#antinous at delphi

[nerdrooikat]

some of the first pgs of my journal (the Henry-esque one)

[aboutanancientenquiry]

And the original photo:

The discovery of the statue of Antinous in Delphi, Greece in 1894

[kebriones]

An old retired art professor came by our degree show and he asked to see my Alcibiades comic, and then he was like "oh you know what this reminds me, in the Delphi museum, there's this statue of a very beautiful young man-"

And I was like 🤩🤩 ANTINOUS.

and he was like "oh you know him?"

Of course i know him I went to that museum when I was 14 with school and I fell in love. Also how could i not know Antinous. The Antinous.

[armandofnowhere]

ARMAND + masculinity, desirability, and arrested development

Transcript of "Beards" (August 2, 2021) from Not Just the Tudors Podcast, starring host Prof. Suzannah Lipscomb and guest Dr. Eleanor Rycroft

Excerpt from The Vampire Armand (1998) by Anne Rice

The discovery of the statue of Antinous in Delphi, 1893. Author unknown.

Excerpt from Black Hair, Brown Eyes by composission on Archive of Our Own

Screenshot of AMC’s Interview With the Vampire 2x4, “I Want You More Than Anything in the World”

“He looked like a boy, masquerading as a gentleman”: A meta on Amadeo, Venice, The Picture of Dorian Gray, and standing on the cusp of adulthood by @carveredlunds

[slaygentford]

lots of bangers on this trip so far but my favorite one was at Delphi when the tour guide was confidently like Hadrian's best friend antinous

[themotherofwitches]

Discovery of the Statue of Antinous at the Temple of Apollo, Delphi, Greece, 1894

[wayofthesamvrai]

1894, The discovery of the statue of Antinous in Delphi, Greece

[considerthehairpinturn]

the sacrifice death of antinous

memoirs of hadrian, marguerite yourcenar / caravaggio, sacrifice of isaac / delphi antinous / antinous mondragone / caravaggio (?), sacrifice of isaac

[licncourt]

Can you tell us a little bit more about your research on Antinous?

Yes absolutely omg!! I still miss working on my thesis I had the best time. The crux of my research was an exploration of how Antinous portraiture represents the intersection of the established classical archetype of the divine ephebos (the idealized Greek youth/athlete, ie Doryphoros and Apoxyomenos) and very intimate individuality in the development of grounded, personal homoeroticism in the Classical art style. He really sits at the convergence of a typical godly idealization, the Roman preference for individualized portraiture, and genuine intimacy.

A lot of what Hadrian did as emperor was a radical departure from prior norms and priorities, but the establishment of a unique, homoerotic art tradition that was SO prolific and isn’t shrouded in mythological justification is huge. It’s a bold declaration of love that was so strong that it changed the face of art. And this was so impactful that the cult of Antinous was one of the primary challengers to emergent Christianity!!

My main points of reference were Antonine/Hadrianic era Roman sculptures and Roman copies of Greek originals depicting Apollo and Dionysus (and Alexander the Great later on). They follow a similar pattern of detaching the divine from the overtly masculine and recontextualizing central themes of homoeroticism as something that could be both quintessentially classical and a sensual and personal experience. They kind of laid the groundwork for the existence of the Antinous portrait type, allowing him to exist as a god, a human, and an object of desire.

Antinous is so special for so many reasons. He was just a young man from a farming community who somehow ended up changing the course of art history and becoming the third most depicted individual from the ancient world, all because someone loved him THAT much. He has such a tragic story, but spawned something of unimaginable beauty and importance.

I added my research pitch/overview under the cut for a more academic look at what I was exploring!

Antinous’ sculptural canon synthesizes Dionysian and secondarily Apollonian elements into a distinct sculptural type that is both deeply idealized and recognizably personal. In contrast to the heroic masculinity typical of Roman imperial portraiture, Antinous is rendered with soft contours, a subtly curved stance, and a melancholy, introspective gaze. His body stands apart from the prolific warrior body form, instead celebrating a more tender reality, idealized through posing but allowing the subject to exist in both beauty and flaws. This in itself becomes a type consistent across works like Antinous Farnese, Delphi Antinous, and the Antinous of the San Ildefonso Group.

