maybe I am overestimating how much or little people associate with Hadrian.
This is where I confess that I didn't know anything about Hadrian's sexuality off the top of my head until it came up in salon in the Antinous discussion. I mean, I must have run into it in my reading, but while I knew things about Hadrian's policies off the top of my head, I would not have batted an eye at "mistresses" if I had watched this movie.
OTOH, I also don't think I'm Hadrian's reincarnation, and this is outside my period, so I can be forgiven that. :P But I thus think it's quite likely your average moviegoer wouldn't know this. Unless maybe it comes up in a lot of pop culture that I'm not aware of, which I suppose is possible.
ETA: My wife woke up, and I have consulted with her, and the verdict is that you are overestimating what people associate with Hadrian. She is well educated and has an above-average interest in history and in historical gays, and when I asked her, she was in almost the same place as I was before salon as far as what she knew about Hadrian today, i.e.:
- No idea Hadrian was gay. (Same.)
- Had heard of Antinous, but didn't know to connect him with Hadrian. (Same.)
- Associated Hadrian primarily with Hadrian's Wall. (Same.)
- Thinks the average person associates Hadrian primarily with Hadrian's Wall. (Same.)
- Thinks the average person associates Greeks with homosexuality, but not Romans. (Same.)
- Knew that Hadrian had monuments and statues all over Turkey. (I didn't know this one, but I did know assorted other facts about his reign.)
We agree that this comic, which I have to share all the time at work, is probably relevant. ;)
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Re: Iconography
Date: 2023-01-06 03:06 pm (UTC)This is where I confess that I didn't know anything about Hadrian's sexuality off the top of my head until it came up in salon in the Antinous discussion. I mean, I must have run into it in my reading, but while I knew things about Hadrian's policies off the top of my head, I would not have batted an eye at "mistresses" if I had watched this movie.
OTOH, I also don't think I'm Hadrian's reincarnation, and this is outside my period, so I can be forgiven that. :P But I thus think it's quite likely your average moviegoer wouldn't know this. Unless maybe it comes up in a lot of pop culture that I'm not aware of, which I suppose is possible.
ETA: My wife woke up, and I have consulted with her, and the verdict is that you are overestimating what people associate with Hadrian. She is well educated and has an above-average interest in history and in historical gays, and when I asked her, she was in almost the same place as I was before salon as far as what she knew about Hadrian today, i.e.:
- No idea Hadrian was gay. (Same.)
- Had heard of Antinous, but didn't know to connect him with Hadrian. (Same.)
- Associated Hadrian primarily with Hadrian's Wall. (Same.)
- Thinks the average person associates Hadrian primarily with Hadrian's Wall. (Same.)
- Thinks the average person associates Greeks with homosexuality, but not Romans. (Same.)
- Knew that Hadrian had monuments and statues all over Turkey. (I didn't know this one, but I did know assorted other facts about his reign.)
We agree that this comic, which I have to share all the time at work, is probably relevant. ;)