40:
330:, which forces him to travel and take command of the troops. During an important siege, he despairs over the unraveling of his plans for peace, his ailing heart condition, and later over the rampant destruction in Judea. He states, "Natura deficit, fortuna mutatur, deus omnia cernit. Nature fails us, fortune changes, a god beholds all things from on high…"
282:
after his successes over Dacia and
Sarmatia. After a major defeat, Trajan hastily names Hadrian as his successor in a will shortly before his death. Following the death of Trajan, he hesitantly has his rivals executed and makes peace with Parthia. He travels frequently throughout the provinces of the
194:
Yourcenar noted in her postscript "Carnet de note" to the original edition, quoting
Flaubert, that she had chosen Hadrian as the subject of the novel in part because he had lived at a time when the Roman gods were no longer believed in, but Christianity was not yet established. This intrigued her for
203:
Yourcenar first thought of the idea for the book between 1924 and 1929. She then worked on various drafts intermittently between 1934 and 1937. The notion of writing the book from the point of view of a dying
Hadrian occurred to her after reading a sentence in a draft from 1937 stating: "I begin to
234:. The other chapters form a loose chronological narrative which he often breaks with various insights and recollections. The story begins with Hadrian, who is around sixty years of age, describing his incurable illness. He therefore wishes to recount important events in his life before his death.
337:, he ponders his succession and his thoughts turn to a memory of Marcus Aurelius as a virtuous and kind-hearted boy. Hadrian, now in advanced age and very poor health, begins to fear death and contemplates suicide through various means. He finally accepts his fate with resignation, or
261:
campaign. Hadrian, who is around thirty years old at the end of the war, describes his successes in the army and his relationship with Trajan who is initially cold towards him. He slowly gains Trajan's favor and secures his position for the throne with the help of
442:
277:
wars strongly affects him due to the appalling bloodshed and atrocities committed. He also begins to question the value of Trajan's policy of military expansion. Trajan, in old age, begins an unsuccessful military campaign in
207:
She did not resume work on the book in earnest until
December 1948, as she lived between New York and Hartford, Connecticut. She states that while she based her account of Hadrian on the two most principal sources,
325:
Hadrian begins reflecting upon his advancing age and his change in temperament, recalling one incident where he accidentally blinds his secretary out of rage. Further troubling him is the outbreak of rebellion in
318:. He ultimately believes that Antinous sacrificed himself in order to alter the outcome of troubling portents that both had witnessed earlier. In his grief, he devises the
341:, while reflecting on his newfound divine status throughout the Empire. Near death, he contemplates what the future may hold for the world, Rome, and for his soul.
310:. He also feels genuinely loved by Antinous compared to the fleeting passions of his youth and the loveless relationship with his wife Sabina. While visiting
487:. University of La Rioja, Logroño: International Congress "Imagines". Antiquity in the performing and visual arts October 22-24, 2007. pp. 387–394
454:
Kapsaskis, Dionysios (2018). "Yourcenar, Sartre and the Limits of
Authenticity: Re-reading "MĂ©moires d'Hadrien" from an Existentialist Perspective".
609:
298:
Hadrian's administration is a time of peace and happiness which he regards as his "Age of Gold." He attributes this happiness to his love for
195:
what she saw as parallels to her own post-war
European world. Although the historical Hadrian wrote an autobiography, it has been lost.
287:
while undertaking numerous economic and military reforms, promoting in his words: “humanitas, libertas, felicitas.” During a visit to
17:
777:
752:
812:
368:
802:
772:
787:
782:
602:
152:. First published in France in 1951, the book was a critical and commercial success. It was translated into English by
757:
230:
The novel is told in the first person by
Hadrian and is framed as a letter to Marcus Aurelius in the first chapter,
183:). The emperor meditates on military triumphs, love of poetry and music, philosophy, and his passion for his lover
767:
295:, which represents part of his vision of curbing the military expansion of his predecessor and promoting peace.
705:
595:
747:
569:
807:
797:
664:
425:
792:
762:
163:
644:
426:"Imaginary histories: ancient Egypt in the writings of Marguerite Yourcenar and Philippe Derchain"
179:
The book takes the form of a letter to
Hadrian's adoptive grandson and eventual successor "Mark" (
258:
231:
549:
311:
322:
and makes future plans to dedicate a new city to him in an effort to eternalize his memory.
634:
618:
142:
53:
498:
8:
72:
39:
360:
The
Routledge Companion to the Reception of Ancient Greek and Roman Gender and Sexuality
463:
406:
364:
292:
222:, her goal was to reinterpret the past but also strive for historical authenticity.
398:
209:
188:
176:). American editions of this translation are now published under the latter title.
