How the emperor Hadrian created a new constellation in the sky

Those who love the history of the Roman Empire are familiar with the story of Antinous, a young man of extraordinary beauty who deeply captivated the emperor Hadrian. Adrian not only loved him, but also had a very close personal relationship with him.

This relationship ended in tragedy in 132 AD when Antinous lost his life by drowning in the Nile River under circumstances that are still debated by historians.

Some sources, including the Roman historian Cassius Dion (who apparently had access to Hadrian’s now-lost personal diary), suggest that Antinous’ death was a voluntary sacrificeperhaps in order to prolong Hadrian’s life.

In Egypt, he also rebuilt a city that would later be called Antinous. Antinous came from Bithynia, a city in Bithynia, also known as Claudiopolis. He was a favorite of the emperor, and died in Egypt, either by falling into the Nile, as Hadrian wrote, or, more accurately, by being sacrificed. For Hadrian, as I have already mentioned, was always very inquisitive and used all kinds of divination and charms. So he honored Antinous, either out of love for him, or because the young man had voluntarily promised to die (it was necessary to give his life freely for the purposes Hadrian had in mind), by building a city where such a fate befell him. and call it after him; and he also set up statues of him, or rather sacred images, almost all over the world.

Cassius Dion, Roman history LXIX.11

Heartbroken by the loss of Antinous, Hadrian looked for ways to preserve his memory and venerate him as an immortal deity, just as other emperors had been worshiped before. He dedicated a city in Egypt to his memory, calling it Antinoopolis, and even secured for him a place among the stars, as The constellation of Antinous.

At length he declared that he had seen a star which he thought belonged to Antinous, and listened with pleasure to the fictitious stories told by his accomplices, as if the star had actually sprung from the spirit of Antinous, and appeared then for the first time. . For this reason he became an object of ridicule, and also for the fact that after the death of his sister Paulina he did not immediately pay her any honor.

Cassius Dion, Roman history LXIX.11

The constellation of Antinous was created in the southern region of the village Akila (eagle), symbolically connecting him with Zeus, identifying him with Ganymede, who was brought to Olympus by an eagle sent by the father of the gods to serve as their cupbearer.

This placement was not a random choice of the emperor. Hadrian, perhaps influenced by mystical beliefs, chose the intermediate space between the constellations of Eagle and Capricornareas that, according to ancient beliefs, were associated with features that complemented the idea of ​​Antinous as a deity.

The constellation Eagle, in particular, symbolized strength and power, qualities attributed to Mars and Jupiter, while proximity to Capricorn symbolized love and beauty, energies associated with Venus. This intermediate space, according to ancient astrology, was the perfect place for Antinous, where the heavenly powers could gather to preserve his memory.

Ptolemy cataloged nineteen stars in the constellations of Eagle and Antinous, considering the latter a subdivision of the former.

However, the first known graphic representation of the constellation Antinous is attributed to the famous cartographer Gerardus Mercator in 1551, who included it on the celestial globe. The Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe later included it in his star catalog in the late 16th century, possibly based on earlier maps.

The main stars forming the constellation of Antinous were Bezek, Al-Talimain Prior (Two Ostriches) and Tsien Fu (known by its Chinese name, meaning “heavenly raft”).

However, in 1922, thanks to the efforts of the International Astronomical Union to formalize the constellations and organize the sky into clearly defined regions, Antinous was removed as an official constellation. All the stars that made it up, originally taken from Aquila by Hadrian, returned to their former constellation after 18 centuries.

This effort by the IAU was aimed at reducing the number of constellations used and consolidating the sky into 88 official constellations, simplifying modern celestial cartography.

From an astronomical point of view, this constellation reflects how ancient astronomy was inextricably linked to mythology and religion, and the sky served as a mirror for human emotions, beliefs and dreams. The creation of Antinous as a constellation reflects the idea that the heavens can be shaped according to the imagination and desires of those who observe it, which is very different from the scientific and objective view that dominates astronomy today.

Thus, when we watch Aquila on a starry night, we can remember that in another time, in the same space, the beloved youth was immortalized among the stars. We can do this because even though the constellation officially no longer exists, it can still be seen as asterism—a group of stars that, although not officially recognized as a constellation, forms a popular and recognizable pattern in the night sky.

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This article was first published in our Spanish edition on November 7, 2024: How the Emperor Adriano created a new constellation in the firmament

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