The Face of Antiquity

A statue of Antinous in the Museo
Pio-Clementino in Rome
(Image from Wikipedia)

One of the best known faces of antiquity belongs to a Greek boy who was the lover of the Emperor Hadrian and drowned in the river Nile, perhaps sacrificed in a religous ceremony by emperor himself.

His name was Antinous and not much really known about his ancestry. He was born in what is know North Western Turkey (Bithnia) and the joined the entourage of emperor Hadrian at young age.

He perished in the river Nile when the emperor was cruising down the river with a fleet of ships. It is said that Hadrian was stricken with grief although it was whispered that the death of Antinous was either suicide, murder or that he was sacrificed by the emperor and Egyptian priests for religous purposes.

In his extreme grief Hadrian did what any sensible emperor would do and had Aninous deified and his cult spread throughout the eastern part of the Roman empire. His image even appeared on coins and as with the deification this was an honour that was reserved for members of the imperial family. A city that bore his name was founded on the site where he was found dead and Hadrian even proposed that a constellation would be named in his honour.

Hadrian commissiened countless sculptors to make statues of Antinous and many of those survived. The image of the handsome youth has become iconic for antiquity.

Antonius was probably no more than eighteen year old when he died.

The Story Behind the First Christian Psalm in Icelandic

In 1208 Kolbeinn Tumason, a powerful chieftain, in the north of Iceland wrote a psalm called “Heyr Himnasmiður” or “Listen, Smith of the Heavens.” This is the earliest known psalm writte in in Icelandic.

It is believed that he did this as a way of atonement as when he composed it he was about to lead an army against a bishop who was related to his wife and he had previously supported. The alliance that Kolbeinn had hoped to forge with him soon came to nothing as the bishop proved to be independent and headstrong.

Their quarrel was essentially about if clergymen and the church were bound by secular law and subject to the powerful chieftains that ruled Iceland. Kolbeinn seems also to have been interested in running things at rich estate of Holar which was the seat of the bishop in the North of Iceland.

This bishop, called Gudmundur Arason, was popular among the pious and the poor but despised by farmers and the well off as he had around him a large group of sometimes unruly followers. He was nicknamed “the good” and he plays the main role in many legends and stories of the miracles he is supposed to have performed.

In 1206 the bishop had excommunicated Kolbeinn and some two years later Kolbeinn decided to confront the bishop and demand that some of his followers that he had issues with would be handed over.

They met close to the bishop´s seat of Holar in a placed called Vidiness. Kolbeinn and his army of some 400 followers easily outnumbered the bishop´s men but in the ensuing skirmish Kolbeinn was struck by a rock and killed. His army then retreated. For many years after this confrontation Gudmundur quarreled and fought with various chieftains.

Below is a recording by the Icelandic singer Ellen Kristjansdottir. The words are by Kolbeinn Tumason and the music by Thorkell Sigurbjornsson.