The emperor Nerva gives this ring to Trajan after he dies, and Trajan passes it off to Hadrian after his success in the Dacian campaign. Hadrian regards it as a de facto acknowledgment that he will succeed Trajan.
Athens is the city that Hadrian feels most at home. He is a lover of all things Greek, and Athens is presented as a lively - if rundown - epicenter of culture. Over the course of the novel, Hadrian rebuilds much of the ruined city.
Jerusalem is a furnace of warring interests and extremism. The emperor Titus destroyed much of it, and Hadrian dedicates much time to rebuilding large portions. Jewish zealots rebel late in his reign, taking over the city. Hadrian's troops raze the city, and he renames is Aelia, forbidding all Jews to live.....
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