The Hadrian Enigma - A Forbidden History (20 page)

Jugglers and acrobats from Mauritania performed ingenious human contortions, while barbaric dancers with lithe bodies from Gades in Hispania surged and whirled to wild drummers.

An Egyptian wizard in quaint priestly garb amazed us with inexplicable acts of plucking objects from thin air and then manipulating their utter disappearance in an instant.

A gravel-voiced bard striking a resonant lyre chanted well-known stanzas of
The Iliad
’s battle scenes telling of bone-crushing violence and the death of heroes at Troy. Our audience chanted along with him in the more familiar citations from Homer.

Lord Arrian took the podium to read aloud a short chapter from his writings of A 
History of Alexander.
This is
his own work-in-progress, we were told, a biography of the Macedonian king describing his remarkable military strategy for victory at Issus against the Persians. We, his audience, well appreciated the intricacies of the ancient
hoplite
phalanx with its long
sarissa
-pike charge which accompanied Alexander’s cavalry to victory. We applauded our national hero rousingly.

As the evening progressed and the wine warmed the blood, a silver-voiced Syrian lad whose elegant attire and fine-boned features suggested he was a member of the aristocracy not a slave or low-class entertainer, sung erotic poems by ancient Theognis of Megara. He appeared to address his songs towards the emperor.

These words shifted the mood of the occasion into a mellow place. At one point both Antinous and I wondered if there was more than laurel burning on the altar or steeped in the wine because the occasion took on a richly affective afterglow. Warm delight soothed anxious brows; we were at our ease in a place of balmy delight. It was all very agreeable.

At another time Antinous strung his trophy boar’s ears and snout into an arc across his head, wearing the animal’s remnants like a silly hat giving him the appearance of having piggy ears. He danced about on his couch in a comical fashion portraying the beast dying under Hadrian’s knife cast. This jovial routine amused everyone heartily. Antinous had been tipsy before, but perhaps never quite as tipsy as this night, I recall. At least he was a happy drunk and yet he seemed to retain his senses nevertheless..

Thaletas, a rich man’s son from Byzantium who had cavalry aspirations, found himself attracted to one of the pretty slave girl flautists. He chatted her up and had her reclining beside him on his couch feeding him wine and morsels from platters. At some point they disappeared from the party and returned after a while with Thaletas visibly disheveled but grinning from ear to ear. He had obviously enjoyed something more bodily than wine.

Another guy who was the son of an important councilor at Nicomedia had arrived with a strapping fellow a few years his senior who we all assumed was a family bodyguard. He had stood all evening behind the lad’s dining couch in a protective way, though they often shared the food and drink from a common plate. As the evening progressed the two became observably friendlier to each other. When they shifted into lying side by side on the couch and being tactile with each other it dawned on the other diners that they were in fact an item.

Whispers circulated how the older guy was of quality birth, a respected
ephebe
captain of the Nicomedia militia, and had been the approved
erastes
to his younger
eromenos
for the previous year.

It crossed our minds how any of the younger slaves or musicians of either gender who might appeal to us were available for similar diversions. But both Antinous and I remained discreetly aloof from any lascivious behavior to ensure we didn’t infringe an unspoken rule of manners in such august company.

Geta the Dacian joined me at one point to engage in idle talk while pouring generous dollops of Falernian into each other’s
rhytons
in the rowdy, boozy, drunken Greek manner. I was sober enough, however, to recognize how Geta cleverly inserted into the conversation questions exploring the details of my relationship with Antinous. He searched to discover if Antinous and I were committed as
erastes
and
eromenos
, as mentor and pupil, lover and beloved. This was despite us being of a similar age in contradiction of the usual custom.

I neglected to reveal to Geta how, as the proposed leading partner in the mentoring role by virtue of my few months extra age, I didn’t have the courage to put the proposition to Antinous. But I knew I would be devastated if Ant rejected me. If it transpired he agreed however, as I expected there was a chance he might, then I wouldn’t have had the courage to approach his father for his authority too.

As the evening drew on it became apparent Caesar was calling each of the boys to his couch, one by one, for a personal chat. A secretary had delivered a small chest containing tight-rolled scrolls in ivory encasements. These were purple ribboned and bound with the small
bulla
seal of official documents.

Each of the six
meirakia
young men was summoned by Geta, and as each departed Caesar’s couch after a five-minute conversation it was evident the fellow was smiling with satisfaction at what had transpired.

‘
Caesar awaits you, Lysias of Claudiopolis,’ Geta said formally to me, throwing his glance back towards the emperor’s couch. I arose and joined Caesar’s company, nodding an excited grin at Antinous as I passed by.

Hadrian was relaxed and friendly.

‘
Tell me, Lysias of Claudiopolis, have you enjoyed yourself today?’ he asked while the most senior steward filled both our
rhytons
. ‘It’s been a most engaging occasion, don’t you think?’

‘
Indeed, sir! This has been a remarkable occasion following a wonderful day’s events. I will remember it all my life.’

I was certainly not being dishonest in my claim.

‘
In my travels, Lysias, I don’t meet very many young people,’ Hadrian confided. ‘I am attended by all manner of people of all ages, and even many children at the Court, and so on, but I have to make a point of going out of my way to meet those who are up-and-coming in my domains and have something fresh to offer Rome. So an occasion like this is rare for me too. I’d forgotten how lively and entertaining young people can be when they’re together as a group.’

‘
I can appreciate that, sir,’ I offered as supportively as I could muster.

‘
I am especially impressed with you Bithynians, Lysias. I can see how the Hellenes in Bithynia are holding closely to their traditional ways, especially among the sons of your nobility.

