This is the great historical novels ever written and you can tell that it is a labor of love is one. Yourcenar Hadrian was a great leader because he chose the pre-dated Christianity, whose mindset is so alien to our own and spent decades researching and seemingly struggling to express their insights. With it, your new Jewish temple in Jerusalem, the destruction of bloody rebellion that led to the excesses of the wealthy Roman Empire in its many aspects, survey. I read in French and flawless prose, clear, and found suggestive. Read it before coming to Rome!