Reply to Thread

Message:: [QUOTE="curtislclay, post: 7860866, member: 89514"]That the "horn" was connected with Elagabalus' religion is clear from the chronology of its appearance on the coins.  In mid-221 Elagabalus' final issue of coins began, comprising four rev. types that all showed him in Syrian priestly dress performing a sacrifice to his god: INVICTVS SACERDOS AVG, SACERD DEI SOLIS ELAGAB, SVMMVS SACERDOS AVG, and P M TR P IIII COS III P P. The "horn" made its appearance on his obv. portraits at the same time, and was probably never intentionally omitted from then until early in 222, when it was suddenly dropped from the obverses of all four of the main types, and of the additional types LIBERALITAS AVG IIII and LIBERTAS AVG, which obviously belong to 222 and the very end of the reign. I think Krengel is very probably correct with her suggestion that the "horn" was one of the objectionable attributes of the emperor's religion which he agreed to omit from the coins in his attempt to mollify the soldiers after his failed first attempt to murder his cousin Severus Alexander Caesar. So it's reasonably clear that the "horn" was connected to the emperor's religion. As to what it was, maybe you should have added a fifth choice: "Evidence insufficient, case undecided"! In any case thanks for the very interesting presentation of the possibilities.[/QUOTE]