NEW PRIEST OF ANTINOUS TAKES VOWS IN LONDON TUESDAY

A new priest of Antinous will take his vows Tuesday in London following years-long training as a novice.

The investiture of British author MARTIN CAMPBELL (above in brown T-shirt) will take place in solemn ceremonies officiated by PRIEST HERNESTUS (above in black) from Germany and by KNIGHT STEPHANOS KILGORE, a founding member of the Hollywood Temple of Antinous in Los Angeles.

Martin's priestly name will be Martinus Aristotimus in honor of one of the seven earliest ancient priests of Antinous ... Aristotimus, priest of the Antinous Temple at Delphi.

Wednesday's blog entry will report on the investiture ceremony which makes Martin the fourth currently active priest of Antinous ordained by our branch of this modern-day religion.

Martin, Hernestus and Steve are in London on Tuesday also to see the historic live staging at the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology of a readers' theatre production of the world's only radio play about Antinous: THE GLASS BALL GAME 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Tuesday, February 24.

In past years the Petrie held Antinous-related lectures, art exhibits and film events to standing-room-only audiences. 

This time they are offering this unprecedented live reading of Mike Walker’s 2005 BBC radio play. 

Set in Egypt, 130 AD, "The Glass Ball Game" examines the tragic relationship between the Emperor Hadrian and the beautiful youth.

It will be performed by a cast of professional actors, with Antinous being played by British actor Adam Slynn.

The production will be performed in the PETRIE MUSEUM gallery itself, with audience and actors surrounded by one of the world's largest collections of Egyptian antiquities.

"It's a fascinating and important work, which presents an interpretation of the shadowy events leading to the untimely death and subsequent deification of the enigmatically beautiful Antinous," says JOHN J JOHNSTON, Egyptologist and director of this production.

"The lustrous and instantly identifiable image of Antinous is to be found in museums and galleries throughout the modern world, from the Renaissance onwards," Johnston says.

Seating is limited so reservations are imperative: Doors open at 6 p.m. on 24 February for the performance at the Petrie Museum and the event begins at 6:30, allowing the audience to spend some time engaging with the museum's 80,000 artefacts.  

Tickets are £10.00 and include a glass of wine upon entry. Tickets are available at EventBrite: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-glass-ball-game-play-reading-tickets-14508141241

LGBT 'OBJECTS OF DESIRE' FOCUS OF LONDON EGYPTOLOGY MUSEUM

IN celebration of LGBT History Month, the PETRIE MUSEUM in London is holding a special gay-related evening on February 26 when some of the museum's more explicit artefacts are the focus of attention.

The event, entitled "Objects of Desire," will offer an evening of discussion with artists, writers, academics and creatives, prominent in the LGBT community, each of whom has chosen an item from the collection because of the ways in which it connects with their own interests or informs their understanding of the desire in the ancient—and modern—world. 

Organiser and host for the evening, Egyptologist John J Johnston commented: “I’m very excited by the gathering of fascinating individuals I’ll be chatting to at the Petrie Museum this February.  

"In 2013 we held a similar event at the Petrie and it was enormously popular with both the audience and our contributors, so it seemed sensible to revisit the concept with different people and different objects," he said. 

"At the present time, I don’t know what they’ve each chosen, so I’m genuinely curious to see what the objects will be andwhat they’ll be saying about them in our on-stage discussions. On the last occasion, the evening was engaging, though-provoking and hugely entertaining. I think we can promise our audience a similarly thrilling event this year.”

The contributors include: David Bryher: Author of novels, short stories, and audio draamas “of and about things that are not real” Dr Nathaniel Adam Tobias Coleman – UCL Research Associate in the Philosophy of ‘Race’Rob Eagle: Documentary filmmaker and director of Having a Gay Old Time: Voices of LGBT HistoryHamish Steele: Graphic novelist and author of Pantheon: The True Story of the Egyptian DeitiesProfessor Sharon Morris: Senior lecturer at the Slade School of Fine Art and award shortlisted poetMark O'Connell: Author of Catching Bullets: Memoirs of a Bond Fan, shortlisted for a Polari Award Geoff Slack: Film and television costume designer 

Tickets are £3 including booking fee and drinks and can be booked via https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/objects-of-desire-tickets-14508398009

LONDON MUSEUM HOSTS A PLAY ABOUT ANTINOUS ON FEBRUARY 24

IT's LGBT History Month in London and our friends at the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology are outdoing themselves this year by staging a readers' theatre production of the world's only radio play about Antinous: THE GLASS BALL GAME 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. February 24.

