Hadrian was considered one of the good emperors from a long list of wicked or ruthless men that ruled the Empire. His birthplace is in dispute but his father was born in Baetica (modern Andalusia) and his mother in Gades (modern Cádiz). The likelihood is that he was born somewhere in Spain. HIs father was the cousin to the emperor Trajan who extended the Empire to its largest geographic area. Just prior to his death, Trajan adopted Hadrian as his son. Once he became emperor, Hadrian was able to unify and consolidate the vast Roman Empire.