We
are still trying to figure out exactly what took place in the sky and
when, and why it was so important that it confirmed the deification of
Antinous, whether
it was a comet or a new star, a Nova in what is now the constellation
of Aquila. I lean
towards the Nova possibility, because of of the use of term "new star"
by Dio Cassius, with no reference to a comet, or "long-haired"
star...and also becaus some of th most dramatic known Nova's have been
located in the constellation Aquila, such as the Nova Aql of 1918
"Two major novae have been observed in Aquila: the first one was in 389 BC and was recorded as being as bright as Venus; the other (Nova Aquilae 1918) briefly shone brighter than
Altair, the brightest star in Aquila."
So
it is possible that there was a Nova in the year 131...and by the way,
our previous estimate of year 132 is most likely wrong...the year 131
would have been only a few months after Antinous died...and if this is
so, then the appearance of the new star would have occurred about six
months before the miraculous inundation of the Nile the following
summer. I've always wondered about the timing issue, whether or not the
constellation Aquila was actually visible in the sky at the time of
year...but it seems that it is, for about one hour before sunrise. This
is called a Heliacal rising, when the first appears above the horizon
just before sunrise, and then on each succeeding night seems to rise
higher and higher every night thereafter. This is what they mean by the
Rise of the Dog Star, which signaled the beginning of the Egyptian
calendar and which signaled the annual
flooding of the Nile. The star Sirius and Altair (which is the
brightest star in the constellation Aquila, the star traditionally
located right above Antinous's head) are on almost exactly opposite of
the night sky...yet strangely enough, they are the two brightest stars
in relatively close proximity to our Sun, part of the local group.
As
an argument for the comet: It was the chinese who recorded what is
said to have been a comet on January 29th 131. It is known that from
the point of vie of China the tail of a comet might be visible, but in
Europe, the the tail might be hidden...not sure if I understand why, but
this is what I've read, so it may be that from Hadrian's point of view,
for the brief hour or so before sunrise, all they saw was a single
point of new light in the
sky. I'm still not sure what I think about this...and also...I keep
thinking that I recall reading in Beloved and God a brief mention by
Royston Lambert that there had been a comet in the sky in the year 130
which had given rise to foreboding prophesies...but I keep trying to
find this reference and come up with nothing...if any of you can take
another look at Beloved and God and find this reference, I would be much
ingratiated. And then there is the reference that in the year before
Antinous died, that a Phoenix had been seen in Egypt, perhaps another
allusion to a comet. If a comet did in fact occur in the months before
Antinous died then it would indeed perhaps confirm the Chinese reports,
though the dates would disagree but the ancients were terrible about
recording dates so there is ever possibility that some confusion might
have taken place. A comet before his death and a new star (nova)
afterward would however be a
significant narrative of spiritual significance.
The
Star of Antinous was the proof that Antinous had indeed arisen to the
heavenly sphere...that he had taken his place among the immortal
gods...more than anything else..it was what all the disbelievers would
have required to recognize that Antinous was more than just Hadrian's
little pretty boy. It would have needed to be a very significant new
star in order to make an impact upon the general populace...it would
have needed to be an obvious sign in the sky that even an untrained
astrologer could look up and seen for themselves..it would have needed
to be as bright as Altair...there were a great many
people all over the empire who were familiar with the stars...sailors
and temple soothsayers...all of whom would have had enough familiarity
with the constellations to know if a new star had actually appeared in
the night sky for the first time. If there really had appeared a new
star for the first time, as Dio Cassius skeptically reports, then the
"experts" would have noticed it, and would have confirmed the official
reports from Hadrian's court that Antinous had arisen to godliness...and
the word of their confirmation would have spread, dispelling whatever
doubts the general, uninformed populace might have felt when the Edict
of Deification was announced.
The Star of Antinous was the mos significant event
in the formation of our religion...this is what separates Antinous from
other gay demi-gods such as Achilles and Hephestion...they were deified
in the same way and for similar reasons as Antinous, but their cults
never assumed world-wide importance or longevity...they never crossed
the line from heroism to godliness...for one basic reason...because
there was no cosmic confirmation to solidify their deification. I just
read a Spanish book about Antinous by De La Maza written in 1969 which
emphatically states that the New Star of Antinous was the most important
event that elevated Antinous to the immortal state that we recognize
him to hold to this day.
The
Star of Antinous represents the spirit of Antinous within our
heart...the Fire of Homotheosis...this is what I feel when I consider
the star of Antinous shinning inside of me.
May my light shine upon you all,
May your light shine upon me.
~Antonyus Nicius Subia
Flamen Antinoalis
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