Italy: Silver denarius (coin) of Elagabalus (203-222 CE), 25th Roman emperor. Minted c. 218-222 CE. Photo by Gunthram (CC BY-SA 3.0 License)

Elagabalus (203-222 CE), also known as Heliogabalus, was a Syrian and a member of the Severan dynasty. Elagabalus was the grandson of Julia Maesa and cousin to Emperor Caracalla. When Caracalla was assassinated in 217 CE, Julia Maesa instigated a revolt against his killer and successor, Macrinus, championing Elagabalus as emperor. Macrinus was defeated and executed in 218 CE, and Elagabalus was proclaimed emperor at barely 14 years old.

His reign was notorious for its numerous religious controversies and sex scandals, with Elagabalus showing a marked disregard for traditional Roman religious and sexual values. He was said to have had been married as many as five times, had many male lovers, and was even reported to have prostituted himself in the imperial palace. He developed a reputation for extreme decadence, eccentricity and zealotry to the god he was named after, Elagabalus, and whom he declared the new head of the Roman pantheon.

His actions and behaviour estranged both commoner and Praetorian Guard, and after four years of rule, Elagabalus was assassinated in 222 CE at the age of 18. The plot was orchestrated by Julia Maesa, the same grandmother that had placed him on the throne, and carried out by the Praetorian Guard, with his cousin Severus Alexander replacing him as emperor. Elagabalus developed one of the worst reputations among Roman emperors in history.

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Gunthram (CC BY-SA 3.0 License)

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