Death of Elagabalus, Emperor of Rome
The Romans were accustomed to the decadent lifestyles, and sexual excesses of their Emperors.
From incestuous s3x, to homos3xuality, the Roman Emperors practiced them all.
While Elagabalus’ name is not quite as notorious as that of Nero and Caligula, Elagabalus has consistently been ranked among the worst ~ and most depraved holders of the Imperial honour.
Teenage Emperor Elagabalus, shocked even the Romans.
In a society that worshipped masculinity above all, Elagabalus’s excessive feminity raised many eyebrows.
Elagabalus was born male in the year 203 AD, into the highest level of privilege in Ancient Rome.
Their brief reign occurred in the years 218-222 at the end of which they were killed.
Well known through the ages, Elagabalus lived a very short but tumultuous life.
Elagabalus loved to dress as a woman, wearing imported Chinese silk dresses, and makeup.
They depilated their body, wanting it hair free and smooth.
They would wear fake breasts, and use wigs, and offered a fortune to anyone who could remove their manhood and change them into a woman.
Elagabalus ascended the throne at fourteen, and ruled for a mere four years from 218 to 222.
They behaved like a super-rich, spoiled teenager, and led a life of extreme luxury.
Elagabalus refused to swim in a pool that wasn’t perfumed with saffron, and rested only on cushions stuffed with rabbit fur.
At one of their banquets, they ordered so many rose petals to rain over the guests, that they almost suffocated.
During their arrival in Rome, Elagabalus rode a chariot pulled by naked teenage girls.
They would amuse themselves by throwing gold in the crowd, and watching the people fight over it.
Elagabalus also had a menagerie of tamed lions and leopards that they would release during banquets.
The only purpose of this was to enjoy the screams and fear of the frightened and shocked guests!
Although Elagabalus had to marry a woman, their heart loved blonde Hierocles, a chariot racer.
Elagabalus would walk with him around Rome and call him husband.
Despite their love for Hierocles, Elagabalus was repeatedly unfaithful.
Elagabalus enjoyed being caught by Hierocles in compromising situations, and loved to be punished for their misbehaviour.
Elagabalus chained naked women to chariots like horses, and whipped them, as they pulled them around.
Elagabalus once released poisonous snakes into the audience of the gladiator games, and laughed as they watched the crowd panic.
Some of the spectators died from the poisonous bites.
Elagabalus wasn’t above tying their dinner guests to a water wheel, to watch them slowly drown.
Elagabalus married four times ~ the second marriage proved to be the most scandalous one.
In 220, Elagabalus married Aquilia Severa, who was a Vestal Virgin.
By doing so, Elagabalus broke one of Rome’s most sacred laws.
Vestal Virgins were priestesses of Vesta ~ the Roman goddess of hearth and home.
They took vows of chastity ~ if they had s3x, the Romans would bury them alive.
Unfortunately for Elagabalus, Roman society didn’t accept the transgender emperor.
Elagabalus lost the support of the Roman army and people, due to their shocking, reckless and sadistic behaviour.
On the 11th of March 222, Elagabalus went with their mother, and grandmother to the Praetorian camp.
The Praetorians booed and sneered at Elagabalus.
Angry Elagabalus ordered their exEcution.
Instead, the soldiers responded by killing Elagabalus and their mother.
They stripped their bodies naked and dragged them all over Rome. After this, they threw Elagabalus’s body into the Tiber River.
Elagabalus was eighteen years old.
After Elagabalus’s assassination, their adopted heir Severus Alexander became the new Emperor.
Severus reversed Elagabalus’ policies, and of course, banished women from the Senate…..
? The painting ‘The Roses of Heliogabalus’, where guests were nearly suffocated by rose petals ~ by Alma-Tadema 1888.
Elagabalus can be seen lounging on cushions, with a flower garland in their hair, in the bottom right of the painting.
