth of the relationship between Hadrian/Antinoos. My only complain has to do with the fact that the author focuses a little too much on Hadrian's negative qualities. Somehow, she seems to see him as a melancholy, unhappy person who doesn't smile a lot; this is the author's opinion, of course. Furthermore, she has some wild theories about the death of Antinoos (one of her theories is that Hadrian drowned him himself after a fight!)
Overall, it's an informative book regardless of its minor faults. Highly recommended for anyone interested in Roman history, psychology, anthropology, the classics....or anyone who wants to read a good book.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
As a devotee of Roman history I have, of course, been long familiar with the story of Hadrian - or at least, I thought I was. "Following Hadrian" demonstrated to me that while I was familiar with the bare bones of his story, I had not fully grasped the significance of his life and times. As the author makes clear, there is a great deal more to Hadrian than his role as the consolidator of the Roman Empire in the early second century and, pereversely, a great deal less. What Elizabeth Speller gives the reader is not a simple account of the Emperor's political significance, but also a much wider understanding of him as a man. By giving a great deal attention to his relationsip with Antinous, something that many historians simply skate over, she adds a dimension to Hadrian's story that makes our understanding of him far more complete.
I do have a quibble, however, that many readers might categorise as "nit-picking," but which I believe undermines the work to a certain extent. By including an entirely fictitious memoir of Julia Balbilla, the author speculates on Hadrian's motives and actions as if she is presenting evidence. At one point "Julia Balbilla" tells us that, if there was anything suspicious in the death of Antinous, then neither she nor the Emperor's wife, Sabina, had anything to do with it. There might be good reason for believing this, but, if so, the author undermines her case by by using a fictional device rather than by presenting straightforward historical evidence. To me the "memoir," though well-written, is simply a distraction from an otherwise excellent piece of work.
I do have a quibble, however, that many readers might categorise as "nit-picking," but which I believe undermines the work to a certain extent. By including an entirely fictitious memoir of Julia Balbilla, the author speculates on Hadrian's motives and actions as if she is presenting evidence. At one point "Julia Balbilla" tells us that, if there was anything suspicious in the death of Antinous, then neither she nor the Emperor's wife, Sabina, had anything to do with it. There might be good reason for believing this, but, if so, the author undermines her case by by using a fictional device rather than by presenting straightforward historical evidence. To me the "memoir," though well-written, is simply a distraction from an otherwise excellent piece of work.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
An interesting account of Hadrian's life and career
This book about the Roman emperor Hadrian is written by Elisabeth Speller who has a degree in Ancient History from Cambridge University. Read more
Published 18 months ago by Torben Retboll
Enjoyable biography
Despite only giving it 3 stars I did enjoy reading this book. By the end of it you do feel that you have a much better knowledge of the man that was Hadrian. Read more
Published on 17 Sep 2007 by Mr X
The status of truth
Speller's Hadrian is a man rounded by a vareity of registers, given plausibility by his creator's ability to play with different kinds of authoritative voice. Read more
Published on 9 May 2002
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