Images of Antinous, the Roman Emperor Hadrian's lover who drowned in the Nile, are well known. I like this Stele found in the ruins of Antinopolis, the city Hadrian built in memory of Antinous. It is now in a Berlin museum. It isn't one of the beautiful cultic statues most people have in mind when they think of Antinous and the religion Hadrian created when he deified Antinous as an incarnation of Osiris. It shows a much more primitive image confusing of the cult of Antinous and Christianity.
The nude figure holds a cross in one hand and the grapes of Dionysus in the other.
The cult of Antinous was criticised and mocked by early Christian writers an indication perhaps of the threat its popularity posed to the early church - both religions focus on death and resurrection. Images of Antinous were popular until pagan symbols were prohibited by Emperor Theodosius in AD 391.
Location:Antinopolis/Berlin
