The Hadrian Enigma - A Forbidden History (44 page)

“
Before you depart on your day’s pleasures, good worthies,” Suetonius interjected, “we have some questions to ask you about the deceased, the Bithynian youth Antinous. He was well known to you, I believe? Clarus and I have been commissioned by the emperor to explore the circumstances of the boy’s life and death. We possess the powers of a magisterial enquiry. I am appointed
Special Inspector
.”

The two Greeks sobered swiftly in response to this announcement. The use of torture upon non-citizen foreigners was a given in a magistrate’s armory of investigative aids. Neither man of science is a citizen of Rome.

“
We’re entirely at your service, gentlemen,” they sang in unison.

“
Tell us, Aristobulus, what you know of Antinous and his activities,” Suetonius queried. “To begin your legal deposition, first tell us who you are, state your profession, and where you were on the night of his death? Further, what is your view of this misadventure?” Suetonius queried.

The astrologer shuffled uncomfortably for a few moments before rising to the occasion to declaim theatrically in Greek-inflected Latin.

“
I,
Special
Inspector, am Aristobulus of Antioch, astrologer to Great Caesar. I am a 
magus, theurge,
and
hierophant
of the ancient priestly dynasty of Emesa. The blood of Babylon flows in my veins. As an exponent of the Chaldean Oracles and a student of Marcus Manilius, I practice the sciences of the stars, mathematics, dream interpretation, occult ritual, and divination.

My recall of the youth Antinous is his birth to have been on a late date in the coming month of November. The actual time of birth was unknown to the lad. He told me so on those occasions when he consulted with me on astrological matters, which were increasingly often in recent times.

He told me his mother died shortly after his birth, so his precise hour of birth was uncertain to him. It seemed even the year of his birth is uncertain. He said his family’s nurse had told him he was born on the twenty-seventh day of the month of Cybele of the Bithynian calendar. This corresponds to our November. At least this would be a reasonable start to charting his destiny.

However,
Special Inspector,
to cast the chart of someone so favored by Caesar’s is to calculate in proximity to Caesar’s own stars. This is forbidden and a dire offence. I did not dare calibrate a horoscope for the boy, so his recent fate was entirely beyond my predictive skill.”

Suetonius thought to himself here was yet another of those serendipitous fortuities in the professional life of a fortune-teller, a fortuity by omission in this instance.

“
Where were you on the night of his death?”

“
As you well know, Suetonius Tranquillus, I travelled with you much of yesterday across the river at Hermopolis with our academic colleagues. I then lunched and bathed with you at the local Baths in the early afternoon,” the Antiochan explained. “It was I who informed Tribune Macedo of the security service of your whereabouts at
The Street of Pleasures
in the late afternoon. This was when Caesar summoned your urgent attendance.”

“
Where were you the previous evening, the night of the Favorite’s death, Aristobulus of Antioch?” the Special Inspector repeated.

“
Once again, Suetonius Tranquillus, I was with you and our Alexandrian companions at a drinking party aboard your
felucca
moored off Hermopolis. As you may recall, we shared considerable quantities of Chios dark sweet wine and much local beer,” the astrologer imparted.

“
What do you know about Antinous which might contribute to our understanding of the young man’s death? I am led to believe you shared his company often?”

“
Hmm, this is a difficult matter,” Aristobulus offered as he stroked his splayed beard thoughtfully. “There was much about the boy which invites consideration, I’d say.”

“
What do you mean?”

“
Well, he certainly did have odd interests for someone so young.”

“
In what way?”

“
I quite clearly recall my first impressions,” he responded. “Two years ago when the Household returned again to Athens while touring the Empire, several of us joined Caesar in taking initiation into the Mysteries at Eleusis. The Bithynian was among us. We, along with three thousand others, did so to bask in Caesar’s company at the rites.

I accompanied Antinous with Caesar from the first day of the initiates’ procession to Eleusis. We are not allowed to tell you about the final rituals of the sixth night at the
Telesterion
of Eleusis. That’s a sacred secret. But I can certainly tell you about the effects the event had upon Antinous.

Prior to the final rite the initiates drink a sacred brew, the famed potion called
kykeon
. I don’t know what’s in the brew, or whether it affects some people differently to others, but Antinous was deeply intoxicated by the stuff. Too deeply, I thought.

It tasted to me merely like a bitter medicine, but it seemed to affect others differently. I even wondered if the particular draught Antinous consumed had been cunningly poisoned in some way, its effects being so profound on him. Gossip said his intimacy with Caesar had made powerful enemies at Court by his very presence, so anything is possible.”

“
What precise effect did the potion have on the lad?”

“
Well, to my eye as a 
magus
experienced in observing all manner of oracles, mediums, and mystics at work, the boy had been thoroughly beguiled by the
kykeon
.

I have witnessed enchanted sibyls inhaling the fumes of burnt leaves or grasses to achieve their insight, or ingesting sacred medicaments extracted from toads or mushrooms, or engaging in prayerful rituals to achieve a deep trance, but I sensed Antinous had been propelled into a thoroughly bewitched state of mind by the brew. I think Caesar, Lysias, and Geta too were concerned at his condition because, to me, he didn’t look too happy about his situation.”

“
How did the potion affect you?” Clarus interjected.

“
Well nothing happened to me really,” the astrologer explained, “I was slightly distracted by the draught, but not to a degree I couldn’t manage. Perhaps the boy wasn’t familiar with intoxication? Yet he is known to enjoy his wine.”

“
Isn’t the
kykeon
poured from a communal bowl? Doesn’t everyone receive the same potion? And wouldn’t Caesar’s Praetorians have watched what Hadrian and his companions were receiving from the priests?” Clarus explored.

