HADRIAN IN APOLLINOPOLIS THE EDFU TEMPLE OF HORUS By Our Flamen Antinoalis Antonius Subia

AT the end of December 130 the court arrived at the sacred Egyptian city of Horus once known as Behdet, but later called Apollinopolis by the Greeks, because they equated Horus with Apollo, it is now called Edfu.

The Temple of Horus is one of the only surviving ancient pagan temples in the world. 

Apollinopolis is the sacred place where Horus defeated his great rival god Seth.

(Photos by Antonius Subia.) 

Among the many contests between Horus and Seth included one in which Seth tried to have anal sex with Horus and ejaculate inside him.

But Horus tricked Seth into ejaculating in his hand and then flung the sperm into the Nile. 

Then later Horus ejaculated onto lettuce and fed the salad to Seth who consumed the sperm and lost the contest.

The site of Apollinopolis was where Horus defeated Seth and became ruler of the cosmos and the divine model for the Kings of Egypt.

A ritual called the Feast of Victory was celebrated there at about the time of the December solstice.

Hadrian took part as Emperor-Pharaoh in the event, which was celebrated as a mystery play with high priests playing the roles of Horus and other gods.

Sabina took part as Empress taking on the form Isis.

The ceremony commemorated the victory of Horus with a ritual slaying of a Hippopotamus which represented Seth.

Throughout the ceremony Hadrian had to maintain perfect calm even though he was still deeply affected and mourning the recent loss of Antinous.

And he may have been terrified that the ferocious animal might break its chains and attack.

But a crowd was watching, some probably hoping he would lose his nerve. 

But everything proceeded as intended. Hadrian cast a harpoon into the beast from a boat on the sacred lake and the ceremony was deemed a success. 

The Lord of Darkness had been defeated, the New Sun God was restored, and Hadrian was proclaimed the incarnation of Horus.

As the ceremony concluded his thoughts and prayers were for Antinous and the spiritual dangers he must face on the ascent to immortality.

At this moment Antinous is ascending to the celestial sphere, passing through pylons, facing 72 archons, overcoming the adversaries with his divine power of Homotheosis.

Ave Antinous!

~ ANTONIUS SUBIA