Elagabalus Denarius.

Well I finally picked up my first coin of 2016, a nice denarius of Elagabalus. Elagabalus was not viewed favourably by Roman historians at the time. As a unbiased student of history I shall not dwell on rumors. Just kidding!!

Varius Avitus Bassianus was born in Emesa Syria to Sextus Marcellus and Julia Soaemias in 203 CE. He enjoyed the spoiled and pampered life of a member of the imperial family until 217 when his cousin Caracalla was assassinated. One must give Caracalla's killer, Macrinus, credit for not having Elagabalus and his young cousin Alexander executed after his rise to the throne. Unfortunately for Macrinus these two boys were a rallying point for opponents of his reign, and not long into 218 a legion revolted in Syria. Macrinus fought a pitched battle against Julia Maesa's forces and lost, he was eventually found and executed by agents of the Severan dynasty in southern Capadocia. Elagabalus and his entourage finally made it to Rome in the winter of 219 much to the Senate's horror.
Varius is called Elagabalus because he was a fanatical priest to the Syrian God El- Gabal. Elagabalus demanded that all temples in the Empire must worship El-Gabal and he declared that all other gods were just inferior mirrors of the one true Syrian God. This had the effect of alienating the Senate and people of Rome.
Now on to the more interesting stuff!
Homosexuality was nothing new in Ancient Rome and was for the most part generally accepted as long as you were the dominant partner. Elagabalus well....is reported to have "given himself" to those of lower birth, a big no no in Roman society. Cassius Dio reports that Elagabalus was "tickled to be called Hierocles's (his chariot driver) wife".
He married a vestal virgin with the intent to have "divine children" though the marriage did not last long. One source even said that he turned to palace into a brothel and personally "sold" himself out to the customers. Cassius Dio even writes that Elagabalus had a habit of standing nude in the doorways of the palace and purring at his guards. The histories go into more "mature" details about Elagabalus's sex life but I will just stop here.
Needless to say the Roman Senate, people, and army were not very happy with their Emperor. Things finally boiled over during a dispute about Alexander Severus's right to be Caesar (co Emperor), the Praetorians snapped and killed Elagabalus and his mother and dragged their bodies through the streets and then dumped them in the Tiber.
I finally have a decent camera so I can show you guys my Antoninianus and new denarius of the perverted Syrian Emperor!




For more on Elagabalus.
http://www.roman-empire.net/decline/elagabalus.html

http://www.ancient.eu/Elagabalus/

Please post your silver coins of Elagabalus!

 

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Cool coin!!!!!!!!!!

 

Thanks Paschka! The coin has been polished a bit but I still like it. I think it will tone nicely in a year or so.
Cheers!

 

It looks well-toned as is-- very nice!

I too have a fondness for Elagabalus and have many of his provincials and a couple of denarii:

Transporting the Sacred Stone of Emesa (full writeup and diorama here):


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

The common "Emperor sacrificing" denarius, with "horn" (bovine phallus?) headgear:


Elagabalus
AR denarius, Rome mint. Struck CE 221-222. 3.55 gm
Obv: IMP ANTONINVS PIVS AVG; laureate and draped bust right, with “horn” on forehead
Rev: SACERD DEI SOLIS ELAGAB; Elagabalus standing right, holding club and sacrificing from patera over lighted altar; star to right; faint star in left field (likely engraved and then mostly removed by grinding the field).
Ref: RIC IV 131; Thirion 302; RSC 246

 

Congrats on the new coin.

ELAGABALUS
AR Denarius
OBVERSE: IMP ANTONINVS AVG - Laureate, draped bust right
REVERSE: P M TR P III COS III P P - Jupiter seated left, holding Victory and scepter; eagle to left
Struck at Rome, 220 AD
3.2g, 18mm
RIC 27, S 7532


ELAGABALUS
AR Denarius
OBVERSE: IMP CAES ANTONINVS AVG, radiate draped bust right
REVERSE: SALVS ANTONINI AVG, Salus standing right, feeding serpent from patera
Struck at Rome, 219 AD
3.28g, 18mm
RIC 137

 

...and all before he became 20!

 

I bought myself a few denarii last year.

