The Roman emperor Hadrian set out on an eastern journey through the known world in the year one hundred thirty. In his entourage was the beautiful Bithynian boy, Antinous, his so-well-beloved companion. On October 24, Antinous drowned in the Nile. It was the sacred feast day of Osiris and it was understood in Egypt that anyone dying in the river on this day becomes a god. Hadrian, bereft at the sudden death of his lover, immediately set in motion the boy’s deification throughout the Roman Empire. 
     Did Antinous sacrifice himself for the glory and health of his Emperor? The unanswered question, always hovering, is pondered in audible silence; the forlorn echo never yielding its answer. Flutes and harps, trumpets and drums - ancient, timeless sounds - accompany festivities as the royal entourage approaches and passes along the Nile. Throughout we hear the relentless forward movement of the river, steady, constant, and  enlivening as it brings life and takes it away. Hadrian built a city on the spot where Antinous drowned. It prospered for three centuries. 
Tonight, a tourist boat sails past the scant ruins of the ancient site. A group of young men toss flowers overboard and chant, “Antinoos! Antinoos! The blossoms float on the swirling water as the boat sails past into the Egyptian night.

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