Featured [ancients] A Boy and His Stone

Elagabalus, reigned 218-222 CE. AR denarius, 19.4 mm, 3.5 gm. Struck 218-219 CE, Antioch. ANTONINVS PIVS FEL AVG, Laureate draped cuirassed bust right / SANCT DEO SOLI / ELAGABAL, Quadriga right, bearing sacred Baetyl stone, flanked by four parasols. RIC IV 195, Antioch.

Varius Ativus Bassianus is an interesting character in the colorful Severan Dynasty. Born to the niece of Julia Domna and possibly sired by Domna's son Caracalla, the emperor we now call Elagabalus was known to Romans as Caesar Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus.

So... if the rumors are true, Elagabalus and Severus Alexander are half brothers rather than cousins; the father is their first cousin, once removed. By adoption, Severus Alexander also became the son of Elagabalus. Then Elagabalus tried to kill his son. Don't you feel better about your weird family now?

The history of Elagabalus is difficult to discern. The three primary sources of information on his life and reign are overtly biased*, written in a subsequent century, or both. Naturally, the most lurid version of his life is the one which has stuck even though it is likely extremely exaggerated if not downright false.

Despite reading various historical accounts and modern accounts I can't quite get a handle on this boy. And boy he was... he became emperor at the age of fourteen.

Here's how it happened, in a nutshell.

Caracalla was murdered. Macrinus usurped the throne. The Severan women were banished to Emesa. They missed their power and lifestyle and cleverly conspired to bring Bassianus to the throne. Macrinus didn't last long once these ladies set their minds to the task. He ruled for a year and by all accounts was not well liked, especially by the troops. They wanted their dear Caracalla, who despite being generally known for his cruelty was apparently adored by the army. Macrinus cut their pay and kept them out in the cold and barren fields. (Bad move, Macrinus.)

Once deciding to bring Soaemia's son to the throne, Julia Maesa made a big show of Varius Ativus Bassianus's hereditary claim to the title of High Priest of Elagabal.

El-Gabal (Heliogabal) was the Sun God-- a powerful Syrian deity although not popular in Rome. By all accounts Bassianus took to the role with great zeal, staging sacrifices and dances regularly. He was also reportedly a beautiful boy. The masses-- including the disgruntled troops who were uncomfortably encamped in the area-- were mesmerized by his worship services.

El-Gabal's sacred object was a large conical black stone, likely a meteorite. Bassianus was completely and utterly devoted to this Sacred Stone of Emesa. He was utterly devoted to everything about this religion, which became the driving force behind all of his decisions and ultimately, became his downfall.

The overthrow of Macrinus was actually fairly quiet. With the Severan woman manipulating everything behind the scene, the troops and population around Emesa accepted this special boy as their ruler. Having won over the army-- in part because of the rumor that Bassianus was Caracalla's son-- they troops wholeheartedly named Bassianus their new emperor in June of 218. When Macrinus understood that his days were numbered, he simply donned a disguise and fled Rome. Eventually he was found and killed.

Bassinus, now called Antonine, continued a slow procession towards Rome, Sacred Stone in tow. Once in Rome he began a quest to make El-Gabal the one and only god of Rome. Romans didn't care much for that. Antonine's religious antics grew more elaborate and more bizarre. At one point, he decided that his god should be married.

Somehow this plan seemed logical to him: divorce his first wife Julia Paula, marry a Vestal Virgin, and at the same time "marry" his Sacred Stone to a statue of Minerva (taken from the Temple of Vesta). It was scandalous. Despite the outcry he did marry Vestal Virgin Aquila Severa but he had to settle on a different wife for his Stone-- Urania, daughter of Zeus.

He constructed a grandiose temple for his Stone, the Elagabalium. It wasn't enough though so a second "summer home" was constructed. Twice a year Antonine ceremoniously transported his Stone from one home to the other, dressed in Syrian priest finery and jewels. He was so enraptured by the earthly manifestation of his sun god that he walked backwards the entire way so that he might constantly gaze upon his god.

Julias Maesa and Soaemias grossly underestimated their ability to control young Antonine. Eventually they realized he must go. They began plotting to make his cousin (half brother?) Alexianus emperor.