In past years the Petrie held Antinous-related lectures, art exhibits and film events to standing-room-only audiences. 

This time they are offering this unprecedented live reading of Mike Walker’s 2005 BBC radio play. 

Set in Egypt, 130 AD, "The Glass Ball Game" examines the tragic relationship between the Emperor Hadrian and the beautiful youth. 

It will be performed by a cast of professional actors, with Antinous being played by British actor Adam Slynn (right).

The production will be performed in the PETRIE MUSEUM gallery itself, with audience and actors surrounded by one of the world's largest collections of Egyptian antiquities.

"It's a fascinating and important work, which presents an interpretation of the shadowy events leading to the untimely death and subsequent deification of the enigmatically beautiful Antinous," says JOHN J JOHNSTON, Egyptologist and director of this production.

"The lustrous and instantly identifiable image of Antinous is to be found in museums and galleries throughout the modern world, from the Renaissance onwards," Johnston says.

"Antinous is surprisingly rarely represented in drama, so this production of Mike Walker’s thought-provoking drama is something of a first, not only for the Petrie but also in the popular reception of Antinous," adds Johnston, who lectures frequently on Antinous and his continuing influence on art, literature and LGBT people throughout the ages. 

"Although we’ve presented drama and comedy in the Petrie Museum previously, I was keen to bring this radio into the unique space offered by the Petrie, whilst still paying appropriate homage to its radio origins," says Johnston (left with the famous "Berlin Head"). 

"I’ve been delighted by the commitment and dedication of our cast who fully inhabit the historical characters they portray. I’m also particularly delighted to be able to welcome Mike Walker, the play’s author, onto the stage after the performance, for a discussion of his researches and inspiration. It should be a fascinating and thrilling evening."

Seating is limited so reservations are imperative: Doors open at 6 p.m. on 24 February for the performance at the Petrie Museum and the event begins at 6:30, allowing the audience to spend some time engaging with the museum's 80,000 artefacts.  

Tickets are £10.00 and include a glass of wine upon entry.

Tickets are available at EventBrite: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-glass-ball-game-play-reading-tickets-14508141241

The performance will be followed by a discussion between the playwright, Mike Walker, and Egyptologist, John J Johnston. Contact:  

020 7679 4138 | events.petrie@ucl.ac.uk

THE GLASS BALL GAME 

by Mike W Walker

Cast:

Antinous – Adam Slynn

Hadrian – Alex Blake

Suetonius – Jack Baldwin

Sabina – Becky Pennick 

Julia – Melkorka Oskarsdottir

Pachrates – Jim Scott.

PUT ON YOUR PITH HELMET FOR THIS EGYPTOLOGICAL WALKING TOUR

DUST and sand blew north from the Sahara this week to create the worst pollution London has seen in years ... and the best conditions for taking this marvelous Egyptological walking tour.

Put on your pith helmet and join Egyptologist John J Johnston as he takes you around the regular haunts of Professor Sir William Matthew Flinders Petrie and his fascinating academic circle during the 'Golden Age' of British Egyptology.

It is sponsored by the FRIENDS OF THE PETRIE MUSEUM OF EGYPTIAN ARCHAEOLOGY, one of our favourite London museums. Click on the embedded link for details.

He will introduce you to tales of the Egyptologists who lived and worked in Bloomsbury between 1882 and 1933. 

Johnston is one of the leading authorities on Antinous as well as being an acclaimed expert on Hammer Studios mummy movies.

You may have seen him in DVD Extra Features on special edition movie movie releases.

He also wrote the introduction to a highly praised new book entitled "The Book of the Dead" which addresses the most fascinating of all the undead: the mummy. 

The mummy can be a figure of imperial dignity or one of shambling terror, at home in pulp adventure, contemporary drama, or apocalyptic horror. 

The anthology was published in collaboration with the Egypt Exploration Society, the UK's oldest independent funder of archaeological fieldwork and research in Egypt, dedicated to the promotion and understanding of ancient Egyptian history and culture. 

This anthology includes nineteen original stories of revenge, romance, monsters and mayhem, ranging freely across time periods, genres and styles. The stories are illustrated by Garen Ewing, creator of The Adventures of Julius Chancer and introduced by our faithful friend John J. Johnston, Vice Chair of the Egypt Exploration Society. 

Join him on this weekend's Saharan walking tour ... tell John Antinous the Gay God sent you!

MEET ANTINOUS IN LONDON DURING GAY HISTORY MONTH

ONE of the world's leading authorities on Antinous will discuss the latest research discoveries and insights into the Beauteous Boy during a popular lecture as part of London Gay History Month tomorrow, February 24th.

