Chapters
| Name | Varius Avitus Bassianus |
|---|---|
| Ruled as | Imperator Caesar Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus |
| Reign | 16 May 218 – 11 March 222 CE |
| Born | 204 CE |
| Died | 11 March 222 CE. |
Elagabalus was a Roman emperor reigning in the years 218-222 CE. The young ruler quickly gave evidence of his emotional unbalance and cruelty. His reign is considered one of the worst in Roman history; his sick ideas and controversial conduct have survived forever in ancient sources.
Origin
Elagabalus was born as Varius Avitus Bassianus around 204 CE in the city of Emesa in Syria. His father was Sextus Varius Marcellus and his mother was Julia Soaemias (daughter of Julia Maesa).
At first, his father belonged to the state of equites, but then he was promoted and became a senator. Grandmother (Julia Maesa), in turn, was the widow of the consul Julius Avitus, sister of Julia Domna and sister-in-law of Emperor Septimius Severus. His mother, in turn, was a cousin of the earlier emperor Caracalla.
The boy came from the family of high priests of the sun god Baal, called “Elah-Gabal” in the Semitic region. This deity was also referred to as Heliobagal or Elagabal. Bassjanus owed his nickname to that Syrian god. From an early age he was the priest of the sun god Baal in his hometown – Emes.
Road to power
In 217 CE, emperor Caracalla was murdered, and was taken over by the prefect of praetorians, Macrinus. Macrinus ordered Maesie, along with her daughters and grandchildren (her husband was already dead) to move to Syrian Emesa (today Hims), her hometown. There was the great sanctuary of the sun god – El Gabal, which the Greeks called Elagabalus. Macrinus thought that while away from the capital, Maesa would not have the opportunity to plot.
Upon arriving in Emesa, Maesa took care that her grandsons Avitus and Alexianus became priests at the El Gabal Temple. Herodian wrote about Avitus:
Bassianus was the chief priest of this god. (Since he was the elder of the boys, the priesthood had been entrusted to him.) He went about in barbarian dress, wearing long-sleeved purple tunics embroidered with gold which hung to his feet; robes similarly decorated with gold and purple covered his legs from hip to toe, and he wore a crown of varicolored precious gems. Bassianus, in the prime of youth, was the handsomest lad of his time. With physical beauty, bloom of youth, and splendor of attire combining to produce the same effect, the youth might well be compared to the handsome statues of Bacchus.
When Bassianus was performing his priestly duties, dancing about the altars in barbarian fashion to the music of flutes, pipes, and every kind of instrument, the natives and the soldiers watched him with more than ordinary curiosity, aware that he belonged to the imperial family. His youthful beauty attracted the eyes of all.
– Herodian, Roman History
Macrinus did not enjoy support everywhere. Bassjanus’s mother and grandmother convinced the troops stationed in the East that he was in fact the son of Caracalla, and Macrinus particularly liked the bedroom and the charms of her daughter Julia Soaemias. After Julia Maesa gave her wealth (she made a huge fortune and position at Severus’ court), the 3rd legion in Raphania (present-day Jordan) on May 16, 218 AD, the army recognized Karakalla’s “son” as a legitimate emperor and moved against the prefect. Valerius Comazon Eutychianus stood at the head of the legion. To strengthen his legitimacy, Elagabalus took the names of Caracalla: Marcus Aurelius Antoninus.
Elagabalus had no idea about command, so in the fight with a competitor to the throne Makrynus he was done by officers. However, he was credited with all the merits on the battlefield. On June 8, forces loyal to Makrynus defeated the Elagabalus army near Antioch. The defeat of Macrinus’s army was determined by his premature escape, when the fate of the battle was still weighing, which caused panic among his soldiers. Shortly afterwards, Macrinus died, killed on his way to Rome. In this situation, the Senate approved the accession to the throne of a new emperor, who took power over the Empire as Elagabalus.
The new ruler was less than 14 years old when he ascended the throne on May 16, 218 CE He was surrounded by people who either controlled him, like his grandmother and mother; influenced his decisions like many politicians; and pleaded for benefits for victories for the throne, like the commanders of legions. The boy’s psyche could not bear this load. Lost, he sought the support of a god he had until recently served. He brought from Emessa the symbolizing Baal black stone and sacrificed before him, killing sheep and cows himself. From Roman notables he demanded participation in these rites, forced senators to carry vessels full of blood and guts of sacrificial animals in processions.
