The Hadrian Enigma - A Forbidden History (51 page)

“
Indeed,” the governor affirmed, “my staff has assembled many, many artisans for Caesar’s announcement, to discuss the planning of the new city. They’ve been sheltered at a camp site outside the nearby village and told not to talk of it.”

“
Then it’s plausible after all that Cronon could have been invited to this camp by the Priest of Amun, Pachrates from Memphis, well prior to The Isia and Antinous’s death?”

“
Yes, that’s possible,” the Governor acknowledged.

Suetonius and Clarus now had reason to accept Kenamun’s protestations on the previous evening. Titianus continued.

“
But the priest Pachrates is an ambitious fellow, my friends. His like are very cunning. And he’s found favor in Hadrian’s eyes.

Pachrates understands the peculiarities of the Roman, Greek, and the Egyptian views of life, and so offers advice on how to implement our plans among each community. I’m told the dead youth was especially impressed by Pachrates’ magical arts,” Titianus confirmed. “So the wizard’s input and contacts have been welcomed by Caesar. But for my money that priest is too clever by half. He’s not a man to trust.”

“
We’ve been told Pachrates is known to commit murder for his magic,” Suetonius proposed daringly.

The Governor fell silent for some moments. He drew himself back into his chair.

“
He’s been authorized by my office on rare occasions to utilize condemned criminals destined for a fate in the arena in his magical performances. But I’m not aware of any claim of the murder of innocents. The man is devious, but so are most in the East. It’s in the air here,” Titianus offered.

“
Was Antinous out of favor with Caesar, my lord?” Suetonius asked, shifting tack. Titianus was cautious for a few moments. The four sensed the question had entered sensitive territory.

“
There appears to have been some form of fallout some weeks ago at Alexandria when the
Western Favorite
joined the tour. As you know, Commodus was popular with Caesar some years ago. But I’ve not discerned a dispute between Hadrian and Antinous about the matter. Yet the lad had his own issues to contend with,” the governor submitted.

“
What are those, my lord Governor?”

“
Well, to start with, after five years attachment to Hadrian he’s now no longer a 
meirakion
young man anymore. He’s too old now for a role as Caesar’s consort. It’s too open to scandal, even here in the East where such things are widely tolerated,” the governor speculated. “Note I separate the man Hadrian from the role of Caesar. The man is entitled; an emperor is not.

I was with them both at the time when Caesar expressed this view pointedly to the lad. It was at The Soma in Alexandria only a month or so ago.”

“
What was this occasion, my lord?” Suetonius enquired as all ears pricked up.

“
Hadrian and several of his retinue, including Antinous, visited The Soma on two or three occasions. The Soma, Alexander the Great’s tomb, is a pivotal institution at Alexandria. It’s the city’s
raison d’etre
, from a spiritual point of view. Not only do tourists from across the Empire visit and pay homage to the ancient hero, his tomb unifies the contending communities of the city into a single ethos, otherwise they’d be at each other’s throats interminably.

All great cities have a key icon giving them their meaning; like a tomb or temple or hard-fought citadel. It’s no accident the regime of the Ptolemies guaranteed the security of The Soma for over three hundred years,” Titianus expounded. “Well, a member of Hadrian’s retinue suggested the mausoleum and Alexander be moved to the new city. The notion was to provide a logical focus for creating the new
Hadrianopolis
, correlating the heroic virtues of Caesar and Alexander under one rubric.

It’s a good idea, though I’d never allow Alexander’s corpse to leave Alexandria. Yet it would encourage tourism to the new city and attract immigrants drawn to the Roman way of life.
Hadrianopolis
will need such a draw-card in this godforsaken place, otherwise it will become another dead city lost beneath Egyptian sands. There are dozens already.”

“
But how did this effect Hadrian’s attitude to Antinous?” the biographer asked.

