antinous
|an-ti-nous|
/ænˈtɪnəs/
Hadrian's beloved Greek youth (deified)
Etymology
'Antinous' originates from Ancient Greek, specifically the word 'Ἀντίνοος' (Antínoos), where the prefix 'ἀντί-' (anti-) meant 'against/opposite' and 'νοῦς' (noûs) meant 'mind' or 'intellect'.
'Antinous' passed from Greek 'Ἀντίνοος' into Latin as 'Antinous' and then into English as the proper name 'Antinous', used historically to refer to Hadrian's companion and related cultic and artistic references.
Initially it was simply a personal name in Greek; over time in English it has come to refer specifically to the historical figure (Hadrian's favorite) and the cultural/artistic phenomena associated with him.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
proper noun: a Greek youth (c. 111–130) who was the beloved companion of the Roman emperor Hadrian; he was deified after his death and became the focus of a cult and many works of art.
antinous was deified after his death and became the focus of a widespread cult.
Last updated: 2025/09/05 11:22