Hadrian, renowned for his philhellenism, consciously directed the creation of these portraits, commissioning Greek sculptors to embody his lover in a Hellenic capacity but with the burgeoning 2nd century Antonine taste for effeminate male beauty (ex. Dionysus with the Personification of the Vine). The contrapposto stance that is ubiquitous in Antinous sculpture was not merely a formal echo of earlier statues like Doryphoros, but a means of sexualizing the body through the suggestion of movement, balance, and vulnerability. The resulting effect was one of passive, almost feminine eroticism, a marked departure from Roman ideals of masculine authority.

These traits are further intensified in works that link Antinous directly to Dionysus. Sculptures like Antinous as Dionysus, Antinous Braschi, and Antinous Mondragone integrate Dionysian signifiers such as the physical softness, ivy crown, thyrsus, and luxurious hair and hair styling. This association not only enhanced Antinous’ appeal as a sensual and fertile figure, but also aligned him with divine intoxication, rebirth, and transformation. Following his death and apotheosis, the blurring of identities between Antinous and Dionysus became a visual and theological reality.

Despite the Classicizing features, Antinous’ portraits include unmistakable signs of individuality. This sets him apart from Dionysus and Apollo, whose idealized features rarely deviate across time or context. The facial features of Antinous—especially in busts like the Sala Rotonda, Antinous Patras, or Prado Bust—are highly recognizable: a strong, rounded jaw, a gently furrowed brow, a short neck, large almond-shaped eyes, a barrel chest, the J-curl hair type, and a heavy-lipped mouth. These are not generalized markers of Greek male beauty, but a coherent and unique physiognomy, repeated across dozens of sculptures with enough consistency to suggest a real likeness.

One of the most discussed features of Antinous’ visage is his expression, neutral, even somber, yet emotionally resonant. Caroline Vout refers to this quality as “sensuous but sulky,” a paradoxical mix of visible sweetness, thoughtfulness, and melancholic introspection. This mood contrasts sharply with the posed sensuality of the body, creating a visual tension between eroticism and reserve. In many ways, Antinous appears as an Apollonian head atop a Dionysian body—intellect balanced against indulgence, detachment against desire.

The interplay of emotion and idealism is particularly striking in the Sala Rotonda Bust, often cited as the most emotive of Antinous’ surviving portraits. Interpretations of its tone range from spoiled and condescending to playful and flirtatious to romantically mournful. This ambiguity has allowed generations of viewers to project meaning onto the sculpture, suggesting a complexity of character rarely afforded to idealized Classical figures.

The eroticism of Antinous’ image cannot be separated from its commemorative purpose. Following his mysterious death in the Nile, Hadrian not only deified Antinous but oversaw the mass production of his image throughout the Roman world. These sculptures functioned as more than political propaganda or religious icon. They were visual elegies. The mournful sensuality of Antinous served as a form of erotic memory, immortalizing a relationship that, while private in origin, was rendered spectacularly public.

Through the lens of ephebic beauty, Antinous’ sculptural canon allowed Roman audiences (particularly elite, Hellenized ones) to engage with male beauty and same-sex desire in an aestheticized, culturally palatable form that paved the way for a flourishing tradition. The tension between reality and idealism, passivity and presence, and celebration and grief continues to fascinate and invite exploration. In his fusion of the godly and the human and the beautiful and the personal, Antinous remains a singular figure in the history of portraiture.

[relovaaa]

i saw your post about the apollodyssey and I am now truly madly deeply absolutely intrigued and need to know more.

also i read the arranged marriage royalty fic and i am enjoying it very much.

Sorry I took so long to answer this 😅

First of all, I'm glad you enjoyed the fic! I'm experiencing some writer's block with chapter 3, but I have a goal to get it out by the end of March. Now, on to the Apollodyssey...

The Apollodyssey is a Perpollo Odyssey AU... kind of. I haven't been able to read the Odyssey yet, so it's mostly based off of EPIC. It combines elements of the original PJO series and ToA.

Luke/Kronos and Python have teamed up to overthrow Olympus, and as always, it's up to the demigods to stop them. However, Camp Half-Blood is on Delos, under the personal protection of Percy and Apollo. Camp Jupiter is also near the real Rome.

