Archaeology, Historicity, and Homosexuality in the New Cultus of Antinous

Perceptions of the Past in a Contemporary Pagan Religion

Authors

  • Ethan Doyle White University College London

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1558/ijsnr.37618

Keywords:

Antinous, modern Paganism, homosexuality, queer, Reconstructionism, Classical Reception Studies

Abstract

In the second century, the Roman Emperor Hadrian deified his male lover, Antinous, after the latter drowned in the Nile. Antinous’ worship was revived in the late twentieth century, primarily by gay men and other queer-identified individuals, with Antinous himself being recast as “the Gay God.”

Author Biography

  • Ethan Doyle White, University College London

    A trained archaeologist, Ethan Doyle White is currently undertaking doctoral research into the archaeological evidence for popular religion in early medieval Britain at University College London (UCL). As an independent scholar, he is an established figure in the field of contemporary Pagan studies, being the author of both Wicca: History, Belief, and Community in Modern Pagan Witchcraft (Sussex Academic Press, 2016) and a range of articles in such peer-reviewed journals as The Pomegranate, Nova Religio, and Magic, Ritual and Witchcraft. His current research interests focus on pre-Christian and folk religiosity in early medieval Europe alongside the adoption of pre-Christian beliefs and imagery within modern Pagan new religious movements.

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Published

2018-12-06

How to Cite

White, E. (2018). Archaeology, Historicity, and Homosexuality in the New Cultus of Antinous: Perceptions of the Past in a Contemporary Pagan Religion. International Journal for the Study of New Religions, 8(2), 237-259. https://doi.org/10.1558/ijsnr.37618