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Full Description
Elagabalus was one of the most notorious of Rome's 'bad emperors': a sexually-depraved and eccentric hedonist who in his short and riotous reign made unprecedented changes to Roman state religion and defied all taboos. An oriental boy-priest from Syria - aged just fourteen when he was elevated to power in 218 CE - he placed the sun god El-Gabal at the head of the established Roman pantheon, engaged in orgiastic rituals, took male and female lovers, wore feminine dress and was alleged to have prostituted himself in taverns and even inside the imperial palace. Since his assassination by the Praetorian Guard at the age of eighteen, Elagabalus has been an object of fascination to historians and a source of inspiration for artists and writers. This immensely readable book examines the life of one of the Roman Empire's most colourful figures, and charts the many guises of his legacy: from evil tyrant to firebrand rebel, from mystical androgyne to modern gay teenager, from decadent sensualist to ancient pop star.
Contents
Introduction
Chapter 1: The boy on the throne
Chapter 2: The child priest from Emesa
Chapter 3: The invincible priest-emperor
Chapter 4: The rejected ruler
Chapter 5: The evil tyrant
Chapter 6: The decadent emperor
Chapter 7: The modern prince
Epilogue
The Nachleben of Elagabalus in art and literature: an overview
Severan family tree
Notes
Select bibliography
Index