“
Well, Hadrian is an avid admirer of Alexander, as too is Antinous. We agreed Egypt needs the sort of public spectacles the Ptolemy Greeks once provided to give the various communities a sense of being unified. You know, grand public gardens, magnificent temples, spectacular tombs, rites like
The Ptolemaia
festival, plus the hippodrome’s races and games, and so on. At Alexandria all these attractions were held together by that single cadaver whose shadow we discern through the alabaster of his sarcophagus,” the Prefect explained. “Otherwise it becomes Roman against Greek, Greek against Jew, Jew against Christian, free against slave, rich against poor, and all of them against the Egyptian natives.

Instead, Antinous inventively suggested how a 
Caesareum
honoring the Caesars at the new city of
Hadrianopolis
, not Alexander’s coveted body, would better fulfill the role. But he added it be accompanied by generous Imperial bequests, games, statues, commemorative coins, and cultic events, all with their emphasis on Hadrian as Caesar as the focus.

Hadrian was encouraged by the idea, it took his fancy, and the group applauded the lad’s enthusiasms. But then Caesar shifted the conversation into a darker terrain. He took this cheerful opportunity to tell the young man loudly before us how their continuing relationship must cease. He put it very plainly to him. He said how a Caesar who befits the values of a Caesareum at Hadrianopolis must display public probity in all things, including his consorts.

He explained how worshipers at a Caesareum must know their Caesar is worthy of their adoration. Such a Caesar must relinquish any relationship with a partner who is no longer beardless. He terminated the relationship then and there before our eyes. Antinous was stunned by the announcement and quite visibly distressed.”

Titianus paused to recollect the day. The four listened patiently.

“
I’m sure the lad wasn’t concerned about his future prospects because I’ve reason to know how he’d accumulated wealth far beyond a youth’s needs, and was considered a prime candidate for posts in the cavalry or administration corps,” the Governor expanded. “No, his concern seemed otherwise. Some have insinuated to me Hadrian had become uncomfortable about aspects of their relationship, though no one tells me what they are. Even my spies and paid informers don’t know.

Meanwhile, it was evident Antinous was slipping into a state of disquiet. I didn’t know the lad especially well, but I could see he was troubled by his predicament.”

“
What do you think that predicament was, my lord?” Suetonius asked. Titianus thoughtfully considered his response for a moment.

“
Well one explanation, the simplest explanation I’d say, is Antinous was in love with Hadrian and reluctant to let go,” he stated flatly. “It’s that simple. He didn’t wish to be parted from his lover. People can be like that, you know.”

“
Love?!” Clarus interjected, beginning to hear the language of a 
cinaedus
. “Love! A young man barely beyond an
ephebe
’s age loves a man now in his fifties? That is bizarre, Prefect Governor. What is such a pitiable love?”

“
Yes, my good senator, Love. That sad, tragic affliction of Aphrodite or her son Eros. It happens to many of us, you know? It’s unpredictable,” the Governor confirmed. “Haven’t you felt Aphrodite’s call at some time in your life, Septicius Clarus, ‘
the stream of longing
’ with someone, somewhere, somehow?”

Clarus sat in resolute silence.

“
Another interpretation even more controversial. It is our Caesar is in love with the lad,” the Governor continued, “and Antinous was conscious of this reality and the necessary impending conclusion. This too offers an explanation, though I wouldn’t promote it too loudly if I was you. And you might leave that comment out of your transcript, scribe.”

The Governor smiled thinly at his guests.

“
My assessment of Antinous was that he too had become aware of this conundrum and was drawn to seeking a resolution on behalf of his
erastes,
Hadrian,” he continued. “Despite his widely-perceived role as merely a pretty face in a well-hung body, Antinous struck me as having greater depth. ‘It’s what you
do
in life which matters, not merely how you
look’
, I heard him say onetime. That’s not bad.

His search for a resolution to his
erastes
’ dilemma was his ambitious, youthful, hero’s quest. Perhaps he saw himself following in the footsteps of a Ulysses or Jason or Achilles, or even Alexander? But I doubt he found his resolutions before events overtook him, whatever they were.”

