Giacinto

Speranza

The link between Giacinto and Apollo is twofold.

First, there is a deep equivalence bewteen Giacinto and Apollo, for this god is the "kouros" par excellence, like his pupil defined by this resplendent ephebe's beauty and splendid head of hair.

Second, since the erastes-eromenos relationship is TEMPORARY, there comes a moment -- that of the initiatory ceremony itself -- when the eromenos is transformed into an erastes, whereupon Giacinto, and all the Spartans who resemble him, play the role that had previously been Apollo's.