John J Johnston will give the lecture, entitled "A Boy and His Empire: Antinous — Last God of the Ancient World", on February 24th at the TREADWELL'S esoteric and occult book shop located at  33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London, WC1E 7BS.

Seating is exceedingly limited, so it is advisable to contact the store by CLICKING HERE.

Johnston, shown above with the famous Berlin Green Head, is well known for giving lectures which offer a very thorough and precise outline of the historical person Antinous and his elevation by the Emperor Hadrian from provincial obscurity to the dizzying heights of Imperial Rome — and upon his death, to the celestial realm of divinity. 

He has spoken on the subject of Antinous twice at the renowned Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, drawing standing-room-only crowds each time.

This lavishly illustrated lecture draws upon artistic, archaeological, and textual sources to examine the enigmatic life and death of Antinous, before going on to consider his religious and artistic legacy throughout the Roman world and his continuing influence in the modern world from his adoration by Johann Joachim Winckelmann, the father of art history, through the works of Victorian artists and writers, and into the 21st Century where Antinous and his image have provided the basis for numerous "blockbuster" exhibitions in museums and galleries throughout the world and continue to inspire artists, writers and film-makers.
 
Bringing the discussion right up-to-date, he will also be addressing our own Priesthood of Antinous and the online TEMPLE OF ANTINOUS as exemplars of Antinous' influence on modern popular culture.

Recently, he presented a conference paper focused upon the effect of Antinous upon western gay culture, entitled The Cult of Antinous: 1,882 Years and Counting?
  
John J Johnston is Vice-Chair of the Egypt Exploration Society and serves on the Committee of the Friends of the Petrie Museum. He has lectured extensively at institutions such as the British Museum, the National Museum of Scotland, the Royal College of Surgeons and the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek in Copenhagen. 

His varied research interests encompass mortuary beliefs and practices, gender and sexuality, Hellenistic and Roman Egypt, the history of Egyptology and the reception of ancient Egypt in the modern world. 

He is co-editor of the book, Narratives of Egypt and the Ancient Near East: Literary Linguistic Approaches (Peeters, 2011). He is presently editing two further publications and sits on the Editorial Board of Egyptian Archaeology magazine.

John J Johnston read Egyptology and Classics at the University of Liverpool and Open University, respectively. He obtained an MA in  Egyptian Archaeology from University College London, where he is  currently reading for a PhD.

DEFINING DESIRE: LABELS AND SEX IN ANCIENT TIMES

A leading authority on Antinous will chair an evening of discussions on sex in ancient civilizations as part of Gay History Month in London tomorrow evening.

John J. Johnston chairs the event exploring how sexuality has been classified or not, including a presentation on "Sex and History: Talking sex with objects from the past" project by Jennifer Grove (University of Exeter) and "Queer Time Capsules" by Tim Redfern / Timberlina.

"I will be starting off with a presentation on sexualities in the ancient world before chairing a series of presentations and a discussion and in addition to those knowledgeable and eclectic participants mentioned in the blurb above," John told us. 

"We'll also have a contribution from the rather fabulous Fern Riddell of King's College London, who specialises in sexuality during the Victorian era. I think it will be a thought-provoking and entertaining evening," he added. 

The evening is part of the University College of London (UCL) Diversity Month and LGBT History Month http://www.ucl.ac.uk/museums/whats-on.

Date: 20 February | Time: 6-8pm | Location: G6 Lecture Theatre, Institute of Archaeology, UCL, Gordon Square | Price: Free. Booking essential via https://definingdesire.eventbrite.co.uk 

ANTINOUS EXPERT SPEAKS IN LONDON

ON LATEST RESEARCH FINDINGS

ONE of the world's leading authorities on Antinous will discuss the latest research discoveries and insights into the Beauteous Boy during a popular lecture in London tomorrow, October 24th.

John J Johnston will give the lecture, entitled "A Boy and His Empire: Antinous — Last God of the Ancient World", on October 24th at the IT'S ALL GREEK gallery and emporium located at  65 Great Russell Street, London, WC1B 3BL.

Seating is exceedingly limited, so it is advisable to contact the store's owner, the delightful Elinor Wynne Lloyd by emailing her via hello@itsallgreek.co.uk.

Johnston, shown above with the famous Berlin Green Head, is well known for giving lectures which offer a very thorough and precise outline of the historical person Antinous and his elevation by the Emperor Hadrian from provincial obscurity to the dizzying heights of Imperial Rome — and upon his death, to the celestial realm of divinity. 

