'Is the Roman Favorite the one known as Senator Commodus, sir?' Antinous asked.
'He is. But as you saw today, there appears to be some friction between them.'
'What is his status today in the eyes of Caesar?'
Herodes baulked at the query, but replied nevertheless.
'Privately, I believe someday Commodus will inherit the Imperium. He will be the next Caesar,' the Athenian uttered softly with barely suppressed regret. 'There's much argument about this matter in Rome, which it is not politic for us to discuss, Antinous.'
'Does Caesar love Commodus?' Antinous dared extend this line of questioning.
'Love? Hmm, it's not for me to speculate on such things. I'm unsure of the answer anyhow. In fact I sense Caesar has now become a solitary in his role as Princeps,' Herodes mused. 'To be emperor isolates a man. A ruler has no true friend, Antinous, he must be wary of all those around him. Intrigue and venality follow Caesar like his shadow.
At an earlier time the youthful Commodus brought sparkle into Caesar's busy life. The fellow can be amusing, witty, and given to wildness. But he's also notorious in his sexual exploits. He rubs them in, before Caesar's own eyes. They once shared these exploits together, I am told, but in the past few years Hadrian has retired from such diversions. He is simply too busy attending to government. You should note the fact of his solitude, Antinous. It might be important for you.'
'How so, my lord?'
'I would not dare to venture opinions on your status in Caesar's eyes,' Herodes said. 'But you have asked, so in honesty I should respond. You bring to Caesar something he sorely misses, my friend. His own youth perhaps. And his lack of a son. Yet as a man, he too needs love. Maybe these are all related phenomena? You, Antinous, express the vigor of youth's latent promise by your very being. Caesar admires vigor, energy, and intelligence.
Hadrian is infinitely sensitive and creative, Antinous. His skills with verse, his knowledge of the sciences, with engineering, with architecture, with inventive approaches to life, are very considerable. He is a great architect, did you know? Better than his own hirelings.
His solutions to the structural problems of the great dome in rebuilding The Pantheon at Rome have amazed his own architects. It is a building of exceptional elegance, equal to our own Parthenon, yet he's modestly assigned its provenance to its original builder, Marcus Agrippa, of a century ago. I think this may be because he suspects Caesar Augustus, his hero and model as Imperator, and Marcus Agrippa had been lovers in their youth. His gesture acknowledges that friendship, some say.
Hadrian is constructing a grand palace complex in the cool hills of Tibur beyond Rome. All the most inventive architectural innovations possible are being erected at the site. It will reflect all the styles of architecture depicted across the Empire. It will be the Empire in miniature.
Hadrian knows more about philosophy, mathematics, art, architecture, rhetoric, even the medical sciences and astrology, than do the leading professionals in their respective fields. He argues with them all the time. Of course he is also a formidable strategist, military commander, and leader of men. Yet he possesses a fickle temper. He can be mercurial.
Nevertheless he is unique, Antinous. His greatness is a wonder. Yet this extraordinary ruler has seen reason to endow you with his favor. This is a rare honor to be treasured, my friend, but also a token in his eyes of your own quality. You should be flattered.'
Herodes paused as the three men observed the cheery mayhem raging drunkenly all about them. Antinous proceeded deeper into his enquiries. Wine had encouraged seriousness not joviality.
'Perhaps you will advise me, Senator? Are younger ones ever permitted the dominant role with a maturer partner in your Athenian custom?' he asked cautiously. His manner was innocently frank; wine was speaking. 'We at Bithynia see no impediment to it, yet Romans do I am told.'
The Achaean noble sucked a deep intake of air.
'It has been known,' he responded ambiguously. 'But usually occurs out of sight in private.'
'Is there dishonor in it,' Antinous probed, 'for either party?' He recalled his father's sober advice of only a month earlier.
'Well, such an imbalanced relationship would draw the attention of others, I'd hazard, if it was visible,' the Athenian replied, 'and it could open the issue of the submissive partner being considered a cinaedus or malthakos regardless of how noble they may be. Yet what partners enact in their private chamber is their own affair, most would say.'
It was time for Lysias to pose a question.
'You are saying, my lord, that he who willingly accepts the submissive role is called a cinaedus, a pervert, or malthakos, soft, feminized, weak?'
Herodes was silent for a few moments. He probably realized his response could affect his potential appeal to the Bithynian. He replied carefully.
'Athenians have noted how even though a man may take the submissive role in his sexual exploits, it doesn't mean he is regarded as a cinaedus. It's his deference to his partner at that particular moment, that's all. He might respond differently on other occasions. Thoughtless people make too much of these things, especially among those obsessive sectarians deriving from Palaestina.
Besides, sex is reciprocal between people here, just as in Bithynia. A lover should ensure his partner enjoys each occasion of pleasure as much as he himself. It's a two-way thing. And each role has its satisfactions. Only prudes condemn such reciprocity.'
Herodes eyed the blond young man before him with a more intense scrutiny.
'You surely realize too, Antinous, how to be close to Caesar demands a very specific sacrifice?'
'What may that be, sir?'
'To be Caesar's friend, to be Caesar's eromenos, Antinous, means to know no other partner,' he said. 'The playfulness of the Athenians or the Bithynians is denied to such a luminary. You will be Caesar's partner exclusively. Rome's emperor does not share his intimates with others.'
Antinous mulled over this thought.
'If it is Great Caesar's choosing, I am entirely at his disposal, sir. I will be proud to walk in the footsteps of such a man.'
Herodes diplomatically shifted the subject. It was Lysias's turn.
'And you, my handsome kouros? What are your priorities, I wonder?'
Lysias balked before the question, but decided to be honest with his suitor.
'I am a second son, Herodes, needful to search for my life's opportunities and its destiny. These are my priorities.'
Antinous interrupted the discussion. He sensed his company might not be necessary for a while.
'Friends, I might leave you two to explore these deep things between you while I venture to view the heart of this mighty citadel before us,' he proposed. 'I am eager to visit this center of all things Athenian. It's been in my dreams all my life. Now here I am! Amazing!'
'Let's do it together then, Antinous. Caesar has commanded I entertain you and watch over you until he completes his duties,' Herodes volunteered sociably.
'No, I think you two have much to discuss together privately. You don't need my presence just now. I'll explore the Acropolis for a while and return to you soon. Athena's great temple awaits me. Allow me an hour. I wish to offer prayers to the spirit of this place.'
He gulped down extra swigs from the wine nozzle and wiped dribbles off his chin.
'Antinous, if you must explore, stay within sight of the guards of the City Militia. There are many undesirables and drunken fools about tonight. Some may be predators or robbers,' Herodes warned.
Antinous nodded farewell, wrapped his mantle close against the cool night air, and strode off to the sloping ramp approaching the Acropolis where dozens of revelers milled in noisy, boozy, carefree disarray.
Herodes turned to Lysias and, correctly intuiting the gesture would be welcome, lazily laid one hand on the loincloth-bound mound lying at the Bithynian's crutch. He leaned close to his ear to whisper secret words. Lysias was startled by the intimacy of his gestures, yet remained unresponsive if hopeful.