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The Emperor

by Georg Ebers Book 1 in the Roman, Christian and Early Islamic Egypt series.

First published 1881

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Roman Alexandria prepares for the arrival of Hadrian, whose presence brings imperial power directly into the city’s crowded world of artists, officials, scholars and competing religious communities. The emperor’s curiosity about architecture and art draws him into contact with people far below the imperial rank, while romances and rivalries develop around his visit.

Ebers uses Hadrian’s Egyptian journey to explore a cosmopolitan city in which Greek culture, Roman government, Judaism, Egyptian traditions and an expanding Christian community coexist uneasily. Hadrian, Antinous and Vibia Sabina appear within a broad social panorama rather than as distant names from imperial history.

Historical Periods

Reign of Hadrian117–138 CE Roman Egypt and Alexandria30 BCE–395 CE

Genres

Court & Political Fiction Romance Social & Domestic Fiction

Historical people

Hadrian76–138 Vibia Sabina86–136 Antinous111–130

Series reading order

Books in the Roman, Christian and Early Islamic Egypt series

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