Hadrian and Antinous (Ancient Art Podcast 32)

Episode 32 of the Ancient Art Podcast revisits the lovely discussion of the disembodied with the portrait busts of Roman Emperor Hadrian and his young beloved Antinous from the Art Institute of Chicago. From the 2nd century CE, the larger-than-life marble heads of Hadrian and Antinous exemplify the Hellenistic aesthetics and innovation of the Hadrianic era. We discuss the life and times of this dynamic duo, explore the tragic fate of Antinous with his true-to-life unsolved mystery along the Nile, and discover just how far even a, by all accounts, level-headed grieving emperor is willing to go. To round things out, we'll have a brief glimpse of the history of beards in the Roman world and explore how modern connoisseurship, scholarship, and prejudice will mold and influence our understanding of the ancient world. See past episodes, image galleries, credits, transcripts, and additional resources at http://ancientartpodcast.org. Connect at http://twitter.com/lucaslivingston and http://www.facebook.com/ancientartpodcast.

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• AAP
• 32
• HD
• Hadrian
• and
• Antinous

[heydrichmuller]

@rahotep101 That theory would have been true if Christian doctrine had been dominant during the Hadrianic period. Pagan morals did not dictate marital jealousy when it comes to husbands having sex with the lower classes or staff. Sabina had no need to be jealous because her husband was not having affairs with aristocratic women which would have disgraced her. It was a perfectly common practice for Roman husbands to carry on with young boys/slaves.

[fallenenkidu]

Nice vid. Antinous rocks.

[rahotep101]

There's a theory, is there not, that the long-suffering Mrs Hadrian may have been behind the demise of Antinous? He was certainly prettier-looking than Cleopatra, to go by that coin!