Antinous was Emperor Hadrian's lover. When he died, Hadrian was so saddened by his death that he had the boy declared a god. Come and discover more about this story and the cult that was created about Antinous.
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This lecture examines the life, death, and extraordinary afterlife of Antinous, the young lover of the Emperor Hadrian. After Antinous died in Egypt in 130 AD, Hadrian declared him a god. A new cult was founded almost immediately, complete with temples, priesthoods, festivals, and oracles. This cult spread rapidly across the Greek-speaking world and continued for generations. The lecture asks how such a transformation-from private individual to widely worshipped deity-was possible, and what it reveals about power, grief, and religion in the Roman Empire
What will we cover?
The lecture is structured around four central themes:
The Historical Antinous: what can be known about his life from the surviving evidence
The Problem of His Death: accident, suicide, or ritual sacrifice-and why we cannot be certain
The Creation of a Cult: how Hadrian turned personal loss into a public religion across the Empire
Sexuality and Social Norms: how ancient attitudes to relationships differed from modern expectations
The lecture will also examine the artistic legacy of Antinous, whose image became one of the most widely reproduced in the ancient world.
What will I achieve? By the end of this course you should be able to...
evaluate the main ancient sources for the life and death of Antinous;
understand the mechanisms by which new religious cults could be created and sustained;
assess competing explanations for Antinous’ death;
place the phenomenon within wider Roman attitudes to sexuality, status, and power;
recognise the importance of Antinous in the visual culture of the Roman Empire.
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
No prior knowledge is required. The lecture is suitable for anyone with an interest in ancient history, religion, or classical culture.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
This is a tutor-led lecture, combining structured presentation with opportunities for questions and discussion throughout. There is no required work outside the session, though further reading will be suggested.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
There are no additional costs. You may wish to bring writing materials for notes. An accompanying book by the lecturer, exploring the subject in greater detail and with full references to the ancient sources, is available on Amazon.
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
You may wish to continue with further courses on Roman history, ancient religion, or the cultural history of the classical world.
Sean has been teaching Greek, Latin, and History for over thirty-five years. He has taught in England, America, Europe, and Asia, working with students of all ages and backgrounds. Despite all this, he remains as captivated by the Ancient World as when, aged seven, he first stumbled across a retelling of the Iliad and Odyssey. Alongside his teaching, he has published over forty books, including translations, textbooks, and historical fiction. He is, by general agreement, a rather good second-rate novelist — which is not a bad thing to be.
Please note: We reserve the right to change our tutors from those advertised. This happens rarely, but if it does, we are unable to refund fees due to this. Our tutors may have different teaching styles; however we guarantee a consistent quality of teaching in all our courses.
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https://www.citylit.ac.uk/the-cult-of-antinous296224The cult of Antinoushttps://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/product/p/r/pride-at-city-lit2.jpg2929GBPInStock/Courses/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/Ancient civilisations/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/Ancient civilisations/Ancient civilisations/Courses/vm/Pride at City Lit/Courses/Online courses228511771191119213455173112285117711911653<p>Antinous was Emperor Hadrian's lover. When he died, Hadrian was so saddened by his death that he had the boy declared a god. Come and discover more about this story and the cult that was created about Antinous.</p>003047164The cult of Antinous2929https://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/product/p/r/pride-at-city-lit2_3.jpgInStockEveningMonOnlineAvailable coursesOne-off onlyWeekday2026-06-08T00:00:00+00:00BeginnersJun 2026Culture, history & humanitiesRC0222929The cult of Antinous231929Sean Gabbthe-cult-of-antinous/rc022-2526<p>Antinous was Emperor Hadrian's lover. When he died, Hadrian was so saddened by his death that he had the boy declared a god. Come and discover more about this story and the cult that was created about Antinous.</p>0000-Available|2026-06-08 00:00:00<p>This lecture examines the life, death, and extraordinary afterlife of Antinous, the young lover of the Emperor Hadrian.<br>After Antinous died in Egypt in 130 AD, Hadrian declared him a god. A new cult was founded almost immediately, complete with temples, priesthoods, festivals, and oracles. This cult spread rapidly across the Greek-speaking world and continued for generations.<br>The lecture asks how such a transformation-from private individual to widely worshipped deity-was possible, and what it reveals about power, grief, and religion in the Roman Empire</p><p></p><p>Antinous was Emperor Hadrian's lover. When he died, Hadrian was so saddened by his death that he had the boy declared a god. Come and discover more about this story and the cult that was created about Antinous.