Such a bittersweet story.  Emperor Hadrian apparently was openly gay and had a gorgeous commoner boyfriend, Antinous. They were a happy couple for many years till one night Antinous, still just in his 20’s, was murdered. A grieving Hadrian commissioned statues of Antinous and had them placed all over the empire as a tribute to his love. OK, so that’s the abbreviated version. You’ll see and read more about this ancient love story in future posts.