For example, watching you and Antinous wrestle together in the antique style at your
palaestra
at Claudiopolis a week ago, and also realizing how the hunt is still a feature of a young Bithynian’s life, I’m sure that the great traditions of war training are alive and well here. It’s been a great joy to see this age-old heritage flourish in its natural habitat, because it’s been lost in much of its native homeland.’

I could discern from Hadrian’s manner of speaking how he was actually quite sober, or else he held his drink very well.

‘
Tell me, Lysias, how do you expect to proceed in your life? What are your ambitions? I am told you are the second son of a father who died serving under my own command of the
II Adiutrix
at Pannonia when I was Governor in that chilly place many years ago?’

‘
It was eighteen years ago, sir. I was born that same year, my Lord.’

I assure you, gentlemen, I was taken aback by his question and by Caesar’s obvious knowledge of my family circumstances. I was proud of how our emperor knew of my father’s death in combat with Legion auxiliaries.

‘
As a second son, my Lord,’ I added, ‘I am obliged to seek my fortune apart from dividing my family’s estates or wealth.’

Hadrian would well know how second sons are expected to make their own way in life by entering the military or the province Legate’s service, or make a career in law and the magistracy, or even in foreign trade as an adjunct to his family’s entrepreneurial activities.

‘
My Elder Brother, sir, expects me to complete my education at an academy in Athens. Then I’ll explore the opportunities open to me. We have good connections in both Bithynia and Athens and the gods seem to favor us, so I expect my path will become clear to me as time passes, the Fates permitting.’

Hadrian nodded thoughtfully and reached over to the box which lay at his couch side table to lift out one of the scrolls. It had my name formally inscribed on its identification tag.

‘
It is my pleasure, Lysias of Bithynia, to award you with this token of our regard for you and your family, as well as for your deceased veteran father,’ Hadrian said.

My inner heart screamed with delight, but hopefully it was suppressed by better manners in Caesar’s presence.

‘
Should I read it in your company, my Lord?’ I asked with a quivering hand. What could the scroll possibly contain; I was asking myself, barely managing to restrain my impatience.

‘
Take it back to your couch, and give much thought to its contents, m’boy. You need not respond until you have spoken with your Elder,’ Caesar suggested. ‘Go now, and be proud of yourself in the name of Rome and your father’s honor.’

I backed away towards my own couch, bowing and scraping before Caesar in an almost obscenely obsequious manner. I did so until I passed Antinous.

He leaned cheerily backwards towards me to intercept me as I passed.

‘
Well? What was that all about?’ he hissed from the side of his mouth. But before I could reply Geta approached him and beckoned him too to Caesar’s couch.

I greedily unfurled the scroll from its clay seal and ribbons and read its contents. It was inscribed in Latin which I stumbled through clumsily under my breath:-

“
Under the seal of the Imperial Household on behalf of Imperator Caesar Publius Aelius Hadrianus, Greetings! This letter endows Lysias of Claudiopolis, Son of Lysander of Claudiopolis at Bithynia (Corporal of the Bithynian Cavalry Auxiliary, deceased), an Imperial Scholarship to The Palatine College of Provincial Administration at Rome for a period of two years.

Presentation of this letter to the Office of the Legate Governor of the Province of Bithynia-Pontus will enact the scholarship and its attributes, which includes an endowment of all costs for the duration of the scholarship within an approved schedule, including transport via the Imperial Courier Service, all necessary security protections, accommodations, clothing, food allowance, servant allowance, and other expenses as outlined in the schedule.

Signed under Imperial Seal, L. Julius Vestinus, Ab Epistulus
” etc.

A scholarship to the Palatine College in Rome is a hugely important step towards progress in the civil service in either Italy or the provinces, and an assured route to financial gain and social status. It has many civic advantages. Even the possibility of Roman citizenship was one.

While this scholarship to Rome still ricocheted around my mind, I noted how Antinous was faring at Caesar’s couch.

I observed how they engaged in light banter for some minutes with many nods and smiles, and I could sense that my friend’s joy was slowly rising in happy expectation. I watched as Hadrian again reached into his box for the final rolled scroll and presented it to Antinous.

I wondered if it too offered a similar scholarship to the Palatine College, which would be a wonderful opportunity for us both. I lip-read Hadrian using similar words to the words he used with the other boys, though he permitted Antinous to break the seal and open his scroll.

I watched as Antinous read the contents with his face brightening. I could see how he too had received happy news.

However, Caesar then leaned forward towards him, resting one hand on his knee in a familiar manner, and spoke words directly close to his ear. They were apparently words of an intimate or private nature because I could see something akin to surprise register on my friend’s face.

He drew quickly back and was rendered speechless for some seconds. My awareness of Antinous’s moods and needs told me a matter had transpired which either shocked or amazed him.

Antinous paused, seated at the edge of Caesar’s couch. Both looked seriously toward each other for some suspended moments. Then I saw Antinous slowly, shyly, demurely smile in a somewhat fazed manner and nod affirmatively. He was agreeing to something.

Antinous deeply bowed acknowledgement, withdrew slowly from the couch, but instead of duplicating the earlier stumbling obsequiousness of the other boys, he simply strode thoughtfully back to his own couch. It was now my turn to enquire.

‘
Well? How did you go? What was in the scroll?’

Antinous looked to me in an oddly remote way. It was an expression I had never seen in him previously. Then he brightened.

‘
Caesar has awarded me a scholarship to the Palatine College in Rome.’ Distraction then returned to his features.

‘
Me too, Ant! Will your Father agree? He will, surely?’

Antinous paused for a moment to think about it and looked beyond me towards some distant horizon.

‘
Agree? I don’t know. I’ll have to see, Lys.’

‘
What else did Caesar say?’

I simply couldn’t resist asking. Some other matter had transpired at the couch. Once again Antinous assumed his trance-like gaze.