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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Loong Siew, post: 2575449, member: 75799&quot;]Roman Empire. Bythinia, Turkey.</p><p><br /></p><p>Antinous. AE medallion of Kios. AD130. Rare.</p><p><br /></p><p>Obv: A beautiful bust of Antinous &quot;Antinoos Pani&quot;</p><p><br /></p><p>Rev: Horse standing right.</p><p><br /></p><p>Antinous of Bythinia was a Bythinian Greek youth born during the reign of Emperor Hadrian of Rome. He became a favorite and lover of the Emperor Hadrian and accompanied him during his adolescent years until his mysterious death at the young age of around 19 to 20 during Hadrians visit to Nile River in Egypt. Though same sex relationships were not uncommon back then amongst the Roman society, it was Hadrian&#039;s extraordinary obsession and devotion to Antinous that marked him as one of history&#039;s most iconic characters. </p><p><br /></p><p>Such was Hadrian&#039;s love was upon upon knowledge of Antinous&#039; death, he mourned and wailed unconsolably. He immediately had Antinous deified and established a cult around him that remarkably survived way past Hadrian&#039;s death. A city was ordered to be built on the site of his death Antinoopolis which survived for centuries and many classical statues, coins and some medallions were minted in his image and name. Whilst deification was not unknown in classical times, it was the first that such a scale was bestowed outside of the Imperial Family or heroes. Even more so for a commoner youth like Antinous.</p><p><br /></p><p>The various surviving statues and artifacts of Antinous remained one of the most iconic heritages of the Classical age. Numerous depictions in art and literature had been dedicated in his image even through the early modern times. </p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]557949[/ATTACH][/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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