As Emperor of Rome from 161-180, Marcus Aurelius kept the empire safe from the Parthians and Germans but is best known for his intellectual pursuits.

If we’re talking about ancient love stories, a lot would come to mind. We have the infamous Romeo and Juliet, Lancelot and Guinevere, and even Paris and Helen.

Hadrian is considered to be one of Rome's "Five Good Emperors." But he was a man of many shades of grey. After a shaky beginning to his rule, Hadrian embarked on some truly amazing building projects, and stopped the aggressive expansionism of the previous...