The expression is applied to female and to male love-objects. Illustrations of the application to males [are] many, and in the Lovers of Achilles [it is] clear that it has been understood in this way. For after the Satyrs contribute something towards womanly desire, Phoinix says: "alas, you have ruined, as you see, the darling".[1] And [sc. witness also] Cratinus in Panoptai [writes]: "for you hate women; you are now turning instead to darlings".[2] But Eupolis [shows] that they also used to refer to women in this way; for someone says, about a girl piper, "personally I delight in your darling".[3] And Cratinus in Horai, when the concubine loves Dionysos who is away, says of him "blessed [is he] in darlings".[4] But not only beloveds are described by this word; no, by a metaphor [derived] from them, all who are taken very seriously are also. Plato in Phaedrus [writes]: "have you taken it seriously, Phaedrus, that I laid hands on your darling; I will quiz you."[5] That which is child-like [paidariw=des] is also called paidiko/n,[6] like something suitable to a child. For the most part the expression refers to the objects of lewd passion.
"They say that Antinoos became Hadrian's darling, and that after his premature death [Hadrian] ordered that he be honoured with statues everywhere, and that ultimately a star appeared in the sky, which he used to say was Antinoos; and Hadrian was said to gaze into the sky."[7]