Portrait of Antinous

This marble portrait (130–138 AD) depicts Antinous, Emperor Hadrian’s favored companion, deified after his mysterious death in the Nile. The widespread distribution of his likeness across the Roman Empire reflects Hadrian’s promotion of his cult. Such portraits, found in locations frequented by the emperor, symbolize the enduring influence of Hadrian’s reign and Antinous’s image as a symbol of beauty and divine favor in the late Hadrianic period.