</p><p>The lecture is structured around four central themes:</p><ul><li><strong>The Historical Antinous</strong>: what can be known about his life from the surviving evidence</li><li><strong>The Problem of His Death</strong>: accident, suicide, or ritual sacrifice-and why we cannot be certain</li><li><strong>The Creation of a Cult</strong>: how Hadrian turned personal loss into a public religion across the Empire</li><li><strong>Sexuality and Social Norms</strong>: how ancient attitudes to relationships differed from modern expectations</li></ul><p>The lecture will also examine the artistic legacy of Antinous, whose image became one of the most widely reproduced in the ancient world.</p><ul><li>evaluate the main ancient sources for the life and death of Antinous;</li><li>understand the mechanisms by which new religious cults could be created and sustained;</li><li>assess competing explanations for Antinous’ death;</li><li>place the phenomenon within wider Roman attitudes to sexuality, status, and power;</li><li>recognise the importance of Antinous in the visual culture of the Roman Empire.</li></ul><p>No prior knowledge is required. The lecture is suitable for anyone with an interest in ancient history, religion, or classical culture.</p><p>This is a tutor-led lecture, combining structured presentation with opportunities for questions and discussion throughout.<br>There is no required work outside the session, though further reading will be suggested.</p><p>There are no additional costs. You may wish to bring writing materials for notes.<br>An accompanying book by the lecturer, exploring the subject in greater detail and with full references to the ancient sources, is available on Amazon.</p><p>You may wish to continue with further courses on Roman history, ancient religion, or the cultural history of the classical world.</p>Ancient civilisationsAncient civilisationsvirtual232919RC022NONEMon08/06/2617:30 - 19:3017:3019:301 session1One-off onlyWeekdayOnlineOnlineSean GabbBeginnersAvailable courses2026-06-08T00:00:00+00:00EveningJun 2026Culture, history & humanities2929The cult of Antinousthe-cult-of-antinous/rc022-2526<p>Antinous was Emperor Hadrian's lover. When he died, Hadrian was so saddened by his death that he had the boy declared a god. Come and discover more about this story and the cult that was created about Antinous.</p>0000-Available|2026-06-08 00:00:00<p>This lecture examines the life, death, and extraordinary afterlife of Antinous, the young lover of the Emperor Hadrian.<br>After Antinous died in Egypt in 130 AD, Hadrian declared him a god. A new cult was founded almost immediately, complete with temples, priesthoods, festivals, and oracles. This cult spread rapidly across the Greek-speaking world and continued for generations.<br>The lecture asks how such a transformation-from private individual to widely worshipped deity-was possible, and what it reveals about power, grief, and religion in the Roman Empire</p><p></p><p>Antinous was Emperor Hadrian's lover. When he died, Hadrian was so saddened by his death that he had the boy declared a god. Come and discover more about this story and the cult that was created about Antinous.</p><p>The lecture is structured around four central themes:</p><ul><li><strong>The Historical Antinous</strong>: what can be known about his life from the surviving evidence</li><li><strong>The Problem of His Death</strong>: accident, suicide, or ritual sacrifice-and why we cannot be certain</li><li><strong>The Creation of a Cult</strong>: how Hadrian turned personal loss into a public religion across the Empire</li><li><strong>Sexuality and Social Norms</strong>: how ancient attitudes to relationships differed from modern expectations</li></ul><p>The lecture will also examine the artistic legacy of Antinous, whose image became one of the most widely reproduced in the ancient world.</p><ul><li>evaluate the main ancient sources for the life and death of Antinous;</li><li>understand the mechanisms by which new religious cults could be created and sustained;</li><li>assess competing explanations for Antinous’ death;</li><li>place the phenomenon within wider Roman attitudes to sexuality, status, and power;</li><li>recognise the importance of Antinous in the visual culture of the Roman Empire.</li></ul><p>No prior knowledge is required. The lecture is suitable for anyone with an interest in ancient history, religion, or classical culture.</p><p>This is a tutor-led lecture, combining structured presentation with opportunities for questions and discussion throughout.<br>There is no required work outside the session, though further reading will be suggested.</p><p>There are no additional costs. You may wish to bring writing materials for notes.<br>An accompanying book by the lecturer, exploring the subject in greater detail and with full references to the ancient sources, is available on Amazon.</p><p>You may wish to continue with further courses on Roman history, ancient religion, or the cultural history of the classical world.</p>Ancient civilisationsAncient civilisationsconfigurable
11921191Ancient civilisationshttps://www.citylit.ac.uk/courses/humanities/ancient-civilisations/ancient-civilisations-11/2/285/1177/1191/11921/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/Ancient civilisations/Ancient civilisations
