So at least among the educated nobility of the 18th century, Hadrian's inclinations must have been known.
Oh, for sure! The educated nobility of the 18th century was all *over* the ancient Greeks and Romans, they knew their stuff! They had a shared canon that is no longer so shared. And I assume they would have connected Hadrian and Antinous off the tops of their heads, unlike some of us moderns. ;)
Hadrian: I had monuments and statues - especially of Antinous - in every corner of the Roman Empire, not only Turkey! :)
Indeed! But the Near East is what my wife's history focus has been for the last several years, so that's where she keeps hearing about him. ;)
Re: Iconography
Oh, for sure! The educated nobility of the 18th century was all *over* the ancient Greeks and Romans, they knew their stuff! They had a shared canon that is no longer so shared. And I assume they would have connected Hadrian and Antinous off the tops of their heads, unlike some of us moderns. ;)
Hadrian: I had monuments and statues - especially of Antinous - in every corner of the Roman Empire, not only Turkey! :)
Indeed! But the Near East is what my wife's history focus has been for the last several years, so that's where she keeps hearing about him. ;)