Elagabalus denarius
Obv:– IMP ANTONINVS PIVS AVG, laureate, horned, draped and cuirassed bust right
Rev:– INVICTVS SACERDOS AVG, Elagabalus standing holding a patera over an altar and a club. Star in left field. Bull behind the altar
Minted in Rome. A.D. 220-222
Reference– BMC 209-210. RIC 88. RSC III 61



Elagabalus denarius
Obv:– IMP ANTONINVS PIVS AVG, laureate draped and cuirassed bust right
Rev:– INVICTVS SACERDOS AVG, Elagabalus standing holding a patera over an altar and a club. Star in left field. Bull behind the altar
Minted in Rome. A.D. 220-222
Reference– BMC 209-210. RIC 88. RSC III 61b



Elagabalus denarius
Obv:– IMP ANTONINVS PIVS AVG, laureate, horned, draped and cuirassed bust right
Rev:– SVMMVS SACERDOS AVG, Elagabalus standing half-left, sacraficing over a patera over an altar and holds a branch. Star in left field
Minted in Rome. A.D. 222 onwards
Reference– BMC 232. RIC 146. RSC III 276.

Remanants of star in right field. The die having been re-engraved to place the star correctly in front of the emperor.



Elagabalus denarius
Obv:– IMP ANTONINVS PIVS AVG, laureate, horned, draped and cuirassed bust right
Rev:– INVICTVS SACERDOS AVG, Elagabalus standing holding patera over an altar and branch. Star in right field. Horn on ground to his left
Minted in Rome. A.D. 222
Reference– BMC 209 note. RIC 87 (where it is rated Common citing Cohen). RSC III 58. Cohen 58 (illustrated with star in right field) valued at 50 Fr. No examples in RD.
ex Numismatica Ars Classica NAC AG Sale 42, Lot 379, 20th November 2007, ex Barry Feirstein Collection, previously privately purchased from Harlan J. Berk.
Described as Lightly toned and good extremely fine by NAC.
21 mm. 3.11 gms. 0 degrees.

The coin would certainly seem to be scarcer than the "Common" rating given in RIC would imply. No examples in RD, only one example on acsearch (this coin). No examples on Wildwinds (the RIC 87 there would appear to be in error).



Elagabalus denarius
Obv:– ANTONINVS PIVS FEL AVG, laureate draped bust right
Rev:– CON_SVL II P P, Aequitas standing left holding scales and cornucopia
Minted in Antioch, A.D. 218-219
Reference:– RIC 167. RSC 22.

 

Nice!! => that's a sweet addition, Mag-Max (congrats)

=> yah sadly, I still only have these two silver babies (gawd, I need more coins!!)

... an AR Tet and an AR denarius ...

 

Is there an explanation for the horn or antennae that is on his head on some coins?

 

I've been trying to sort out the numismatic lore and there appears to be no definitive explanation, although someone postulated is that it is a dried bull penis. That idea seems to have taken a life of its own despite its very speculative nature.

Here's a discussion about it on Forvm, from nine years ago.

 

Hey TIF => curious, because my great grandfather was a firm believer in the dried bull penis theory and the Fibonacci series ...

coincidence??

 

Well, on Martin's third coin the curvature of the appendage in question does seem to approximate the Fibonacci sequence .

 

Dried bull penis?! Wow, now that brings back memories...

 

Nice coins, M.M. Impressive additions. Love the write-up, too. (As Always.)
Thank-you.

I only have two examples:

ELAGABALUS RIC Rome 138

AND
ELAGABALUS Varbanov Nikopolis 4080 (how anyone attributed this I do not know.)

 

As this forum's self-appointed Star Trek nerd, it is clear to me that Elagabalus was an Andorian.

Now that we've established that based on the irrefutable evidence from a single coin, knowing that he was an Andorian helps explain a lot about his character.

 

aaaaaah, that is probably a better guess than dried bull penis!!

 

I dunno, I was just getting used to the idea the horn is a dried bull penis.

 

man, I'll never get used to that, my friend

 

Now I like that!

 

Wonderful posts of Elagabalus one and all----but I'll pass on comments about the Andorian/Dried bull penis debate LOL

Since I can't seem to access my photo library with my denarius, this Billon Tet will have to suffice...