THE HADRIAN ENIGMA A Forbidden History (2010) (edit title/settings)

Summary edit see section history

Characters/People edit see section history

• Antinous: Aged about 18 years at the opening of THE HADRIAN ENIGMA, Antinous proceeds to being 23 through the tale. He is the son of a modestly wealthy landowner of Greek descent living in the Roman province of Bithynia (modern northern Turkey). Typical of his class and caste, Antinous is an educated 'ephebe', experienced horseman, cadet militiaman, and inheritor of Greek military ideals, yet must find his own way through life as a second son. He is contracted by his family to future marriage to a relative ten years his junior. With little inheritance due to him, Antinous enters a period of his life where he seeks his future opportunities among his peer group and seniors. These may be in trade, government, or the military, according to his gifts.
• Hadrian: Imperator Caesar Publius Aelius Hadrianus (Hadrian), who ruled Rome from 117-to-138CE, is the married emperor of the vast Roman Empire. In his 40's at the opening of the novel, Hadrian is today regarded as one of 'the five good emperors' of about 25 rulers during Rome's imperial period. Hadrian is renown for stabilising the Empire, establishing its defensible boundaries, instituting new legal and tax reforms, and constructing remarkable architectual projects such as The Pantheon, large temples, rebuilding Athens, and a huge palace complex at Tibur. He was also highly popular with his 28 Legions and shared in their hardships and lifestyle. From the surviving evidence, he also appears to have possessed homosexual preferences. These included a lengthy period in which he cultivated a liaison with Antinous, presumably intimate and sexual. It is reported by later historians that "he cried like a woman" after Antinous's death. In remembrance of the deceased youth Hadrian established a new city at the place of his death and initiated a cult of worship of the young man as Divus ('god-like') which spread across the Eastern Mediterranean and at Rome itself.
• Lysias: Add a description of this character.
• Anna Perenna
• Septicius Clarus
• Herodes Atticus
• Salvius Julianus
• Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus
• Alexander
• Strabon
• Pachrates
• Surisca
• Julius Vestinus
• Kenamun
• Ani
• Osiris
• Dacian
• Flavius Titianus
• Hetu
• Julia Balbilla
• Macedo
• Trajan
• Danaos
• Marcus
• Alcestis
• Telemachus
• Lysander
• Zeus
• Dromichaetes
• Damon
• Phlegon
• Alexandros
• Lucius Ceionius Commodus
• Zalmoxis
• Vibia Sabina
• Dicineus
• Simon
• Cronon
• Asclepius

Setting & Locations edit see section history

• Rome
• Bithynian
• Athens
• Alexandria
• Cyrene
• Middle Egypt
• Apollo
• Nicomedia
• Hunt
• Memphis
• Scorilo
• Court
• Urbicus
• Besa
• Augusta
• Hermopolis
• The Isia
• Antioch
• Geta
• Claudiopolis
• Hades
• Empire
• Siwa
• Pannonia
• Hadrianopolis
• Achaea
• Euripides
• Nero
• Italy
• Roman Asia
• Africa
• Middle Sea
• Fayum
• Great Dionysia
• Hellene
• Cappadocia
• Greece
• Cyrenaica

First Sentence edit see section history

Table of Contents edit see section history

Series & Lists edit see section history

List the series to which this book belongs.

First Edition edit see section history

Awards edit see section history

• Rainbow Award (December 2010: Best Gay Historical (shared with three titles))

Notes for Parents edit see section history

This novel includes various aspects of sexuality suitable only to adult readers.

Subjects edit see section history

• Books › Mystery & Thrillers › Mystery
• Books › Literature & Fiction

Links to Supplemental Material edit see section history

• M/M Romance Novels: M/M Romance Novels is a daily updated webzine of news & articles about romance media, crime-mystery fiction, pop culture trends, history/archaeology, & gay media influences. It also includes links offering access to purchase options for buying either an ebook or paperback copy of "THE HADRIAN ENIGMA". These include Amazon USA & Amazon UK.The current header page titles the blog as "CLASSY GAY STUFF".

More Books Like This edit see section history