Lovers of ancient Roman royalty

Antinous, also called Antinoös, (; ; – ) was a Greek youth from Bithynia, a favourite and lover of the Roman emperor Hadrian. Following his premature death before his 20th birthday, Antinous was deified on Hadrian's orders, being worshipped in both the Greek East and Latin West, sometimes as a god () and sometimes merely as a hero ().

Roman senator and poet (43 BC – 2 BC)

Sporus (died 69 AD) was a young slave boy whom the Roman emperor Nero castrated and married during his tour of Greece in 66–67 AD, allegedly in order for him to play the role of his wife, Poppaea Sabina, who had died under uncertain circumstances the previous year, possibly during childbirth or after being assaulted by Nero.

Roman senator executed by the emperor Claudius for his affair with Valeria Messalina

Roman freedman

Saoterus (; died 182) was a Bithynian Greek freedman from Nicomedia who served as the Roman Emperor Commodus's palace chamberlain (a cubiculo). His career is sketched by Herodian, Dio Cassius and the Historia Augusta. Commodus preferred to exercise his rule through palace officials and Saoterus was the first of these; Saoterus was seen as in the Emperor's favour at the outset of his reign, as he accompanied Commodus in his chariot when he made his ceremonial entry into Rome on 22 October 180. Commodus placed him in a high position in his government, resulting in resentment from noble senatoria

freedman and tutor of the Roman emperor Nero

Mnester (; d. 48 AD) was a pantomime actor who flourished during the reigns of Roman Emperors Caligula (37 to 41 AD) and Claudius (41 to 54 AD). Caligula admired Mnester greatly. Suetonius writes that "in relation to all those who were [Caligula's] favourites, his behavior constituted madness. He used to kiss the pantomime actor Mnester even in the middle of the games. And if, when Mnester was performing, anyone made the slightest noise, he had him dragged from his seat and flogged him himself."

lover of Messalina