The Death of Antinous || bxb ✔︎

FATA VIAM INVENIENT

Hadrian designed his villa in the image of a Greek pleasure garden. Pools, baths, grottos, fountains and sculptures were replicas from Athens. Even the mosaic beneath his feet depicting a group of doves around a bowl was a copy of the Greek artist Sosus of Pergamon.

Antinous should have felt out of place here but every corner of the Emperor's villa beckoned him and told him he was home.

The imperial escort guided Antinous to the banquet hall by torchlight. Fire was reflected in the mirrored surface of the waters. They passed one structure that was a theatre and another that appeared to be a residence, all made with the most expensive travertine, brick and tufa. There were thirty structures in all and one field with neither plant nor building, a black hole through which the wind howled like a jackal.

"What will become of this empty field?"

The escort frowned. He did not like Antinous' questions. Others must have been so dazzled with what was there that they failed to notice what was not.

"Hadrian is designing a temple."

"For which god?"

"He has not yet decided."

They marched through the field to the banquet hall. The fountain was choked with lily pads and the pillared archway entwined in trumpet vine. Sounds of laughter and song guided their path. Though the lamplight was low inside the hall, Antinous could make out enormous tapestries on the wall of mischievous Gods at play. They were so lifelike he felt he could step into the images, dance with the Nine Muses and braid a nymph's hair.

Tables and divans were swimming in silk. Goblets were solid gold and overflowed with the most expensive vintages from Hispanica. Guests were already on their sixth or seventh courses of exotic fare like artichoke, eel and oysters. He searched for Hadrian but all he could see were flowers. The arrangements were everywhere. Hyacinths and hydrangeas bloomed on every tabletop, ivy ensnared the chairs, honeysuckle spiralled around the colonnades and there was a bed of petals on the ground that rose to their ankles. Even guests were adorned with flowers as though the arrangements were eating them alive.

The escort placed a laurel wreath dotted with violets on his head. "One might think it took a hundred slaves to do all this but it is the work of one man. The Emperor's beloved arranges each and every flower himself."

He spotted Commodus standing by the head table with a wreath of anemones in his light hair, his toga sliding off one shoulder to reveal his pale flesh and a nipple pink as a rosebud. His voice was high and soared above the crowd like the tune of a flute. There was a leash around his wrist and Antinous remembered that he liked to keep exotic animals. He thought he spotted a tiger by his feet but upon closer inspection he realized it was a naked man painted orange with black stripes.

A courtesan, arms chiming with bangles, leaned over to explain: "His pet tiger died on the ship from Smyrna. He's made his slave walk around on all fours until he receives a new one from the Emperor."

The decadence, Antinous thought with horror. He'd never seen anything like it.

There at the center of the table sat Hadrian, immovable as stone, in a purple toga with a laurel wreath made of gold on his head. He was older than Antinous remembered, beard now flecked with silver, his dark brow heavy with wisdom.

There was an empty seat to his right and Antinous wondered whom it belonged to. He took his place next to the friendly courtesan when the imperial escort grabbed his arm.

"No, not here. There." He pointed to the seat beside Hadrian.

"I—I can't—" But before he could protest further he was lifted up on the shoulders of two slaves and carried to the Emperor. The guests cheered and threw rose petals.