Like in ToA, Python gains control of the Oracle of Delphi, and Zeus punishes Apollo by turning him mortal. Another part of his punishment is that he has to lead both demigod camps into battle against Kronos and Python at Mount Olympus. This is the Trojan war of my story.

From there, the story mainly follows the plot of EPIC, with some interludes in Delos, which is where things get interesting. Some residents of the camp stayed behind, mainly because they were too young to fight, or they were needed to care for said children. Most of them grew up to be successful demigods in their own right, but one of them grew up to want more.

Annabeth wanted to be Percy's new consort, so she teamed up with two gods who had vendettas against Apollo... and also wouldn't mind getting a piece of Percy: Zephyros and Eros. Together, they formed a large group of suitors to storm the palace of Delos.

Now, I don't want to spoil the rest of the plot right off the bat, but the updated cast of characters should give you a general idea.

Odysseus -> Apollo Penelope -> Percy Telemachus -> Will (originally Grover but there was a change of plans) Eurylochus -> Meg Polites -> Jason Athena -> Demos (OC) Apollo -> Aristo (OC, just to replace Apollo in the eventual "God Games" chapter) Polyphemus -> Caligula (I'm so sorry) Anticlea -> Leto (I know Titans regenerate in Tartarus and not the general Underworld but oh well) Tiresias -> Rachel Antinous -> Annabeth (originally Zephyros but my fingers had other ideas while editing my planning doc)

The rest of the characters will remain the same, just with different characterizations for some (namely Poseidon). Artemis and Athena will have special roles, but I can't reveal those just yet 😉

I'm drafting a first chapter right now, and if everything goes according to plan, it will be out soon!

[illiophop]

GO and Statue Significance

Anyone noticed the statues? Three in particular, which take center stage quite literally in Seasons 1 & 2. We have:

Crowley and his "wrestling" demon and angel, which had pride of place in his flat.

Gabriel's graveyard statue portrait

Aziraphale's marble bust

Because nothing in the set seems accidental and because the statues are so lovingly and prominently displayed, I think it's worth lavishing some attention on them and think about why the characters chose them/like them/display them. This is gonna get academic, for which I'm sorry/not sorry!

Some background on what we know about each statue, with much thanks to @fuckyeahgoodomens for lots of info regarding #1 and #3 statue origins. The wrestling demon and angel is an original work, based upon the Uffizi statue "The Wrestlers." The original is dated to the age of Augustus after a Greek original, which depicted two men engaging in an Olympic sport called Pankration which is described as "an empty-hand submission sport with scarcely any rules." (Make of that what you will).

Gabriel's statue is particularly fascinating. Typical monumental-sized angel statuary with a large cross either has the cross placed above, and the angel below, carrying it, or the angel crouching while embracing the cross. In either composition, it is the cross which is the focal point. In Gabriel's statue, we see the Cross in a non-dominant position, whereas Gabriel's face is the focal point. Also important to note - in traditional angelic statuary, Gabriel is usually depicted as a herald with a horn, and not with a cross at all.

Aziraphale's statue bust original is located in the Louvre, and is called "The Victorious Athlete." It dates from around the time of Crowley's statue, perhaps a century or so later. It is also Roman and it is most likely an idealized figure, not a Greek portrait. Greek-style hair and features came back into fashion in the Roman first century AD, when the Emperor Hadrian fell in love with a Greek youth, Antinous.

My theory is that each statue represents how its owner sees themself and their purpose. In other words, an allegory that allows us to understand the events of S6 and each respective character's actions.

Crowley: Crowley's statue elevates the beauty of eternal tension between dark and light. It's a spiritual and also a very physical, fleshly beauty. More tension. There is definitely sexuality in that piece as well (a few of us have noticed, including Neil!) Each figure pushes the other to their best effort and is, in turn, shown at its best. And each figure is defined by its engagement with the other.

Gabriel: The statue is a clear portrait, unlike the other two (highly unusual for angelic statuary). The whole composition serves to allow the viewer to look, and admire, Gabriel's face. The hope of a resurrection of the dead, as represented by the cross, is completely sublimated to angel portraiture! Pretty extreme stuff for a graveyard, tbh, and reconciles nicely with Gabriel's complete disinterest with the Second Coming.

