GAMES OF ANTINOUS WINNING VIDEO SEEN BY 80,000 ON FACEBOOK

"THESE have been the most glorious Games of Antinous since they were held in ancient times," Antonius Subia said today after announcing winners of the III Antinoeiad ... the modern Games which drew submissions from artists from around the world.

"The Ancient Games were held for 300 years, and their main function was to enhance the glory of Antinous," Antonius added.

"And that is what our goal was, and these games have attracted the attention of thousands of people, many of whom had never heard of Antinous the Gay God before."

The winner of this year's games, with a winning video which was seen by 80,000 Facebook followers, is Pietro Adjano from Brazil. Pietro took part via Skype in ceremonies held at the HOLLYWOOD TEMPLE OF ANTINOUS overnight and said: "I want to take this opportunity to say how grateful I am to all the people on Facebook who clicked 'Like' on my entry."

As champion of the 2014 Games of Antinous, Pietro receives a bronze replica Greek incense tripod, a resin Antinous cameo cast by Antonius Subia plus $500 in cash.

Second-Place goes to Frater Aser Nox of Romania for his artwork depiction of Saint Sebastian as an icon for gay oppression (left). He receives a 19 cm (7 in) pewter cruet by Royal Holland, a resin Antinous cameo cast by Antonius Subia, and $250 in cash.

Third-Place honors go Dallan Chantal of Brazil for a prose "Hymn to Pan" which received the third-highest number of Likes at the ANTINOUS THE GAY GOD FACEBOOK page. His prize is a mounted 20 cm (8 in) replica Greek amphora plus a resin Antinous cameo cast by Antonius as well as $100 in cash.

"I am very honored to have taken part in these Games and to have helped spread the love of Antinous," Dallan said during the Skype ceremonies which drew in a dozen people from Hollywood to Christchurch New Zealand and from Brazil to Germany.

Those three prize-winners were among 15 artists who submitted entries. Winners were chosen on the basis of "Likes" clicked by visitors to the Antinous the Gay God Facebook page.

The awards ceremonies were only one part of the Skype proceedings, which also included ritual ceremonies in honor of the Sacred Lion Hunt during which Hadrian and Antinous slew a man-eating lion in August of the year 130 AD in Egypt.

(Photo left-to-right: Priest Hernestus in Hamburg Germany, Pietro Adjano in Curitiba Brazil, Dallan Chantal in Uberlandia Brazil.)

Also, homage was paid to the Rosy Lotus of Antinous ... the fabled pink waterlily which was said to have spring forth spontaneously from the lion's blood which splattered the banks of the Nile.

An additional high point of the evening was when Antonius unveiled the colossal bust of Antinous seen at the top of this page.

It is a plaster copy by a California bronze works atelier which was cast from a mold taken from the famous Townley Antinous in the British Museum.

This plaster bust has in the past been loaned out by the atelier to Hollywood studios for use as props in productions.

Now this exact copy of the Townley Bust has found its permanent home on the Sacred Altar of the Hollywood Temple of Antinous (shown here dwarfing a bust of the Capitoline Antinous).

Click here for Pietro Adjano's bilingual English/Portuguese hymn to Antinous which was viewed by 80,000 Facebook fans: