The Sacred Antinous - Erotically-charged, Explicitly Illustrated, Queer-Themed Historical Fiction about Antinous and Hadrian
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WEB SACRED ANTINOUS
Sacred Texts
LEGEND TO ILLUSTRATIONS
  CONTAINS X-RATED IMAGES
  CONTAINS R-RATED IMAGES
  CONTAINS G-RATED IMAGES
COMMENTARY
  ~000 Introduction
I - THE YOUNG SCHOOLBOY
  ~001 Arrival at Caelian Hill
  ~002 Life at the Paedagogium
  ~003 Monsters and Heroes
  ~004 The Private Baths
  ~005 The Soaps of Cyprias
  ~006 The Treachery of Gryllus
  ~007 Assurances and Endurances
  ~008 The Demise of Trenus
  ~009 The Surprise Inspection
II - THE COURT PAGE
  ~010 Little Donkey
  ~011 Whispering Hope
  ~012 Epigrams for Antinous
  ~013 Books from Maltinus
  ~014 Little Signals
  ~015 Promotion
  ~016 Juvenalis IX
  ~017 A Frothy Idea
  ~018 Evening on the Riverbank
  ~019 Across the Leagues
  ~020 Unprecedented Access
  ~021 Winged Mercury
  ~022 Dinner Guest
  ~023 Causes of Nausea
  ~024 New Pupil
  ~025 Wax, Soap, and Wool
  ~026 Four Daughters
  ~027 Vitalis Atones
  ~028 Futures and Histories...
  ~029 The Triumph of Desire
  ~030 An Image of Antinous
  ~031 The Ride From Rome
  ~032 The Villa at Tibur
  ~033 The Ride To Rome
  ~034 Praeconina
  ~035 Foolish Carisius
  ~036 The Christian Texts
  ~037 Married Pleasures
  ~038 In Tibur, Alone
  ~039 The End of Corinthus
  ~040 Turning Tables
  ~041 A History & Fantasy...
  ~042 A Sad Collection
  ~043 Rafts in a Raging Sea
  ~044 Rome, Home and History
  ~045 A Caravan of Monologue
  ~046 On Favorinus
  ~047 The Flesh of a Metaphor
  ~048 Disquieting Thoughts
  ~049 Purple Reign
  ~050 The Heart of Numidia
  ~051 Stables of the Palatine
  ~052 Hadrian's Deprivation
  ~053 Transcripts and Categories
  ~054 In the Wake of a Paradox
III - THE IMPERIAL FAVOURITE
  ~055 Father of the Country
  ~056 The First Night with Hadrian
  ~057 A Place in the World
  ~058 Hard Resolution
  ~059 Announcements...
  ~060 Keeping Company
  ~061 The Stallions' Ride
  ~062 The Tour Begins
  ~063 On the Isthmus
  ~064 On Grief
  ~065 The Eleusian Mysteries
  ~066 A Playful Wager
  ~067 The Delights of Athens
  ~068 On Receiving
  ~069 Epistle Coming Soon
  ~070 Epistle Coming Soon
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IV - THE SEARCHING SOUL
  ~082 Epistle Coming Soon
  ~083 Epistle Coming Soon
  ~084 Epistle Coming Soon
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Figure of Antinous, after 130 AD
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Portrait Head of Antinous Wearing the Wreath of Dionysus
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Introduction

The 110 Epistles of Antinous were written by the hand of the God Himself. They were all addressed to His childhood friend, Lysicles, and were inaugurated as a result of the God's anxiety at their separation following the earthquake that shook Bithynia — an event that would set in motion His eventual career within the Imperial household. Subsequent letters, however, make explicit that Antinous believed Lysicles to have never received any of the pieces, yet he continued to address them to his ever-receding friend as a source of personal comfort and continuity in the midst of an increasingly tumultuous life.

As a first-person chronicle of His evolution, the Epistles are a priceless treasure to the Celebrants of Antinous. They represent an unparalleled source of information concerning not only his physical whereabouts in the Empire, but, far more importantly, his churning state-of-mind as he painfully matured from boyish bumpkin into resplendent God.

The Epistles are most conveniently grouped into four distinct stages, which correspond to discreet and identifiable periods of the God's development as a mortal. The first stage is usually called "The Young Schoolboy" and is comprised of nine letters. It is estimated that the first one (Arrival at Caelian Hill) was composed approximately four to six weeks after the God's arrival at the Paedagogium ad Caput Africae (elementary school); the ninth (The Surprise Inspection) within a week of His having left it and found Himself installed at the Paedagogium of the Domus Gelotiana, on the Palatine Hill.

The second stage is often referred to as "The Court Page" group, and is made up of 45 distinct documents. (Although The Surprise Inspection was technically written from the Palatine, its subject matter deals with the events on the Caelian and thus is not considered a part of the second group.) The letters from this group give us some remarkable insights into the detailed workings of the court — not from the viewpoint of its Emperor who commanded it, nor of the functionaries that conducted it, but of its lowest-ranking members who oiled the gears of its operation. This group also affords us a "front-row seat" into the God's steady climb through the ranks of the Household famuli to finally win His place at Hadrian's side.

By the time we reach the third stage, Antinous has become "The Imperial Favourite." Within the scope of these letters, He is officially counted among the amici of the Emperor — those that were kept closest to Hadrian's side and shared with him his most intimate details. This group begins with Hadrian's long-overdue announcement concerning Antinous' new status as Favourite, and ends (admittedly, arbitrarily) with the god's realization that Lysicles was not to be found in Antioch as He had once been promised.

Continued below...

Glass Tile Antinous Mosaic
This is a photograph of the 3' x 3' glass-tile Antinous mosaic by Shawn Postoff. Click for larger view.

The fourth group, commonly known as "The Searching Soul", shows us the young God as he struggles to overcome the mounting miseries and difficulties that swirl through and around his life. Although always hopeful, Antinous nevertheless reveals himself to be mired in the midst of an immense and crushing inner turmoil. It is from the texts of this fourth and final group that we may chart the spectacular course of the God's maturing relationship with Hadrian as it inexorably unfolded toward His supreme sacrifice upon the Nile.

The titles of the Epistles were not given by Antinous, and are considered by scholars to be a later addition. Similarly, the numbers are added for convenience, and represent the relatively undisputed order of their composition.


Suggested Soundtrack to this Epistle:

Check this space at the bottom of each Epistle for the suggested music to accompany the current text. Selections are based on an album's general mood or evocative power.

As the Epistles are a work in progress, many of these spaces may initially be blank. If you have a suggestion for a great piece of music, please tell us!

This section will list particular tracks to listen to, and provide a small commentary on how or why the music feels appropriate.
The Sacred Antinous is an ongoing work of Historical Fiction by Shawn Postoff. Site Design & Content Copyright © 2006 - 2008 Infinitive Ink Limited | Contact
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