Beloved and God: the Story of Hadrian and Antinous

Who was Antonius? Why did he become a god? Lambert's Beloved & God tackles all the mysteries the story presents. With many illustations of the people & places concerned in the affair & of the splendid & fascinating artefacts which it produced, this account, based on thoro research, is a compelling read.
This book investigates the mysteries that surround how this obscure Greek boy came to dominate the powerful emperor Hadrian. The author recreates the glory & decadence of the Roman Empire ripe for decline. Antinous was the lover of the Roman emperor Hadrian. The author demonstrates that Hadrian's private sexual life & his obsession with his young lover Antinous did have an impact on policy & his public actions, particularly the establishment of Antinous as a state sponsored god, to be worshiped by the citizens of the Roman Empire. When Antinous, around age 20, was accidentally drowned on the Nile, the 54 year old Hadrian was devastated & his grief changed the Empire