Antinous Rome Roman Italy Italian Greek greece Museum archaeology history civilization
Antinous 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, whose 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.
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