The Emperor Elagabalus

by Leonardo de Arrizabalaga y Prado

The third-century adolescent Roman emperor miscalled Elagabalus or Heliogabalus was made into myth shortly after his murder. For 1800 years since, scandalous stories relate his alleged depravity, debauchery and bloodthirsty fanaticism as High Priest of a Syrian Sun God. From these, one cannot discern anything demonstrably true about the boy or his reign. This book, drawing on the author's detailed research and publications, investigates what can truly be known about this emperor. Through careful analysis of all sources, including historiography, coins, inscriptions, papyri, sculpture and topography, it shows that there are things of which we can be sure, and others that are likely. Through these we can reassess his reign. We discover a youth, thrust by his handlers into power on false pretences, who creates his own more authentic persona as priest-emperor, but loses the struggle for survival against rivals in his family, who justify his murder with his myth.

Genres: Nonfiction

381 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2010

Reviews

[Liam Ostermann]

I haven't read this book yet but thought I would draw attention to the praise it received from Professor Harry Sidebottom in his work on Heliogabalus 'The Mad Emperor: Heliogabalus and the Decadence of Rome' which he compliments for its insights but cautions that the author takes 'idiosyncratic' line on historical evidence and truth.

I certainly hope this information may be of some use if you are thinking of reading or buying the book. Sometimes it is so difficult to know how reliable a book is, though coming from the UK Cambridge University academic press is some guarantee of seriousness, but not necessarily readability.

I hope to read the book sometime soon.

Information added June 2024.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not your typical biography, but a detailed, well researched scholarly resource that surpasses many of the previous attempts to get at the reality behind the colorful legends and exaggerations. As collector interested in the coinage of the third century A.D., I was extremely pleased to see many fascinating illustrations of coins and medallions of the reign, including some that had I had not seen in other major numismatic reference books. It is unfortunate that closer dating and arrangement of the coins illustrated wasn't attempted since most of the coins and medallions are either precisely dated with TRP and COS designations or obvious by virtue of portraiture development and reverse themes. With expert numismatists like Curtis Clay available, this could have been accomplished and the extremely valuable numismatic evidence used to supplement or refute the supposedly flawed ancient historical accounts. --- Nevertheless, I find the book to be an extremely helpful and the kind of resource I will be likely go back to for numismatic research purposes in the future. Fortunately, the coinage for the brief 3.5 year reign of Elagabalus is extremely numerous and indicative of the lavish expenditures of this ruler even compared to the already extravagant Caracalla.

[Alba M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Prado is very right to state that the real history of Varius, the timeless history of a youth asserting himself as his own person against the powerful adults in his life is much more interesting than the supposed "crimes" of Elagabalus.

[∂ · Rating 1 out of 5]

Fantastic for its collection of evidence, but flawed in its analysis of that evidence.

[E · Rating 4 out of 5]

A triumph of skeptical historiography but also a problematic book. This is not a holistic overview of the emperor known as Elegabalus—it is a deconstruction of everything we think we know about him, how it is we know it, and which of these things are verifiably or probably true. It is remarkable in its pinpoint dissection of ancient historians, of the 'Wikipedia version' of history, of the nature of truth at such a far remove.

But it essentially opens with the author's bibliography (a long list) and a suggestion to familiarize yourself with it. The book is filled with interesting threads cut short by the author saying he has discussed the point in other papers and will move on presently. This book is a companion piece. I wish it was more of a thorough overview so it stood on its own more.

But it does stand on its own, really. It has no equal in the realm of Elegabaline history, and it is recommended reading for any enthusiast of Imperial Rome thanks to its historiographical discourse. Fuck Tacitus/Suetonius/Dio/etc. Epigraphy/artifactual evidence fo lyfe.

"This book is itself an answer by example to Momigliano's questions. It adopts an epistemology and methodology based on a sceptical approach both to ancient historiography and artifacts. Each is tested for evidential value and is used to question the other. While artifacts may sometimes be evidence, historiography usually cannot, but may be used, through the study of its discourse, to frame questions to ask artefacts. Confronting historiography and artefacts, this book seeks to learn what this emperor did and underwent, when, where, and how."

[l · Rating 4 out of 5]

does what it can with the information that there is available.