Antinous

Heroic size marble statue of Antinous, a youth of renowned beauty from Bithynia in northwest Asia Minor (Turkey). Antinous was the lover of the Emperor Hadrian (born AD 76, died AD 138) and he accompanied him on tours of his Empire. Hadrian visited Egypt in AD 130, along with both his wife and Antinous, and embarked on a voyage up the River Nile. On 24 October Antinous drowned in the river. It led to a public outpouring of grief on the part of Hadrian. The extent of their love for one another was indicated by reports that Hadrian wept for him 'like a woman’. It is thought that Antinous might have sacrificed himself to the Gods in order to ensure Hadrian’s prosperity. Antinous became something of a celebrity after his death. He was deified (worshipped as a God) and a new city named Antinopolis was founded near the site of his death. Hadrian erected statues, such as this one, which embodied an ideal form of youthful beauty, throughout his Empire.