358:
314:, he despairs over the sudden and mysterious death of Antinous who drowns in the
279:
180:
134:
695:
173:
741:
288:
253:
to study, travels to Rome for the first time, and witnesses the accession of
146:
685:
284:
267:
246:
524:
Reflections on the
Composition of Memoirs of Hadrian in Memoirs of Hadrian
511:
Reflections on the Composition of Memoirs of Hadrian in Memoirs of Hadrian
725:
215:
153:
467:
393:
Houston, John (1961). "The Memoirs of Hadrian by Marguerite Yourcenar".
587:
410:
307:
303:
274:
242:
482:
402:
484:
Museums and literature: Marguerite Yourcenar's "Memoires d' Hadrien
319:
299:
184:
138:
245:
and his lifelong passion for the arts, culture, and philosophy of
437:
383:
Yourcenar. Memoirs of Hadrian. English Edition. 2005. p. 319-320.
263:
238:
149:
254:
250:
334:
327:
315:
249:; themes which he revisits throughout the book. He visits
257:. He eventually joins the army and participates in the
333:During his final years in Rome and at his villa in
739:
273:During his military service, the outcome of the
570:"Portrait of Power Embodied in a Roman Emperor"
237:His earliest memories are his boyhood years in
603:
27:1951 historical novel by Marguerite Yourcenar
440:: Helmut Buske Verlag: 207–240. pub 992103.
266:, the emperor's wife, and also by marrying
610:
596:
38:
480:
453:
423:
241:. He also talks of his early interest in
617:
547:
474:
447:
424:Parkinson, Richard Bruce (1 July 2019).
417:
567:
392:
198:
14:
740:
386:
191:'s "melancholy of the antique world."
591:
526:. English Edition. 2005. p. 326, 329.
356:
513:, English Edition, 2005. p. 319-320.
166:and the following year in the UK as
548:Acocella, Joan (14 February 2005).
291:, he describes the construction of
24:
568:Epstein, Joseph (9 October 2010).
481:Guardiola, Rosario Rovira (2008).
204:discern the profile of my death."
25:
824:
541:
535:Yourcenar. Memoirs. 2005. p. 243.
430:Studien zur Altägyptischen Kultur
44:Cover of the first french edition
145:about the life and death of the
108:Print (hardback & paperback)
778:Cultural depictions of Hadrian
753:Novels by Marguerite Yourcenar
529:
516:
503:
377:
350:
13:
1:
813:Novels set in the 2nd century
706:Mishima: A Vision of the Void
344:
187:, all in a manner similar to
357:Moore, K. (22 August 2022).
7:
803:Novels with bisexual themes
773:Male bisexuality in fiction
225:
10:
829:
788:Novels set in ancient Rome
717:
676:
625:
112:
104:
96:
86:
78:
67:
59:
49:
37:
758:French historical novels
456:Dalhousie French Studies
363:. Taylor & Francis.
164:Farrar, Straus and Young
270:, Trajan's grandniece.
232:Animula Vagula Blandula
116:347 pp (2005 paperback)
18:MĂ©moires d'Hadrien
783:Nerva–Antonine dynasty
768:Novels with gay themes
550:"Becoming the Emperor"
443:Free PDF download here
128:
82:Librairie Plon, France
635:A Coin in Nine Hands
619:Marguerite Yourcenar
199:Writing of the novel
174:Secker & Warburg
143:Marguerite Yourcenar
54:Marguerite Yourcenar
748:1951 Belgian novels
574:Wall Street Journal
395:Yale French Studies
73:philosophical novel
34:
33:Memoirs of Hadrian
808:1951 French novels
798:French LGBT novels
655:Memoirs of Hadrian
306:youth he meets in
169:Memoirs of Hadrian
130:MĂ©moires d'Hadrien
124:Memoirs of Hadrian
71:Historical novel,
32:
793:1950s LGBT novels
763:Epistolary novels
735:
734:
370:978-1-000-62619-3
159:Hadrian's Memoirs
156:and published as
120:
119:
97:Publication place
16:(Redirected from
820:
728:
710:
700:
690:
669:
659:
649:
639:
612:
605:
598:
589:
588:
584:
582:
580:
564:
562:
560:
536:
533:
527:
520:
514:
507:
501:
496:
494:
492:
478:
472:
471:
451:
445:
441:
421:
415:
414:
390:
384:
381:
375:
374:
354:
320:cult of Antinous
211:Historia Augusta
189:Gustave Flaubert
88:Publication date
42:
35:
31:
21:
828:
827:
823:
822:
821:
819:
818:
817:
738:
737:
736:
731:
724:
713:
703:
693:
683:
672:
662:
652:
642:
632:
621:
616:
578:
576:
558:
556:
544:
539:
534:
530:
521:
517:
508:
504:
499:Dialnet listing
490:
488:
479:
475:
452:
448:
422:
418:
403:10.2307/2929331
397:(27): 140–141.
