Antinous
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Categories: 110s births | 130 deaths | Roman-era Greeks | Pederasty in ancient Greece | Life-death-rebirth gods | Nerva-Antonine Dynasty | Roman mythology | Sexuality in ancient Rome | Pederastic heroes and deities
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Bust of Antinous From Patras, (National Archaeological Museum in Athens)
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Antinous bust of the Prado museum, Royal collection, Madrid
Antinoüs or Antinoös (Greek: Ἀντίνοος) born ca. AD 110 or AD 111, died AD 130), was the beloved of the Roman Emperor Hadrian, who deified him after his death.
BiographyAntinous was born to a Greek family in Bithynion-Claudiopolis, in the Roman province of Bithynia in what is now north-west Turkey. It is thought he joined the entourage of the Emperor when Hadrian passed through Bithynia in about 124, and soon became his pederastic eromenos (lover) who accompanied him on his many journeys through the empire. Another version has it that Hadrian had the empire searched for the most beautiful youth, and chose Antinous. Their relationship is understood to have followed the pattern of traditional Greek pederastic love affairs. In October 130, according to Hadrian, "Antinous was drowned in Nilus." This is the only contemporaneous statement made - significantly by the one person in a position to "testify" at an "inquaestio" whose word was above reproach - and the sentence structure and meaning are very precise, whether translated from Latin or Greek. Speculation that Antinous drowned by accident, committed suicide or was "sacrificed" by Hadrian appeared later, and may have had a political agenda. It is not known whether his death was the result of accident, suicide, murder, or religious sacrifice. Marguerite Yourcenar's book Memoirs of Hadrian portrays the death as a likely suicide. The speculation concerning suicide includes the possibility that Antinous sacrificed himself in an attempt to improve Hadrian's health. It seems very improbable that Hadrian would have consented to the death of his companion, given the depth of his grief following the loss, so if Antinous was murdered or committed suicide, Hadrian was taken by surprise. At his death the emperor decreed Antinous' deification, and the 2nd century Christian writer Tatian mentions a belief that his likeness was placed over the face of the Moon, though this may be exaggerated due to his anti-pagan polemical style.[1] LegacyAfter his death, the grief of the emperor knew no bounds, causing the most extravagant respect to be paid to his memory. Cities were founded in his name, medals struck with his effigy, and statues erected to him in all parts of the empire. Following the example of Alexander (who sought divine honours for his lover, Hephaistion, when he died), Hadrian had Antinous proclaimed a god. Temples were built for his worship in Bithynia, Mantineia in Arcadia, and Athens, festivals celebrated in his honour and oracles delivered in his name. The city of Antinopolis or Antinoe was founded on the ruins of Besa where he died (Dio Cassius lix.11; Spartianus, Hadrian). One of Hadrian's attempts at extravagant remembrance failed, when the proposal to create a constellation of Antinous being lifted to heaven by an eagle (the constellation Aquila) failed of adoption. After deification, Antinous was associated with and depicted as the Ancient Egyptian god Osiris, associated with the rebirth of the Nile. Antinous was also depicted as the Roman Bacchus, a god related to fertility, cutting vine leaves. Worship, or at least acknowledgment, of the idealized Antinous was widespread, although mainly outside the city of Rome. As a result, Antinous is one of the best-preserved faces from the ancient world. Many busts, gems and coins represent Antinous as the ideal type of youthful beauty, often with the attributes of some special god. They include a colossal bust in the Vatican (here), a bust in the Louvre (the Antinous Mondragone), a bas-relief from the Villa Albani (here), a statue in the Capitoline museum (the so-called Capitoline Antinous, now accepted to be a portrayal of Hermes), another in Berlin, another in the Lateran and one in the Fitzwilliam Museum; and many more may be seen in museums across Europe. There are also statues in many archaeological museums in Greece including the National Archaeological Museum in Athens, the archaeological museums of Patras, Chalkis and Delphi. Although these may well be idealised images, they demonstrate what all contemporary writers described as Antinous's extraordinary beauty. Although many of the sculptures are instantly recognizable, some offer significant variation in terms of the suppleness and sensuality of the pose and features versus the rigidity and typical masculinity. In 1998 the remains of the monumental tomb of Antinous, or a temple to him, were discovered at Hadrian's Villa.[2] His representation in art was the subject of the Henry Moore Institute's 2006 summer exhibition. [1] Gallery
Sources and references
Ancient Literary Sources
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