He has spoken on the subject of Antinous twice at the renowned Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, drawing standing-room-only crowds each time.

This lavishly illustrated lecture draws upon artistic, archaeological, and textual sources to examine the enigmatic life and death of Antinous, before going on to consider his religious and artistic legacy throughout the Roman world and his continuing influence in the modern world from his adoration by Johann Joachim Winckelmann, the father of art history, through the works of Victorian artists and writers, and into the 21st Century where Antinous and his image have provided the basis for numerous "blockbuster" exhibitions in museums and galleries throughout the world and continue to inspire artists, writers and film-makers.
 
Bringing the discussion right up-to-date, he will also be addressing our own Priesthood of Antinous and the online TEMPLE OF ANTINOUS as exemplars of Antinous' influence on modern popular culture.

Earlier this year, he presented a conference paper focused upon the effect of Antinous upon western gay culture, entitled The Cult of Antinous: 1,882 Years and Counting?
  
John J Johnston is Vice-Chair of the Egypt Exploration Society and serves on the Committee of the Friends of the Petrie Museum. He has lectured extensively at institutions such as the British Museum, the National Museum of Scotland, the Royal College of Surgeons and the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek in Copenhagen. 

His varied research interests encompass mortuary beliefs and practices, gender and sexuality, Hellenistic and Roman Egypt, the history of Egyptology and the reception of ancient Egypt in the modern world. 

He is co-editor of the book, Narratives of Egypt and the Ancient Near East: Literary Linguistic Approaches (Peeters, 2011). He is presently editing two further publications and sits on the Editorial Board of Egyptian Archaeology magazine.

John J Johnston read Egyptology and Classics at the University of Liverpool and Open University, respectively. He obtained an MA in Egyptian Archaeology from University College London, where he is currently reading for a PhD.



 

ANTINOUS EXPERT SPEAKS IN LONDON

ON LATEST RESEARCH FINDINGS

ONE of the world's leading authorities on Antinous will discuss the latest research discoveries and insights into the Beauteous Boy during a popular lecture in London on October 24th.

 John J Johnston will give the lecture, entitled "A Boy and His Empire: Antinous — Last God of the Ancient World", on October 24th at the IT'S ALL GREEK gallery and emporium located at  65 Great Russell Street, London, WC1B 3BL.

Seating is exceedingly limited, so it is advisable to reserve tickets well in advance from the store's owner, the delightful Elinor Wynne Lloyd, by emailing her via hello@itsallgreek.co.uk.

Johnston, shown above with the famous Berlin Green Head, is well known for giving lectures which offer a very thorough and precise outline of the historical person Antinous and his elevation by the Emperor Hadrian from provincial obscurity to the dizzying heights of Imperial Rome — and upon his death, to the celestial realm of divinity. 

He has spoken on the subject of Antinous twice at the renowned Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, drawing standing-room-only crowds each time.

This lavishly illustrated lecture draws upon artistic, archaeological, and textual sources to examine the enigmatic life and death of Antinous, before going on to consider his religious and artistic legacy throughout the Roman world and his continuing influence in the modern world from his adoration by Johann Joachim Winckelmann, the father of art history, through the works of Victorian artists and writers, and into the 21st Century where Antinous and his image have provided the basis for numerous "blockbuster" exhibitions in museums and galleries throughout the world and continue to inspire artists, writers and film-makers.
 
Bringing the discussion right up-to-date, he will also be addressing our own Priesthood of Antinous and the online TEMPLE OF ANTINOUS as exemplars of Antinous' influence on modern popular culture.

Earlier this year, he presented a conference paper focused upon the effect of Antinous upon western gay culture, entitled The Cult of Antinous: 1,882 Years and Counting?
  
John J Johnston is Vice-Chair of the Egypt Exploration Society and serves on the Committee of the Friends of the Petrie Museum. He has lectured extensively at institutions such as the British Museum, the National Museum of Scotland, the Royal College of Surgeons and the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek in Copenhagen. 

His varied research interests encompass mortuary beliefs and practices, gender and sexuality, Hellenistic and Roman Egypt, the history of Egyptology and the reception of ancient Egypt in the modern world. 

He is co-editor of the book, Narratives of Egypt and the Ancient Near East: Literary Linguistic Approaches (Peeters, 2011). He is presently editing two further publications and sits on the Editorial Board of Egyptian Archaeology magazine.

John J Johnston read Egyptology and Classics at the University of Liverpool and Open University, respectively. He obtained an MA in Egyptian Archaeology from University College London, where he is currently reading for a PhD.