To Antinous Imperator Pacis

Emperor of Peace we hail you, Antinous,

victorious in the heavens and in the depths,

lord of the living and the dead. Not, like

Hadrian, commander in chief of armies,

not the hero in war, though hero you are,

and fighter in need, wielder of the spear

in defense of your people. You are the ruler

of a city whose center is everywhere, whose

four walls form an obelisk, and whose crown

is friendship. Where you rule, Mars never

rides forth to conquer; Bacchus is always

welcome within the city gates, and galloi

and megabyzoi walk freely in the streets,

their ways and their gods respected. There,

where love freely chooses its object, children

are cherished, and women respected, as friend

and sister no less than consort and mother.

Jews and Greeks, Romans and Egyptians,

Germans and Celts, and all of us their children,

scattered around the globe, can gather

in your city to live and to work, to buy and to sell,

to teach and to learn, to worship and to feast.

O Antinous, Imperator Pacis, soon may your reign

spread abroad on earth, soon may your peace

grow bonds of friendship between strangers,

soon may your people find a place where

they can gather, led by your star, defended

by your spear, and governed only by your love.