Elagabalus: Fall of an eccentric Emperor

Elagabalus' rule was meant to end in blood. His sexual deviance was epic. He married a vestal virgin and 3 other women. He publicly displayed himself as sexually passive in open relationships with other men. He even tried marrying a man, and wore makeup and women's clothing. Rumors have it that he even tried changing his sex to that of a woman. Chances are Elagabalus was a transexual person, something the ancient world probably didn't understand in the way we do today.

His disregard for Roman religion, replacing other deities with the worship of the Elagabal stone, didn't do any favors for him either in the eyes of the Roman elite.

But we must not forget that he was also a child Emperor. Absolute power corrupts absolutely, and in the hands of a spoiled child, absolute power can also be a calamitous thing for an empire.


Bust of Elagabalus

The culprit for Elagabalus' reign, and the person who should get the blame for destroying this child by elevating him to a position of absolute power for which this boy was totally unsuited and unprepared, and in the process bringing the empire to the edge of calamity, was his grandmother Julia Maesa.


Julia Maesa

Make no mistake, Julia Maesa was a viper. When Elagabalus tore himself appart with absolute power, she conspired to kill him and also kill her own daughter. She was no cuddly grandmother, but rather an unscrupulous politician and an absolute monster.

Her next victim, Alexander Severus, barely escaped with his life due to her machinations...though he would pay with his life at a later date.

Not content with destroying one grandson, Julia Maesa thrust Alexander Severus as the replacement for Elagabalus while the former yet lived. This painted a bull's-eye on the poor boy's back, and he barely survived several assassination attempts at the hands of Elagabalus. Enough to traumatise him for life.


Alexander Severus

Failing to kill Alexander Severus, Elagabalus, for some mysterious reason leaked the news that Alexander Severus had died. This infuriated the army and made the soldiers mutinous. Trying to quell the revolt, Elagabalus produced Alexander Severus, who had to witness one more barbarity as the soldiers turned on Elagabalus and tore him and his mother limb for limb and cast the former emperor's body in the Tiber.

The reason for this post is this coin, probably minted at the end of Elagabalus' reign (judging by the facial hair). He is depicted also in the reverse offering sacrifice to Sol Elagabal.


Elagabalus
AR Denarius. 19mm, 2.55g.
Rome Mint 218-222 CE.
Obverse: IMP ANTONINVS PIVS AVG, horned, laureate and draped bust right, horn at peak of bust.
Reverse: SACERD DEI SOLIS ELAGAB, Elagabalus standing right, sacrificing over lighted altar, holding patera and club; star in right field.
RIC: 131, RSC 246.

For all the evil that can be spoken of Elagabalus, looking at this portrait it is almost hard not to feel sorry for him. He never had a chance, and in a way is as much a victim as everyone else of the machinations and political ambitions of others, mainly his grandmother.

PS: after seeking a coin of his for the better part of a year, I got me a real winner with this coin. What do you think?

Post whatever coins you think relevant to this topic.

 

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Nice write-up and excellent addition!

If ever I was to branch into another area of collecting, it would be the coinage of Elagabalus, so I was keenly interested in this thread. His is such a neglected series and badly in need of some love and new scholarship.

 

Very interesting and informative write up, as for those denarius, the two Elagabalus, are fantastic but I really love the sacrificing over the alter, both sides of the coin are exceptional, well done.

 

As a collector of architecture, I stumbled across this Elagabalus, Judea, Neapolis, 218-222 AD, 21.5mm, 10.3gm, Mount Gerizim surmounted by temple and altar, stairway to temple and colonnade below mountain.

 

that's a real nice denarius! this is the only Elagabalus coin i have, a provincial 27 mm 9.9g with Zeus sitting in reverse(1st pics better than the 2nd, but..)

 

that is a neat coin

 

Thank-you, I actualy bought that coin from Israel, it is a shame it is on a tight flan but in hand looks like dug up out of desert sand, and hard to find with enough detail.

 

Totally awesome coin, @Sallent, it is so on my list now. (As you might guess, I love this period.)

