Antinous was Hadrian's lover. He died under mysterious circumstances while he and Hadrian were cruising the Nile. Maybe it was just a swimming accident, or maybe he commited suicide because he feared Hadrian would soon grow tired of him, or maybe he commited suicide because he feared Hadrian would never grow tired of him and he'd be locked in this relationship forever as the passive partner. Still others think Hadrian sacrificed Antinous because Hadrian was told he could achieve long life by sacrificing another. No one knows for sure, but it appears Hadrian was devastated after Antinous' death. Hadrian had a city built at the place Antinous died named after him. He saw a new star and had it named after Antinous. Antinous' face was one of the most recognized from Roman history because of all the statues Hadrian erected for him throughout the empire.

                                                                                                                                           

See also:

• My Antinous photos