The New Student's Reference Work/Antinous

Antinous (ă-tin' ō-us), a beautiful youth of Bithynia. He was a favorite of the Emperor Hadrian, and went with him on his journey through Egypt. An oracle had told the emperor that a great danger which threatened him could be avoided only by the sacrifice of the person whom he loved most fondly. The youth hearing this, drowned himself in the Nile. In his honor, Hadrian built the splendid city of Antinoöpolis or Antinoë, in Egypt, and also gave his name to a newly-observed star. Antinous was made a god, and statues of him were set up throughout the Roman empire.