Antinous

Antinous was a beautiful Greek youth from Bithynia who became the beloved companion of the Roman Emperor Hadrian. After his mysterious death in the Nile before his 20th birthday, Hadrian deified him, establishing a widespread cult that made Antinous one of the most enduring and popular deified figures in the Roman Empire. His image and story have resonated through history, making him a significant cultural and symbolic figure.

Sources

[1] Royston Lambert
[2] Beloved and God: The Story of Hadrian and Antinous
[3] Mary T. Boatwright
[4] Hadrian and the Cities of the Roman Empire
[5] The British Museum
[6] Jona Lendering
[7] Livius.org