Many historians consider Hadrian to be the “best emperor” for many reasons. Hadrian was the third of the Five Good Emperors of Rome. This, like the Julio-Claudians, was a group of Roman Emperors that were considered to be, obviously, good. During his time as emperor, Hadrian accomplished many things. He rebuilt the Pantheon and built the Temple of Venus and Roma. Hadrian rebuilt Agrippa’s Pantheon in a dome form, which influenced the architectural styles of the Italian Renaissance and Baroque periods. Emperor Hadrian showed much intelligence and interest in culture and the arts. Hadrian also had in interest in poetry, as he wrote poems in both Latin and Greek. He also wrote an autobiography, which he had designed not to be very lengthy, but to clear up any rumors surrounding him or his actions as emperor. Hadrian also had major interests in hunting. Another architectural achievement of Hadrian was the construction of Hadrian’s Wall. This wall was built to defend the northern part of the Roman Empire. Personally, I believe Hadrian was a wonderful emperor, especially in comparison to some of the other Roman Emperors. Hadrian, being one of the five good emperors was certainly one of the best that Rome would ever have. I would not put Hadrian at the top, as I believe there were some other great emperors that did a lot for Rome during their time as ruler; however, Hadrian was a wonderful emperor whom contributed to several aspects of Roman government and culture.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hadrian#Cultural_pursuits_and_patronage
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