Emperor Hadrian - Tumblr Posts

Antinous (Ancient Greek: Ἀντίνοος, Latinised Antinous) was an incredible individual who captured the heart of the Roman emperor Hadrian. Born on 27 November between 110 and 115 in Bithynion-Klaudiopolis, Bithynia, and passing away on or shortly before 30 October 130 in the Nile near Besa, Antinous was a favourite and presumed lover of Hadrian. After his death, he was declared a god and worshipped. Many of his portraits have survived to the present day, and they are truly magnificent! From the Renaissance to the present day, the art surrounding Antinous has been widely received. This applies both to the art handed down from antiquity and to re-creations and interpretations of ancient works of art in modern times, which are equally stunning!

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If immortality is almost attainable, then it is probably only in this way! These days, it is unfortunately no longer the case that really rich, powerful people have art created that shows what they worship or rather what they love idolatrously, to whom they are addicted. But who knows what the future holds?

Powerful people only collect things that can increase in value for them or make their status visible.

But what Hadrian did goes beyond the dimension of art and desire... He made his beloved a god and thus honoured him in art and history! Their togetherness was certainly unprecedented, the conversations, the union of two people in such an imbalance of power and yet probably equal as only love can be.

Oh, are we all only as loved as Antinous!

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Little is known about Antinous, and his actual significance for our time is not derived from his life, but from his lasting impact to this day. Even in antiquity, the little real information about his life was mixed with legends. To this day, the fascination that Antinous exerts is primarily based on his relationship with Emperor Hadrian and the many works of art that were created in memory of the young man. Scholars have never been able to reconstruct the personality behind the sparse information in the historical sources and the works of art.

What is certain is that Antinous was born between 110 and 115 in Bithynion-Klaudiopolis in north-west Asia Minor. The handsome boy came to the emperor' s attention during one of Hadrian's journeys. Today, it is no longer clear whether the first meeting between the two took place during Hadrian's stay in Bithynia in 121 or not until 123/124. From this point onwards, Antinous accompanied the emperor on all his travels.

Throughout his life, Hadrian strived to fulfil a Greek ideal. In the Roman imagination, this also included pederasty. Here, the man took on the role of mentor for the boy in all areas of life. Christian tradition and modern reception later reduced these relationships more and more to the sexual component. In addition, the emperor himself was dissatisfied with his marriage to his wife Vibia Sabina.

There is hardly any information about Antinous' exact relationship with Hadrian. In the Athenaeus ‘ Scholars’ Banquet it is reported that the Alexandrian poet Pankrates is said to have recommended himself to Hadrian with a particularly refined form of flattery: The poet presented the emperor with a rose-red lotus flower with the words that this flower deserved to be called the ‘Antinous lotus’ for the reason that it had sprung from the ground where Hadrian had once struck down a lion with a spear in the desert near Alexandria at the last moment, just before it would have attacked Antinous. The lion's blood would have coloured the lotus, so to speak. The emperor was delighted and gave the poet a position in the Museion.

The circumstances of Antinous' early death are also shrouded in legend. What is certain is that the young man fell into the Nile near the city of Besa in Middle Egypt on or shortly before 30 October 130 and drowned in front of his paternal friend. The later historians Cassius Dio and Aurelius Victor report that the circumstances of the death were unclear. According to some historians, Antinous' death was an accident. According to other reports, he sacrificed himself for the emperor in order to ensure a long and happy life for him. Antinous is said to have learnt from an astrologer that his suicide would give the emperor his expected lifespan during his lifetime. In contrast, the late antique Historia Augusta, a collection of imperial biographies whose information should be used with great caution, argues that Antinous took refuge in suicide in order to escape Hadrian's excessive sexual advances. In retrospect, a court intrigue cannot be ruled out either. Hadrian's wife is said not to have been particularly sad about the death of her rival.

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Hadrian’s super hot lover Antinous. After his suspicious death Hadrian had him immortalized as a deity.

Emperor Hadrian

Antalya Archeology Museum

Source: dantesse, 2022

Fun Fact:

Zeus was even more popular than you realized.

There's actually a temple in Egypt that was dedicated to Zeus. I'm not making a word of that up. It's not dedicated Osiris, not Set, not even Horus. A temple dedicated to Zeus.

Apparently, the site was originally found in the early 1900s when French Egyptologist Jean Clédat found ancient Greek inscriptions referring to a temple to "Zeus Kasios". Kasios being the local Syrian Mountain where Zeus was worshiped at one point, but the temple wasn't excavated until recently. They've also found inscriptions in the area that tell of the Roman Emperor Hadrian renovating the temple as recently as the second century. The team of archaeologists are continuing to explore the site and personally, I can't wait to learn more about what they dig up.

Antinous as Dionysus (pen and India ink)