Ancient Gay Love Story Celebrated by BBC-4

In television news, BBC 4 continued with its 7pm Saturday night archaeology slot this week. This week in “Treasures of Ancient Rome” the knowledgeable and amenable Alaistair Sooke explored the sexuality of the Empire, as expressed by some of its Emporers. We visit the Pleasure Palace of Claudius – what’s left of it anyway. And perhaps most relevant for LGBTQIA listeners, we explored the personal life of the Emporer Hadrian, whose peaceable reign has led to him labelled as one of the better Emporers. His love for beautiful young men, and in particular his partner Antinous is a gay love story of legend. Some contemporary gay pagans have reinvigorated the cult of Antinous which was sacred to the Roman Empire, and you can find them online.