Skipping past all of those events... eventually they succeeded but Soaemias was killed along with Antonine.

*Primary sources for the history of Elagabalus:
History of the Roman Empire since the Death of Marcus Aurelius (Herodian)
Cassius Dio
Historia Augusta
A secondary source used for this summary is the modern book by John Stuart Hay, The Amazing Emperor Elagabalus (2014)

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Okay, I hear you saying "What about the depravity? The lurid tales??". I've summarized them below. These stories are from unreliable historians and are likely gross exaggerations or even complete fabrications. It does seem likely that Elagabalus was homosexual, but that's not particularly newsworthy, except in ancient Rome there were certain "rules" about same-sex sex. A man of Elagabalus's social status was not supposed to be on the receiving end of gay sex. Apparently he didn't care about that rule book

• He cut the genitals off small children and sacrificed the parts to El-Gabal
• He dressed like a woman, makeup and all, and pretended to be the Roman equivalent of a hooker, beckoning men to have sex with him
• He built public baths for the sole purpose of finding lovers
• He had servants scour the baths for particularly well-endowed men to better satisfy his sexual needs
• He appointed low-born people to high offices without regard to ability or birth. This was done in exchange for sexual favors

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Dramatic reenactment: Elagabalus transporting of the Sacred Stone of Emesa





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Bring on your coins of Antoninus, High Priest of El-Gabal! Let's see your meteorites too!!

 

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Yeah, he sounded like he would have been a fun person

He'd fit well in West Hollywood or Disneyland.

Definitely the best kind of coin to own of his. Congrats.

 

Well, you summarized him very well. Except his psychiatrist told him it was his parent's and the government's fault!

 

I have several nice meteorites including this wonderful specimen from the spectacular meteoroid which caused such a stir in Russia last year. I was going to use this for the diorama but it was comically small in the toy shopping cart. The starring role went instead to a potato

Witnessed fall meteorite, February 15, 2013. Chelyabinsk, Russia. LL5 chondrite, 48.4 gm. Whole specimen with fusion crust.

 

Please note the error in the reconstruction. The eagle belongs on the potato itself, not on the shopping cart. Otherwise this is a great post on a wonderful coin. I always wanted one of these but I'm too cheap to buy one.

 

Duly noted and I regret the historical inaccuracy.

 

I must say your dramatic reenactment really brings the ancient world to life.

 

Heh, I was wondering why that meteorite looked suspiciously like a potato...
Fantastic coin and writeup!

My Elagabalus from Thessalonica looks like it was either part of a meteorite or hit by one.

 

Wow, unbelievable!! => it's just like I was actually there!! (amazingly life-like reinactment, my wonderful coin-princess!!) ... ummm, is that Bart Simpson and the My Little Pony gang? (great supporting actors!!)



Oh, but oh my God => that is a very cool coin, my coin-friend (super jealous about that bad-boy!!)

I only have one example with this cool type o' theme ... I love it!! (great coin, TIF)

Phoenicia, Sidon. AE-23
Year 227 (AD 116-117)
Diameter: 23 mm
Weight: 10.56 grams
Obverse: Turreted, draped and veiled bust of Tyche right, aphlastron behind, star before
Reverse: Car of Astarte, baetyl within, date ZKS below

 

Yep, starring Bart Simpson as Elagabalus, with various My Little Pony figures pulling the chariot shopping cart. The ponies all have names but you'll have to research that yourself. Or if you are a Brony, you probably already know their names.

You know I want one of those.

 

TIF just love these posts! Informative with lots of humor.

 

Another shot of the diorama. (Sorry Doug, I still haven't moved the eagle )

 

Cool, where can I find an ancient coin with ponies and a potato on them?

Anyway, I see some amazing details on that coin. And good write up, I learn more history here than reading the back of cereal boxes.

 

i hereby present this to TIF..



here are a couple of my fav elagabalus coins..

 

I am honored, chrsmat. I will print it out and add it to my CV

 

Great post and coin! ^_^

 

I agree, that was highly informative. Thank you very much.

 

Absolutely fantastic - the information and entertainment value of your posts never falters! Elagabartlus is a fitting character in many ways and your diorama may even be taken as fact by historians in a few millennia!

 

Awesome post! Funny diorama and great coin!