Septicius, being a former Prefect of Praetorians, intimately knew the precautions the security corps took in monitoring comestibles and drink for Hadrian.

“
Well, yes. We all took the
kykeon
from the communal cauldron in the individual cups provided to us. Yet only Antinous was affected in this way, no one else I observed. Perhaps the lad’s cup was contaminated with some malignancy or laced with some secret poison? That is, unless Hadrian had been the intended target and the boy had received Caesar’s mug in error?”

“
And then?” Suetonius queried further.

“
The final rites proceeded as they were supposed. I thought someone might be wise enough to whisk Antinous away for his own safety, but both Caesar and his school pal ensured the fellow was comfortable during the final hours of the overnight ritual. Actually, it was afterwards that things grew worrying,” the astrologer recalled.

“
In what way?”

“
Well, in the following days I heard how Antinous had taken to his bed. Apparently he was having visions and suffering attacks by mystical
daemons
, or such things. He was quite distressed for several days.”

“
You mean he’d gone mad?” Clarus stated in his usual unsubtle manner.

“
I don’t know if it was the madness of insanity or the madness of divine revelation,” the Syri offered, “but I was eventually summoned by Caesar’s physicians to offer my opinion.”

“
And, your opinion was?” Suetonius asked.

“
Well, I think the
kykeon
had either poisoned him or thrust him into a strange, dark place,” Aristobulus said, “I’m not sure which.”

“
But he recovered?”

“
Yes, he recovered. Yet along the way he asked his physicians and myself some very strange questions, very strange indeed.”

“
What sort of questions?”

“
Well, he revealed to us he’d travelled to the Land Of The Dead, and returned again. He asked if this was usual at the Mysteries of Demeter at Eleusis,” the astrologer said.

The interrogating team showed distinct interest in this meandering testimony.

“
The Land of the Dead?” Suetonius reiterated.

“
Yes. And he was serious. He was convinced. He said he had taken flight ‘
to the place where the sun never shines
’. It is the home of the dead, he claimed. He said he glimpsed the endless oceans which surround the Underworld and the four rivers of woe. He viewed its ruler, Hades of the unspeakable name, brother of Zeus.

He comprehended how the manner of one’s death and the proper rituals affect one’s fate in the next world, and realized the dire necessity of a coin in the mouth for Charon’s guidance, and that sort of thing. He said he saw the face of Thanatos himself, the god of death, and yet returned to the light of Life.

I have only heard great priests and priestesses of secret cults make this claim. Even I as a 
magus
cannot make such a claim,” the Antiochan declared with unexpected modesty.

“
Anything more?” Suetonius enquired.

“
It was enough at that time. To go to The Land of the Dead and return to life is the dominion of an Orpheus and his Eurydice, or an Odysseus, or Hercules retrieving Alcestis. It was a form of rebirth, like Demeter’s daughter Persephone from Hades’ dominion. A resurrection.”

“
A resurrection? What happened next?” the Special Inspector asked.

“
After a few days he returned to normalcy. His physicians and I advised he sacrifice to his chosen deity, pour offerings, and offer thanks for his safe return. He did so,” Aristobulus concluded, “but he was a changed fellow.”

“
Changed? How so?”

“
Well, the experience aged him several years. It was written in his features. He was no longer simply a handsome young man in his prime, he had suddenly assumed maturity’s demeanor,” the astrologer explained.

Phlegon’s interrupted.

“
In more ways than one, gentlemen. I saw his personality change considerably. Whatever it was he ‘
saw
’ or experienced
under the
kykeon
had made a deep impression,” the Carian scarecrow said. “He
saw
something that disturbed him greatly. He was no longer a callow youngster given to pleasures. Despite his youthful age he had matured overnight. This was different to Initiation into the cult of Demeter at Eleusis, this was a shift of personality.”

“
How did Caesar react to his Favorite facing such a mystical experience?” the biographer asked. It was now Phlegon’s opportunity to reminiscence.

“
Great Caesar was very attentive to his Favorite’s needs. Despite his schedule of duties he led Antinous and the Companions of the Hunt on a restorative tour of historical sites across Achaea. This provided the youngster fresh air, exercise, and new stimuli to encourage healing. They travelled to places beyond Athens where
erastoi
and
eromenoi
had been highly regarded in ages past, or where the custom was still alive.

At Thespiae, only two days journey from Athens, they commemorated the success of Caesar’s dedication to Eros of his kill of a wild bear years earlier. Hadrian had made an offering of the bear’s spoils to seek the god’s benevolence by endowing him with a worthy
eromenos.
He now celebrated how Antinous was that god’s gracious gesture. Such sentimentality is comforting in a ruler, don’t you think?”

“
What else?” Suetonius asked.

“
They also visited ancient Mantinea, the city state from where Antinous’s forebears had migrated to Bithynia,” Phlegon enthused. “Mantinea had been the site of great battles among the Greeks in antique times. At the final battle fought between the Thebans led by their general Epaminondas against the Spartans, Epaminondas won the battle but died soon after of his wounds.

He was the leader of The Sacred Band of Thebes, the army of pairs of warrior-lovers renown across the Greek world. At his death at Mantinea the great commander was buried by the side of his
eromenos
lover, who’d also been killed in the conflict. Hadrian and Antinous honored the couple’s grave with offerings and ceremonies of great poignancy.”

“
But why do you tell us this?” Clarus interjected. “In what way do they affect the Bithynian youth’s drowning?”

It was Aristobulus’s turn. Now he was introspective

“
Some in the Household have perceived a pattern in these events. It had not passed without note how the boy was consumed with matters of death and dying, and of issues of return from the Land of the Dead. Yes, he was young and impressionable, yet the young rarely express such morbid thoughts due to being convinced of being invulnerable,” the
magus
replied.