I want to give this five stars, but it was a little slow and ponderous at times. Highlights obviously were Antinous, Yourcenar’s musings in beauty and love, and surprisingly, the notes about the writing of the book at the end. Very interesting, thinking of the lines between poetry and history (as she put it). Comparisons to Julian by Gore Vidal and Augustus by John Williams but I think she wrote a different kind of book, not better or worse, but quite distinct.