Antinous - Vatican City State
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Metro2
N 41° 54.402 E 012° 27.213
33T E 288793 N 4642553
Antinous was the lover of the Emperor Hadrian who deified him after his death.
This sculpture is located in the Vatican Museum.
Waymark Code: WMKRPA
Location: Vatican City State
Date Posted: 05/23/2014
Views: 5
This larger than life marble sculpture of Antinous depicts him standing and wearing a toga. From the accompanying placard- "...Antinous is shown in a syncretic Dionysus-Osiris pose. On his head is a crown of leaves and ivy berries, and a diadem which at the top would originally have held a cobra (uraeus) or a lotus flower, but which the modern restorers have replaced with a sort of pine cone."
The work was found in 1792/1973 excavations at what was believed to be Hadrian's villa at Praeneste.
Wikipedia (
visit link) adds:
"Antinous (... 27 November, c. 111 – before 30 October 130) was a Bithynian Greek youth and a favourite of the Roman emperor Hadrian.[2] He was divinized after his death, being worshiped in both the Greek East and Latin West, sometimes as a god (theos) and sometimes merely as a divinized mortal (heros).
Little is known of Antinous' life, although it is known that he was born in Claudiopolis, in the Roman province of Bithynia. He likely was introduced to Hadrian in 123, before being taken to Italy for a higher education. He had become the favourite of Hadrian by 128, when he was taken on a tour of the Empire as part of Hadrian's personal retinue...
The grief of the emperor knew no bounds, causing the most extravagant veneration to be paid to Antinous' memory. Cities were founded in his name, medals struck with his likeness, and cities throughout the east commissioned godlike images of the dead youth for their shrines and sanctuaries. Following the example of Alexander (who sought divine honours for his beloved general, Hephaestion, 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."