Here's my Elagabalus, slightly younger, c. 219-220. I've had this coin since 1985, it was one of my first. PROVID DEORVM Providence stg. l., holding rod and cornucopiae and leaning on column, globe at feet. RIC 130c:



And we mustn't forget his mother, Julia Soaemias. The story was circulated that she had a brief affair with Caracalla, and that Elagabalus was Caracalla's son. Soaemias was thought to be sufficiently involved with the regime to deserve death and damnatio memoriae right along with her son.

Denarius, VENVS CAELESTIS, Venus, diademed, seated l., holding apple and sceptre; at her feet, a child. RIC 243.


His first wife, Julia Paula:
Denarius, 220, Concordia seated left on throne, holding patera; star to left. RIC 211



... whom he divorced to marry Aquilia Severa, the vestal virgin Sallent mentions:
Phoenicia, Tyre. AE 29 Dichalcon (28.57 mm, 11.26 g, 12 h). A.D. 220. IVL AQVILIA SEVERA AVG, diademed draped bust right / TYR [IO] RVM , Victory walking left holding palm and placing wreath on palm tree; murex shell between. BMC p.279, 417; Rouvier in JIAN, 2401.


My Maesa. She really looks to be a kind old grandma, doesn't she?:
Denarius, Pudicitia seated left, drawing out veil from shoulder with right hand and holding sceptre in right, RIC 268.


And... well, on second thought that's probably enough. I'll spare you all my Severus Alexanders.

 

Love that top of your list leaning on a column, you guys are getting me interested in Elagabalus.

 

i plan to get all the Julias, i haven't any yet, but their coinage is a collection in itself and old granny was a powerbroker 4 sha..

 

Great post!

 

my antoninianus of him

 

Elagabalus is an interesting subject. National Geographic History magazine had a good article about him in the March/April 2016 issue. He was a bit off kilter.

 

Nice write-up @Sallent ! Here's an Elagabalus I posted a couple of months ago, a provincial AE from Berytus (modern Beirut, Lebanon) with reverse showing the satyr Marsyas in a temple:

 

who is the figure on the reverse of Julia? that may be who is on my coin and not Zeus

 

and who/what is on the reverse of Julia?

 

I agree-- Elagabalus is a fascinating character! Nice coins, everyone.

My favorite of his Imperial coins is the one depicting the parading of the sacred stone of Emesa (the batyl of El Gabal). It's a great story:

https://www.cointalk.com/threads/ancients-a-boy-and-his-stone.254886/


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

Re-creation of the reverse--a parodic diorama currently on display in my foyer-- although the potato was eaten and has been replaced with a rock



The scheming grandmother:


PHOENICIA, Tyre. Julia Maesa, Augusta
CE 218-224/5
AE 27, 12.71g (11h)
Obv: IVLIA MAE - SA AV[G] Draped bust right, wearing stephane
Rev: TVRIORVM Dido (?) standing left on deck of galley sailing right, extending right hand and holding cornucopia in left; to left, helmsman bending left over rudder (?); to right, sailor extending right hand and holding curved staff in left; stern decorated with a shield and aphlaston, [two murex shells] in exergue
Ref: CNG e320, 12 Feb. 2014, lot 323 (same dies). Rouvier 2408

The vestal virgin wife:


EGYPT, Alexandria. Aquilia Severa
year 5, CE 221/2
tetradrachm, 23.5 mm, 11.57 gm
Obv: draped bust right
Rev: head of Zeus Ammon right; L-E
Ref: Emmett 3025.5, R3; Geissen 2376; Dattari 4186

An interesting Elagabalus provincial:


PHOENICIA, Tyre. Elagabalus
CE 218-222
AE29, 13.4 gm
Obv: Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right
Rev: Dido building Carthage; she stands to front before the arched gate of the city, looking left, holding a rule and transverse sceptre; above the gate, a mason at work, [below, a man digging with pick]; murex shell in upper field, palm tree to right
Ref: Rouvier 2375; BMC 409; AUB 245; Price & Trell 748