Those who enjoy the history of the Roman Empire are well acquainted with the story of Antinous, the young man of extraordinary beauty who deeply captivated Emperor Hadrian. Not only did Hadrian love him, but he also shared a very close and personal bond with him.

This bond culminated in tragedy in the year 132 AD, when Antinous lost his life by drowning in the Nile River under circumstances still debated by historians.

Some sources, including the Roman historian Cassius Dio (who apparently had access to Hadrian’s now-lost personal diary), suggest that Antinous’s death was a voluntary sacrifice, perhaps with the aim of extending Hadrian’s life.

In Egypt, he also rebuilt the city that would thereafter be called Antinous. Antinous was from Bithynium, a city in Bithynia, also known as Claudiopolis. He had been a favorite of the emperor and died in Egypt, either by falling into the Nile, as Hadrian wrote, or, as is more certain, by being offered as a sacrifice. For Hadrian, as I have already mentioned, was always very curious and employed divinations and enchantments of all kinds. Consequently, he honored Antinous, either out of love for him or because the young man had willingly committed to die (it was necessary that a life be freely offered for the purposes Hadrian had in mind) by constructing a city where he had met this fate and naming it after him; and he also erected statues, or rather sacred images, of him practically throughout the world.

Cassius Dio, Roman History LXIX.11
Antinous Constellation
Bust of Antinous, in the Louvre Museum. Credit: Jastrow / Public domain / Wikimedia Commons

Heartbroken by the loss of Antinous, Hadrian sought ways to preserve his memory and to honor him as an immortal deity, much like other emperors had been deified before. He dedicated a city in Egypt to his memory, naming it Antinoopolis, and even secured him a place among the stars, as the Constellation of Antinous.

Finally, he declared that he had seen a star which he believed to be that of Antinous, and he gladly listened to the fictitious stories spun by his associates, saying that the star had actually arisen from Antinous’s spirit and had appeared then for the first time. For this reason, he became the subject of ridicule, as well as for the fact that upon the death of his sister Paulina, he did not immediately pay her any honor.

Cassius Dio, Roman History LXIX.11

The constellation of Antinous was created in the southern region of Aquila (the eagle), symbolically linking him to Zeus by identifying him with Ganymede, who was taken to Olympus by an eagle sent by the father of the gods to serve as their cupbearer.

Antinous Constellation
The constellation of Antinous on John Flamsteed’s map (1776). Credit: MJ Fortin / Public domain / Wikimedia Commons

This placement was no casual choice by the emperor. Hadrian, perhaps influenced by mystical beliefs, chose the intermediate space between the constellations of Aquila and Capricorn, areas that according to ancient beliefs were associated with traits that complemented the idea of Antinous as a deity.

The constellation of Aquila, in particular, symbolized strength and power, qualities attributed to Mars and Jupiter, while the proximity to Capricorn symbolized love and beauty, energies associated with Venus. This intermediate space, according to ancient astrology, represented the ideal place for Antinous, where heavenly forces could converge to preserve his memory.

Ptolemy cataloged nineteen stars in both the constellations of Aquila and Antinous, considering the latter as a subdivision of the former.

Antinous Constellation
The present constellation of Aquila (the Eagle) includes the ancient constellation of Antinous. Credit: Till Credner / Wikimedia Commons

However, the first known graphic representation of the constellation of Antinous is attributed to the famous cartographer Gerardus Mercator in 1551, who included it on a celestial globe. Later, the Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe incorporated it into his star catalog in the late 16th century, possibly based on earlier maps.

The main stars that made up the Constellation of Antinous were Bezek, Al Thalimain Prior (the Two Ostriches), and Tseen Foo (known by its Chinese name meaning “heavenly raft”).

In 1922, however, with the effort of the International Astronomical Union to formalize constellations and organize the sky into clearly defined areas, Antinous was removed as an official constellation. All the stars that composed it, which had originally been taken from Aquila by Hadrian, returned to their former constellation 18 centuries later.

Antinous Constellation
The constellation Aquila and the Antinous asterism, top right, as seen from Aspen, USA. Credit: Zach Dischner / Wikimedia Commons

This effort by the IAU aimed to reduce the number of constellations in use and consolidate the sky into 88 official constellations, simplifying modern celestial cartography.

In astronomical terms, the constellation reflects how ancient astronomy was intrinsically tied to mythology and religion, with the sky serving as a mirror for human emotions, beliefs, and dreams. The creation of Antinous as a constellation reflects the idea that the heavens could be shaped according to the imagination and desires of those who observed it, a very different notion from the scientific and objective view that dominates astronomy today.

Thus, as we observe Aquila in the starry night, we might remember that in another time, in that very same space, a beloved young man was immortalized among the stars. We can do so because, although the constellation no longer officially exists, it can still be seen as an asterism—a group of stars that, while not officially recognized as a constellation, forms a popular and recognizable pattern in the night sky.

This article was first published on our Spanish Edition on November 7, 2024: Cómo el emperador Adriano creó una nueva constelación en el firmamento

SOURCES

Ian Ridpath, Antinous

Cassius Dio, Roman History

Royston Lambert, Beloved and God: The Story of Hadrian and Antinous

John C. Barentine, The Lost Constellations: A History of Obsolete, Extinct, or Forgotten Star Lore

Wikipedia, Antínoo (constelación)

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