Not Sweating the Small Stuff

My Grandmother and Antinous and Gay Sex

I think my preference for men rather than women came partly to consciousness through looking at photographs of Greek and Roman sculpture in the great Victoria Art books at my grandmother's house. Maybe not an uncommon story!

Sculptures like:

Perseus Antikythera - Greek 350 BC

Marathonian Ephebe - Greek 330 BC

Portrait of a Man - Greek 300 BC Temple of Apollo at Cyrene, Libya

Head of a Wrestler

Barberini Faun or Sleeping Satyr - 200 BC, found in Hadrian's Mausoleum (d.138AD

In particular, I became intrigued by the sculptures and the story of Antinous (AD 110-130). Even more so after I visited Delphi in my early 20's, and saw the sculpture below first-hand:

Delphi Antinous - 130-138 AD. Archaeological Museum, Delphi


Delphi Antinous - 130-138 AD. Archaeological Museum, Delphi

Of Greek descent, Antinous was born in Bithynion-Claudiopolis, in what is now north-west Turkey. When the Emperor Hadrian passed through the Roman province of Bithynia in AD 124, the boy was taken into the imperial paedagogium. This institution trained suitable candidates to become palace or civil servants. However, between Hadrian's return to Italy in 125 and his next trip to Greece in 128, Antinous became the ruler's lover and favourite. The boy was 11 or 12 years of age. He was said to be beautiful, have great intelligence and a sharp wit, and be a great hunter and athlete. Tragically, he died at the early age of 20 - drowning in the Nile in October AD 130. It is unknown whether this was an accident, a suicide, a murder or a religious sacrifice.

Hadrian was grief-stricken. Antinous was deified and temples built to his cult. Obelisques were erected, and sculptures and busts produced in great numbers, appearing in cities all over the ancient world. A city of Antinioopolis was founded in Egypt.

Some rather blander later representations of Antinous:

Barbarini Antinous

Antinous Ecouen C18 Copy from Villa Adriana at Tivoli, Le Louvre

I quite fell in love with this hunk .... of marble! At the time. But have now and happily moved to more flesh and blood versions.