History, Events And Facts

A Strange Tale of Sexual Identity, Violence, & Decadence in ancient Rome : Emperor Elagabalus – properly: "Marcus Aurelius Antoninus" – was Roman emperor as a 14 year old teenager to the tender age of 18 (r. 218-222 A.D.). "Elagabalus" was a Latinization of the name of his god, "ilah al-jabal" (Arabic: "god of the mountain"), of whom he was high priest since childhood. From a prominent Arab family in Roman Syria near modern Homs, he was a cousin to Emperor Caracalla and thus a member of the Severan dynasty.  When Caracalla was murdered by a disgruntled legionary in Syria, Elagabalus' grandmother, Julia Maesa, conspired with the young scion's tutor, Gannys, to gain power. Claiming that Elagabalus was one of Caracalla's bastards by her daughter, Julia managed to rally the legions of the east behind the callow 14 year old. After a brief civil war, Elagabalus was declared emperor in May 218 A.D. Even at this early stage, the boy showe...