“
Is it possible, my lord Governor, you would have informer’s reports of the young Bithynian’s exploits outside his relationship with Caesar? Surely your contacts at Court have followed the lad’s activities and made his alliances known to you?” Suetonius enquired.

“
Believe it or not, gentlemen, I have multiple reports and colorful tidbits about everyone attending Caesar, including yourselves may I say, but nil regarding Antinous. The young man’s faithfulness to Caesar seems exemplary. I cannot recall a single informer’s report or piece of choice gossip pertaining to the man which suggests otherwise,” Titianus replied. “Only my
ward
, the Lady Anna Perenna, seemed to find the fellow of some concern.”

“
Why so, Governor?”

“
My companion possesses many unusual gifts, gentlemen,” he responded. “She sees and knows things others cannot discern. Or so she tells me. As the high priestess of her cult at Alexandria she engages in all manner of arcane activities and provides esoteric advice to members of the Court.”

“
How so? In what way?”

“
Well, I don’t subscribe to some of her claims myself,” the Governor explained, “my relationship with my lady is based on other needs, I assure you. Yet she provides charms and talismans to assist in the love lives of our courtiers; she prepares love-potions, philters, tinctures in oil, and occult tisanes. She creates figurines for
daemonic
invocation to dispel undesirable influences; she can calculate the power of words through the science of
geometria
; and she’s expert in addressing women’s matters of a private nature. At least so I’m told by her herself.

In her calling as the
Grandmother of Time
it’s said she’s skilled in interpreting the will of the gods through the divination of entrails in the Etruscan manner. She interprets dreams, and most arcane of all, she is said to engage through trance as a medium of clairvoyance. At least so I am told. My companion is a woman of unusual capacities, gentlemen. Naturally, she is also a lively bed companion.”

“
Prefect Governor, perhaps your good lady friend will share her clairvoyance skills in telling us what may have happened to the dead youth?” the biographer enquired sweetly.

The governor cast a steely look over the biographer.

“
Don’t be fast with me, Special Inspector. I don’t necessarily support each of my companion’s claims to
mystagogy
. But if you wish to explore her faculties for yourself, then you should approach her personally.

Anna Perenna is an independent woman who possesses her own wealth and is not subject to my will.”

Titianus fell moodily, angrily silent. Clarus took the opportunity to enquire about the night of the boy’s death.

“
Lord Prefect Governor, you said you slept the night in question at Caesar’s marquee after the banquet. Did you share company in this?” he asked in his usual unsubtle manner.

“
My good Senator Septicius Clarus, don’t you trust the Governor of Egypt? Several of those at the celebration were sufficiently persuaded after the banquet to remain at our couches, excess wine or not,” Titianus regaled. “Mine was the wine plus an Iberian serving-lass named Sotira. Others made other choices.”

“
Who else remained accompanied in this manner, or departed accompanied?” Suetonius pressed the questioning further.

“
Why, I wasn’t especially observant of what others were up to, Tranquillus. But that up-and-coming Tribune Macedo seemed to have his hooks into a pert young girl, a local of Egyptian descent I think, while the former Master of the Hunt Salvius Julianus, who is now an important legal advisor to Caesar, was accompanied by his usual equerry friend.”

“
What of Caesar himself and the guest-of-honor Commodus?” Clarus explored.

“
Caesar retired alone, as has been his usual habit since this tour began. Commodus and he do not share a bed these days, to the knowledge of my agents,” the spymaster knower-of-all confided. “Commodus retired late about the same time as Caesar’s friend Arrian. Put whatever spin you wish upon that, my friends. But I had my Sotira to amuse me, so I was comfortable where I was.”

“
And where was Antinous, do you suppose?” Suetonius asked.

“
Perhaps he was down in his cups drowning his misfortunes, if you forgive the bad pun,” the stocky Roman contributed. “The last I saw of him was some days earlier when he was consulting with my companion, Anna Perenna, on matters of
advice for the lovelorn
. At least that’s what I assume they were discussing.