A Forbidden History.The Hadrian enigma

by George Gardiner

  "Centurion Quintus Urbicus of Numidia. He's been with my Alexandrian Praetorians for two years now," the governor stated.

  The team of four emitted a faint sigh of recognition.

  "Are you aware, my lord Governor, that Centurion Quintus Urbicus has been assigned to support our investigations into the death of Antinous?" Clarus interjected.

  "No, I am not, Senator. But such things are possible for a short period without my direct attention. My staff is very efficient. When was he assigned?" Titianus queried.

  "I would have thought you might be across such an assignment?" Suetonius commented. "He was assigned yesterday on Tribune Macedo's orders. Are you also aware that Quintus Urbicus was one of those nearby to haul the Bithynian's body from the river's water when two Egyptian fishermen discovered the drowned youth at dawn yesterday?"

  "No, of that too I am not aware. Yet such coincidences do happen, gentlemen. Someone had to find the body eventually. Urbicus's assignment to you will be quite legitimate. He's an effective officer, and his command of the local customs and tongues is probably useful to you, yes?" Titianus rationalized.

  "Indeed. Prior to his assignment to us yesterday, what would Centurion Urbicus and his troops have been doing in the vicinity of the drowned youth by the riverside at earliest dawn?" the Special Inspector raised speculatively. At last Titianus appeared to be showing greater interest in the group's enquiries.

  "I have absolutely no idea, Suetonius. You should be asking Urbicus, not me. The previous night I attended a formal banquet at Hadrian's apartments celebrating The Isia. Caesar has reason to honor the festival this year. There were many at the banquet, including new guests to Caesar's tour, but it didn't include the youth Antinous as I recall," the governor reminisced. "Hadrian's candidate for possible adoption as his son, Senator Lucius Ceionius Commodus, was the guest of honor. It seems the adoption will be proceeding sometime soon, despite great resistance to it in some quarters. It puts Lucius on the path to nailing the succession, they say, should Caesar pass away suddenly, perish the thought.

  Also, I'm told there's bad blood between him and Antinous, so perhaps the Bithynian lad diplomatically stayed away? But by dawn I was still fast asleep on my banquet couch. Too much roast pork and Falernian, I'd say, plus other amusements."

  "Did the Lady Anna Perenna celebrate with you too?" Suetonius probed.

  "No, it was a men-only affair of course," Titianus explained. "Besides My Lady has her own rites to address. The three days of the death and resurrection of Osiris are sacred to her cult too. The influence of Isis is ubiquitous across the Empire these days. The two cults are very similar, I'm told.

  My companion, the priestess, has enclosed herself for the first three days of The Isia. I doubt I shall see her until the official mourning period is over and the feasting begins."

  "My lord, what did you mean Caesar has reason to honor the occasion?" the biographer continued his queries.

  Titianus moved forward in his throne as though to share a confidence. He spoke low.

  "I suppose, gentlemen, you are sufficiently senior to receive the following news, if you promise me absolute confidentiality. Caesar and I have spent months preparing our announcement of the foundation of a new metropolis in Middle Egypt. It's been a secret, if such elaborate plans can ever be kept secret.

  At last I've persuaded Hadrian how central Egypt needs an influx of Roman and Greek settlers to act as a barrier against future incursions by rebels, invaders, or a local uprising. The old cities of Memphis, Hermopolis, and Thebes are stocked mainly with indigenous Egyptians because the previous Ptolemy regime allowed the Hellene population to be nominal outside Alexandria.

  But these Egyptians are not a fighting people, as we rudely learned fifteen years ago when the Jewish community rose across Africa against Trajan under their pretender-messiah king, Lucuas. These rebels destroyed many of our temples and killed huge numbers until Turbo finally put them down.

  So now we need sturdy, discharged legionnaires to colonize the area and repopulate it with families of new blood. Roman and Greek blood, that is, in a new city. They are to be a buffer here so insurrection will not succeed again. We will allocate substantial gifts of land, seed, and money at this place to make it happen, despite so many others across the Empire making claims to Rome's priorities.

  The new city will require a huge investment of manpower and moneys. Caesar will persuade the Senate to appropriate the necessary wealth and arms, and Rome's leading financiers will support its construction. But at the end of the day it will require the new settlers to be cohesively unified for the plan to provide its defensive bulwark. Cohesion is essential."

  "What will the city be called?" Clarus asked.

  "In Caesar's honor and to encourage cohesion, I have recommended Hadrianopolis," the governor declared. "This might be why Caesar is so engrossed. It will carry his name into history."

  Suetonius was prompted to remember a detail which troubled him the previous evening at the priest Kenamun's riverside embalming pavilion.

  "My lord, last night we met a citizen of Greek blood from the Fayum Oasis who is a painter of portraits for funerals. He is a sculptor too. His name is Cronon, and he told us he'd been invited to this encampment many weeks ago," Suetonius posed, "well prior to the Bithynian's drowning. Would such a tradesman be summoned to attend your announcement?"

  "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 pe
rsonally.

  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.

  Perhaps my lady was invoking some potion or magician's effigy with special powers for him to attract Caesar's attentions again? You'll have to ask her yourself, my friends. She knew the lad far better than I. She can be found on this very vessel at the stern cabin.