LGBT+ History Month 2023 Lecture

Abstract: A Boy and His Empire: Antinous – Last God of the Ancient World

When the beautiful youth Antinous, favourite of the Roman emperor Hadrian, drowned in the Nile in AD 130, his potential legacy appeared slight. However, in the aftermath of Antinous’ death, the grieving emperor founded the city of Antinoopolis, named a constellation after him, and, most remarkably, proclaimed him a god, whose cult survived until the fall of the Empire, generating a vast, and instantly recognisable, sculptural corpus, a great deal of which survives to the present day. Drawing upon archaeological and textual sources to examine the enigmatic life and death of Antinous, this lavishly illustrated lecture will consider his religious and artistic legacy throughout the Roman world and his continuing influence in the modern world as the inspiration of artists, writers, and film-makers.

The event is free but pre-booking via Eventbrite is essential. 

Book your place here

John J. Johnston, a UCL Institute of Archaeology Alumnus, is a Freelance Egyptologist, Classicist, and cultural historian. His research interests encompass mortuary belief and practice, gender and sexuality, Hellenistic and Roman Egypt, the history of Egyptology, and the reception of ancient Egypt in the modern world. 

He has lectured extensively at institutions such as the British Museum, the British Film Institute, the National Museum of Scotland, the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, and the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, Copenhagen. 

The UCL Institute of Archaeology established its own Equality & Diversity Forum to provide a supportive and inclusive environment for discussion of any issues relating to Equality, Diversity, Gender and/or Sexuality. The Institute is part of the Friend of Out@UCL campaign and signed the Zero Tolerance to Sexual Harassment pledge (2015-16 onwards), making a commitment to challenge sexual harassment and support students and staff who experience it.

Any queries about LGBT+ History Month events may be directed to Charlotte Frearson.

Further details

• LGBT+ History Month 2023