The statue of Antinous is the one I like the most in the museum. Maybe due to of the beauty of the boy's face or due to the mystery surrounding his death.

Antinous was a friend and a lover of the emperor Hadrian. It is said that from the age of 12 Antinous was part of the emperor's household. He used to travel along with Hadrian and during their stay in Egypt he fell into Nile and died. Hadrian commissioned statues of Antinous to be erected all round the Roman Empire, which explains why we find in Delphi this statue, dating back to the 2nd century AD.

Emperor Hadrian has fallen in love with this beautiful boy that used to be his slave. They became lovers and the emperor wanted always to be together with his friend. This is why Antinous accompanied him during the long trips he made inside the Roman Empire. The death of the 21-year-old Antinous, who was an excellent athlete and hunter, but also intelligent and handsome, raised a lot of questions. The are three scenarios about Antinous' death; some believe that by accident he fell in Nile and drowned. Others claim that he was murderd by opponents of Hadrian. And it is also said that he committed suicide to save Hadrian from death. According to an oracle emperor Handrian would die, unless another man deliberately died in his shoes. After his death the emperor, to honor him, founded the town of Antinopolis on the spot the dead body of the former slave and friend of him was found. Not only that, but he also declared Antinous as a god and commanded the creation of his statues all over the empire. Therefore it is logical that a statue of Antinous is found in Delphi, which still played an important role at the time.