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Book Salon
Memoirs of Hadrian

  • This month we're reading Memoirs of Hadrian by Marguerite Yourcenar. Our faculty host is Blair Hoxby.

    Listen to an interview with our Book Salon host.

    "This lyrical novel recreates Hadrian's lost memoirs and immerses readers in the consciousness of Rome's most complex emperor. It explores the mysteries of life, from the risks and rewards or erotic abandon to the intoxication of political rule. Turmoil in the Middle East? Homosexual heartbreak? The Romans dealt with it all before we did."

    Blair Hoxby, associate professor of English

How to Participate

>> Listen to the audio interview with this month's host, Professor Blair Hoxby.

>> Read the audio transcript with this month's host, Professor Blair Hoxby.

>> Post a message to the online discussion by emailing memoirsofhadrian@discussions.stanford.edu

About this quarter's book selection

Written in France in 1951, Memoirs of Hadrian, captures life at a pivotal time in Roman history and is noted for its attention to historical detail. Author Marguerite Yourcenar reimagines Emperor Hadrian's arduous boyhood and his triumphs and reversals. His reign is often characterized by a commitment to peace and prosperity as he pushed for numerous reforms like increased imperial transparency and allowing women to inherit property. The reader follows Emperor Hadrian’s range of emotions and his gradual reordering of a war-torn world.  

During his reign, Hadrian strives to never enter into long lasting conflicts. He takes on a Greek lover Antinous who becomes his constant companion and his source of happiness. However, his empire remains peaceful for only a short and his relationship with Antinous deepens with devastating consequences. Furthermore, an uprising from his Roman Jewish subjects leads Hadrian to examine Roman rule and what he’s truly accomplished during his rule and within his personal life.

Written over the span of about 15 years, Memoirs of Hadrian is an intimate look at what Emperor Hadrian’s memoirs might have looked like if they had survived into modern times. 

The Stanford Book Salon [Seriously Unstuffy]