391:
387:
382:
378:
371:
355:
351:
347:
228:
220:Historia Romana
201:
181:Marcus Aurelius
135:French-language
105:Media type
89:
45:
28:
23:
22:
15:
12:
11:
5:
826:
816:
815:
810:
805:
800:
795:
790:
785:
780:
775:
770:
765:
760:
755:
750:
733:
732:
730:
729:
721:
719:
715:
714:
712:
711:
701:
696:Oriental Tales
691:
680:
678:
674:
673:
671:
670:
660:
650:
640:
629:
627:
623:
622:
615:
614:
607:
600:
592:
586:
585:
565:
554:The New Yorker
543:
542:External links
540:
538:
537:
528:
515:
502:
473:
446:
416:
385:
376:
369:
348:
346:
343:
302:, a beautiful
293:Hadrian's Wall
227:
224:
200:
197:
118:
117:
114:
110:
109:
106:
102:
101:
98:
94:
93:
90:
87:
84:
83:
80:
76:
75:
69:
65:
64:
61:
57:
56:
51:
47:
46:
43:
26:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
825:
814:
811:
809:
806:
804:
801:
799:
796:
794:
791:
789:
786:
784:
781:
779:
776:
774:
771:
769:
766:
764:
761:
759:
756:
754:
751:
749:
746:
745:
743:
727:
723:
722:
720:
716:
708:
707:
702:
698:
697:
692:
688:
687:
682:
681:
679:
675:
667:
666:
661:
657:
656:
651:
647:
646:
645:Coup de Grâce
641:
637:
636:
631:
630:
628:
624:
620:
613:
608:
606:
601:
599:
594:
593:
590:
575:
571:
566:
555:
551:
546:
545:
532:
525:
519:
512:
506:
500:
486:
485:
477:
469:
465:
461:
457:
450:
444:
439:
435:
431:
427:
420:
412:
408:
404:
400:
396:
389:
380:
372:
366:
362:
361:
353:
349:
342:
340:
336:
331:
329:
323:
321:
317:
313:
309:
305:
301:
296:
294:
290:
286:
281:
276:
271:
269:
265:
260:
256:
252:
248:
244:
240:
235:
233:
223:
221:
217:
213:
212:
205:
196:
192:
190:
186:
182:
177:
175:
171:
170:
165:
161:
160:
155:
151:
148:
147:Roman Emperor
144:
141:-born writer
140:
137:novel by the
136:
132:
131:
126:
125:
115:
111:
107:
103:
99:
95:
91:
85:
81:
77:
74:
70:
66:
62:
58:
55:
52:
48:
41:
36:
30:
19:
704:
694:
684:
663:
654:
653:
643:
633:
577:. Retrieved
573:
557:. Retrieved
553:
531:
523:
518:
510:
505:
489:. Retrieved
483:
476:
459:
455:
449:
433:
429:
419:
394:
388:
379:
359:
352:
338:
332:
324:
297:
285:Roman Empire
272:
236:
229:
219:
210:
206:
202:
193:
178:
168:
167:
158:
157:
129:
123:
122:
121:
29:
726:Grace Frick
677:Other books
522:Yourcenar.
509:Yourcenar.
216:Cassius Dio
162:in 1954 by
154:Grace Frick
742:Categories
497:Also see:
345:References
665:The Abyss
462:: 49–61.
339:patientia
308:Nicomedia
304:Bithynian
275:Sarmatian
243:astrology
127:(French:
79:Publisher
468:45172525
300:Antinous
226:Synopsis
185:Antinous
60:Language
718:Related
579:15 June
559:15 June
438:Hamburg
411:2929331
289:Britain
280:Parthia
264:Plotina
239:Italica
150:Hadrian
139:Belgian
133:) is a
709:(1981)
699:(1938)
689:(1936)
668:(1968)
658:(1951)
648:(1939)
638:(1934)
626:Novels
491:5 July
466:
409:
367:
268:Sabina
259:Dacian
255:Trajan
251:Athens
247:Greece
100:France
63:French
50:Author
686:Fires
464:JSTOR
407:JSTOR
335:Tibur
328:Judea
312:Egypt
113:Pages
68:Genre
581:2016
561:2016
493:2023
365:ISBN
316:Nile
214:and
172:(by
92:1951
460:112
399:doi
218:'s
744::
572:.
552:.
458:.
436:.
434:48
432:.
428:.
405:.
611:e
604:t
597:v
583:.
563:.
495:.
470:.
413:.
401::
373:.
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