Aziraphale: His bust is meant to serve as an idealization and embodiment of qualities of the ancient athlete, summed up in the word arete, a term describing "a maximum of ability and potency for action (optimum potentiae); a man’s effectiveness and skill in goodness." Not making this up, btw, this is a widely accepted view of why such idealized statuary was created to represent ancient Olympic athletes - they were literally offerings dedicated to Gods at sanctuaries in Olympia, Delphi and elsewhere.

Such arete encompasses Aziraphale's goal and purpose, and it makes sense that the bust would be displayed so prominently in his bookshop. In S1, it dangled a medallion presented to him from Heaven in 1800. It is interesting that Aziraphale's medallion is missing from the bust in S2 - has it been stripped by Heaven after the events of S1?

Because Crowley has been stripped of his flat, we have no idea what happened to his wrestling angels statue but we no longer have it in S2 as an allegory to access and reference. Is this because he has evolved in his self-definition and that of his relationship with Aziraphale? We cannot know until we have an opportunity to see his flat again, and whether it is still in place.

We know that Gabriel uses his statue as narcissistic reinforcement and a date spot. With his escape from earth, we expect that it will retain little value to him, shed as a narcissist sheds all supply once it is of no use.

But what has happened to Aziraphale's bust in S2 E6? We see Crowley methodically put everything back together exactly as it was after the Ball/Demon incursion, but we don't see the bust go back in place. What is the significance to its absence in the Kiss scene, and the following one with Metatron? I don't know, but I wonder if this is not foreshadowing to indicate that Aziraphale's self-conception is going to be radically altered as a result of his going to heaven. He is not going to come back the same angel, and his allegory is going to have to change with him!

[mightyflamethrower]

The discovery of the Statue of Antinous (emperor Hadrian’s lover) at Delphi in 1894.

[winterrupt]

The discovery of the ancient statue of Antinous in Delphi, during excavations in 1894

[kebriones]

Shout out to my friend from art school who called the Delphi museum "Antinous' museum". So true.

[vinarchive]

Discovery of the Statue of Antinous at Delphi in 1894 (original & colorized)

[beauty-under-the-sun]

Thelios looked up at Antinous with a smile. "The market sounds nice," He chirped in. He wouldn't say that he was secretly hoping to go to the garden, wanting the flowers to help topple over his anxieties. But if everyone wanted to go to the market, then he was sure he would like that too.

"I would love to see Ithaca's market with you," Sikritos agreed pleasantly, allowing the other two to lead the way.

As Antinous asked his question, the man looked over to him. His face hadn't changed much since first introducing himself, just that same non-threatening smile. "Ah, where are my manners," He chuckled. "I am Sikritos, of Delphi aristocracy. I'm an old friend of Hierons, and have been funding this little expedition of his," He explained.

Sikritos then turned to Thelios once again, a small change in his demeanor. "I also knew your mother, Thelios."

The prophet nearly tripped over himself, looking back at the man with wide eyes. "You... you knew my mom?"

"I did," Sikritos hummed. He reached out, twirling a strand of his red hair between his fingers. "You look just like her, you know. She would be so proud of you."

Thelios was speechless, all of the tension leaving his body upon hearing about his mother from this stranger. He turned, a sad, yet relieved smile on his face, wiping something from his eyes as he moved forward. "T-the market it just up ahead. It's nice there..." He trailed off.

Thelios was waiting by the docs, rocking on his heels as he watched as a distant ship start to pull into the docs. His smile was so bright there was no wonder that there were no clouds. His father was here, finally, after over a week of vanishing without a trace.

The young prophet had no way of hiding his excitement, patiently awaiting for the giant ship—no, there were two giant ships—to dock. He seemed to try and straighten himself out, looking as proper as possible for his awaited reunion. Today was going to be a good day.

"Maybe I should have brought some food. What if he's hungry? Or maybe some water. Or wine. I could still get wine—no I don't have time for that, I should be here to greet him–should I have brought a gift? I should have brought a gift what was I thinking."

Thelios continued to ramble on to himself about all the things he could have done.

(( Ehehehehehe ))

@live-inthe-madness @thegreatest-antinous @odysseusofithacaofficial @reminders-of-rhodes