BBC – Hadrian

Hadrian (reigned AD 117-138).
Ruling an empire that comprised much of Europe, northern Africa and the Middle East, Hadrian was a capable and, at times, ruthless military leader. He realigned borders and quashed revolt, stabilising a territory critically overstretched by his predecessor, Trajan.
Hadrian had a great passion for architecture and Greek culture. His extensive building programme included the Pantheon in Rome, his villa in Tivoli and the city of Antinoopolis, which he founded and named after his male lover Antinous.”
Hadrian; not only was he one of the greatest of the Roman Emperors, but I’ve always found him one of the most enigmatic and fascinating characters in the whole of ancient history. Now at the British Museum in London there’s a new exhibition which sheds light on some of the key moments of this remarkable man’s life.
I’m going to try and get to the places where these remarkable objects came from; I want to learn about the Empire that Hadrian knew, travelled around and dominated more than any other Roman Emperor, I want to see the architecture that he commissioned, I want to see the places that inspired him, and above all I want to get to know Hadrian as a man.