On their journey through the lanes to the Agora market-place their wagon trundled past a forest of statues of Olympian gods, ancient philosophers, hardy warriors, or victorious athletes frozen dramatically in mid-action. Wall niches holding devotional figures, shrines, chapels, sanctuaries, and pillared temples graced street corners and lane intersections. The debris of candle stubs, exhausted lamps, and crumbled shards inscribed with petitions to the Fates attested to the piety of the citizens in praising their gods and their heroes.
Antinous spied the side-by-side statues of the city's much admired tyrant-killers Harmodius and Aristogiton, an eromenos and his erastes of six centuries earlier, as the wagon ambled through the Agora gateway. These ancient bronzes had been abducted to Rome by the city's conqueror Sulla two hundred years ago, but had been recently restored to the Agora on Hadrian's command. Hadrian's respect for all things Greek earned him the favor of the city's voluble population.
First impressions can be persuasive. Antinous and Lysias, guided by Thais's perceptive eye, noted how Athenians dressed themselves with more refinement than Bithynians. Except for the rabble of slaves who throng the narrow lanes, mature Athenian citizens and their matrons wore finer jewelry and fancier fabrics in brighter dyes or weaves than worn by elders at Bithynia. Even the men of Athens seemed to be fashion conscious. Respectable women, however, were fully veiled from view behind gauzes.
There were far more women in the streets going about their business than one would see at Nicomedia, let alone in conservative regional Claudiopolis. Some seemed to be without a male guardian or a watchful slave, and were garbed in a less veiled manner than other citizens.
Unaccompanied females in public are perceived a provocation at Claudiopolis. It could lead to damaged reputation, public insult, or worse. Athens seemed more relaxed with its women.
The trio even spied a few young girls of marriageable age among the throng without hair coverings to proclaim their maidenly modesty. Perhaps they were foreigners, courtesans, or common street harlots? It seemed the women of Athens were less secluded and more open to public life than their equals in the provinces, yet they also noted how women of the elites traveled in well-guarded litters carefully screened from prying eyes.
Younger males were dressed in the regular Greek chiton tunic and himation swathe, but the fabrics looked of an unusually finer weave and pleating. Even in cool March their wools or linens seemed to be weighted for summer.
They observed, too, how men wore tunics tailored to expose greater areas of body flesh. These were shorter at the thigh and tighter at the hip than would be consider decorous at Polis, and showed more of the limbs or chest line. Their hair, too, was trimmed shorter than the tousled mops and long coils worn by meirakia young men such as Antinous and Lysias at Bithynia. Their overall presentation seemed aimed to accent their comeliness.
The lads raised an eyebrow at the many men who wore jewelry of varied richness similar to their womenfolk. Rings, bracelets, armbands, earrings, neck chains and decorative collars were common. These were thought decadent at Claudiopolis. It may proclaim the demeanor of a cinaedus at Bithynia, one who seeks to attract admirers.
Quite a few such people are visible in Athens. Many younger men even painted underlines of kohl around their eyes to enhance their appearance, or powdered their faces to display a fairer complexion. Antinous and Lysias were uncertain of the seemliness of such touches, so Thais did not encourage them.
It became evident many upper-class youths were splashed with expensive perfumes from the East, which too would be unseemly in Bithynia's hinterland. Other young Athenians walked hand-in-hand with glamorously-attired ladies who were evidently not their wives but hired concubines or courtesans. Nicomedia, of course, also displays this custom due to the large numbers of sex workers who service transient sailors from around the Middle Sea.
Some Athenian youths walked similarly with male friends, possibly indicating an amorous liaison or at least an eromenos/erastes relationship, but this was so at Bithynia too.
Foreign visitors to Athens register their arrival with their national proxenos to record the purpose of their journey for the civil authorities. The current proxenos for Bithynia was Tiberius Claudius Atticus Herodes, known to all as Herodes Atticus. Besides being Athens' richest man, he was a major customer of Bithynian produce at Achaea.
However the actual welcoming officer was Herodes Atticus's eldest son, an Athenian whose name was Lucius but who too was known as Herodes Atticus.
Herodes the Younger was a striking looking and well-dressed Athenian in his mid-twenties. The group of three saw how he noted the arriving party with inordinate interest. Lysias told me some time later he sensed Herodes' eyes sizing him up intently, and he wondered at the time at his motive.
At the proxenos' office they recognized Senator Arrian with a retinue of clients, stewards, and guards. Arrian strode briskly to them as their details were being recorded by the younger Herodes.
'Welcome to Athens, masters Antinous and Lysias. On behalf of Imperator Caesar Hadrian — and myself too, of course — I extend greetings to you. We ourselves have been at Athens for the past week," he said. "The springtime festivities here are very lively.'
The boys bowed respectfully in acknowledgement and saluted. Arrian continued.
'And besides his personal welcome, Caesar has extended an invitation to you. You are to attend Caesar's entourage at the opening ceremony of the Festival of the Great Dionysia tomorrow, the tenth day of the month of Elaphebolion. Tomorrow's event honors seven hundred years of Athenian drama.
The day's itinerary includes a ceremonial procession of citizens through the city to the Temple of Dionysus on the slope of the Acropolis. After a rite of sacrifice before the image of the god, a performance of a play from the classic repertoire is to be sung at the nearby Theater of Dionysus. Thousands of the city's citizens will attend.
This will be followed in the evening by a public banquet and masked revel for all Athenians, at Caesar's expense. Each of these events is to include you both,' Arrian said with some pleasure at watching the youths' faces light up at such an attractive invitation.
'It will be our great honor to attend, my lord,' Antinous offered cheerily.
'Good. Then I will take my leave now,' Arrian continued, 'but I also wish you to join me again for private discussion this very afternoon. You are available, yes?'
This extra invitation was extended with a faintly conspiratorial air. It sounded more like a command than a invitation, the boys told me later.
'I have matters to discuss with you of some sensitivity. I bathe daily in Athens at Hadrian's New Baths erected beside the construction site of the Temple of Olympian Zeus,' Arrian said. 'I retire to the Baths each afternoon for cleansing, exercise, and reflection. Occasionally Hadrian and I do so together. It's a necessary luxury in the summer climate here. Join me today at three hours after high sun to clean up after your long journey. Mention my name at the entrance hall and you'll be guided to my private tepidarium so we can talk in peace.
Before the lads had time to bow or salute Arrian had swept away followed by his retinue.
'We will attend you there at three, sir!' Antinous called after the disappearing figure.
Thais took razor-sharp shears from the kitchen stores to hack-chop the boys' tousled heads of hair into manes of a more fashionable length. The two wished to have a similar style to the local ephebes they had seen in the streets of Athens, yet still retain a length which indicated their meirakion young adult status.