The Festival of Antinous

Exactly 1,878 years ago today, Hadrian nineteen year old boyfriend Antinous drowned in the Nile. They had known each other for five or six years, and possibly they were growing apart. That day was the Festival of Osiris, the god of the Afterlife, and because he also had drowned in the Nile, it seemed too coincidental for Antinous death to be an accident, which it may have been. Some historians believe he committed suicide, others have darker theories.

Hadrian outpouring of emotion -- was it pure grief? or was it partly guilt,Buy Fake Oakleys? -- was unprecedented. Six days later, on October 30, the emperor directed his men to begin building a city called Antinopolis there on the banks of the river. Back in Rome,Knock Off Ray Bans, at his Tivoli villa of more than 30 buildings covering 250 acres, Hadrian told his architects to create the

Hadrian further stunned his contemporaries by declaring Antinous was a god (making him the last non-Emperor god of the Roman era, in fact), and as a deity people began to worship him. Its popularity further sped the creation of dozens of busts and fullbody statues of the handsome teen.

The final sentence below is the most important one I read in London:

"Hadrian built a large temple and set up a festival in Antinous memory. Other Greek cities began to establish their own cults and festivals in honour of Antinous, led by local and senatorial leaders, who wanted to express their loyalty to Rome and to Hadrian. The cult became popular among the common people, where it seems to have competed with Christianity."

Imagine life today if those common followers of the cult of a gay god, Antinous, had exceeded the other fledgling cult. (They knew he was gay. My BF awesomely started reading Gibbon after the exhibit and even Gibbon matter of factly calls Hadrian and Antinous lovers; and he wrote his in 1776.) Human nature being a constant, it might not have changed much, yet everything would be different. With most Western countries primarily worshiping a gay nineteen year-old muscle twink (a few evangelically; millions quietly and decently; millions more in name only, once a year a so), our world would be, well. Abercrombie?

In fact, a cult of Antinous appears to exist. In Hollywood. Lots of bright, brand new paintings of Antinous in a very excited state [healthy!],Oakley Sunglasses Cheap, but sometimes smoking [unhealthy!]. Their doctrine is eleven pages, illustrated. And, yes, they have a gift shop,Jordan 5 Fire Red. Related articles:

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