The Frame

Have you heard of Hadrian's young lover? This Roman emperor had, among others, a relationship with a boy who, alas, died at tender age.

So Hadrian decided to make him – a god. There were coins with his profile, a town named after him, countless statues, the whole show. I even stumbled upon a fourth century relief of Antinous with a cross.

The story to many is such an outrage that books are still written about the affair. I, for one, can imagine scarier versions of this romantic tale; for example, the case of the British MP who somehow managed to suffocate himself while masturbating, thus trying to increase pleasure.

But, as the cross shows, the people took to it. It is in fact interesting to examine what kind of deities people worship. Indeed unnecessary to write SF – more than enough should be to imagine the Earth estranged.

The Islamic approach was to ban images of God, but people seem to need everything from hare's foot to cathedrals. This was even noticed by the Buddha himself who decided to use idolatry and the whole range of gods and devils as practical regulatory instances.

Having evolved to the abstract level of that which according to Eliot is probably forever 'quite ineffable,' one is still left wondering whether it is not really the case that we all worship something private - even if it is so concrete like an Antinous.