Reign of 14-year-old Heliogabalus in Rome. Heliogabalus, Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Bassianus. Relationship with religion
Roman emperor from the Severan dynasty from June 218
Biography
On his father's side, Antoninus Heliogabalus belonged to the Syrian aristocratic family of Variev and was called Bassian Varius Avitus from birth. His great-grandfather, grandfather and father were priests of the Phoenician sun god Ela-Gabala, patron of Emesa. On his mother’s side, Bassian was related to the imperial family: his grandmother, Julia Mesa, was the sister of Julia Domna, wife of Emperor Septimius Severus and mother of Caracalla. But perhaps his connection with the Sever family was even closer and more direct: the mother of the future emperor, Julia Soemia, in her youth had a love affair with Caracalla, and they said that her son was born precisely from the younger Sever, and not from her legal spouse (Lampridius : "Antoninus Heliogabalus").
After the death of Caracalla, when Macrinus ascended the throne, Soemia and his mother and sister, Julia Mamaea, settled in Emesa. Here the son of Soemia was initiated into the chief priesthood of the Phoenician sun god, Ela-Gabala. The emperor himself became known under the name of this god (where “el” - the Semitic “god” - due to false etymology was often replaced by the Greek “helios” - sun), although he did not officially bear such a name.
Governing body
The handsome boy in magnificent priestly attire was liked by the Syrian legions, and thanks to the gold and intrigues of his grandmother, he was proclaimed emperor by them under the name Caesar Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus at the age of fourteen. After defeating Macrinus' general Julian and then Macrinus himself, Heliogabalus headed to Rome. On the way to the capital, he already showed his autocracy - the result of his upbringing in the spirit of eastern despotism: without waiting for a Senate decision, he accepted the titles of Pius Felix Proconsul tribunicia potestate.
The Senate under him was completely humiliated by the inclusion of a mass of immigrants from Asia into its composition; magistracy became the property of actors, freedmen and servants.
The official Roman religion was dealt a strong blow by the introduction of the cult of the Syrian solar god, in whose honor a temple was built on the Palatine. The most sacred objects for the Romans were collected here: palladium, ancilia (shields of the Salians), the fire of Vesta, which now had to recede into the background in front of the image of the black stone, denoting the solar god. Here the emperor, who called himself sacerdos amplissimus dei invicti Solis Elagabali, performed divine services every day, in Syrian costume, with drawn eyes and eyebrows, with whitened and rouged cheeks, in the presence of all the officials of Rome. In conclusion, the emperor performed a sacred dance to the accompaniment of instruments and the singing of choirs of girls, who accompanied the hymns with orgiastic body movements and twirling around the altars. Not content with ordinary religious ceremonies, Heliogabalus arranged a solemn wedding of his god with the goddess Tanita (Astarte) brought from Carthage. The emperor's personal life was pure debauchery: he boasted that not a single corrupt woman had as many lovers as he did. Of the lovers of Heliogabalus, Roman historians especially note Hierocles and Zotikos, who, moreover, had a strong influence on him. However, the most terrible aspect of Heliogabalus' reign was the human sacrifices that were made throughout Italy.
Death
The madness of the young emperor forced Julia Maesa to think about transferring the throne to her second grandson, Alexian Bassian, the son of Julia Mamea, who, due to his Greco-Roman upbringing, as well as his high level of education, was the complete opposite of Heliogabalus. Julia Mesa ensured that he was made Caesar and co-ruler under the name Alexander Severus. When Heliogabalus tried to destroy his cousin, the soldiers mutinied against the emperor and killed him and his mother. The corpse of Heliogabalus was thrown into the Tiber (one source adds that before this he was thrown into the Great Sewer), forbidding anyone else to take the name Antoninus, which he had dishonored. His religious decrees were revoked, and the black stone of the god Elagabalus was returned to Emessa. During his reign there were many uprisings - Seleucus, Kvartina and Tavrina.
As always in cases of official condemnation and damnatio memoriae, the sources that have reached us are replete with various accusations against Heliogabalus. There is reason to believe that many of them are exaggerated, especially those contained in the Historia Augusta, a late book written at the end of the 4th century. and replete with outright fiction of the author(s); many reproduce the same stories about Caligula, Nero and other “bad emperors.” The works of contemporaries Heliogabalus, Dio Cassius and Herodian deserve more confidence.
In the 19th and 20th centuries Heliogabalus caused big interest from artists. Of the works associated with him, the most famous are Artaud's novel, a collection of poems
Absolute power corrupts absolutely. This is a rule to which there are exceptions and, nevertheless, it is still a rule. Although it is possible that she corrupts everyone in different ways. Someone orders a golden toilet for themselves, sleeps with actresses, and someone executes their comrades. It’s not for nothing that people say: “Some like the priest, some like the priest, and some like the priest’s daughter.” Let us remember the Roman emperors: Tiberius corrupted by power, Caligula corrupted and Nero almost as depraved - these are the “talented” heroes of the Roman Empire, disfigured by their absolute power. But which of the Roman emperors was the most depraved? Well, of course, Heliogabalus: of all this company, he is certainly the most “immoral monster” on the scale of everything excessively obscene.
Bust of Heliogabalus
Priest of the "sunny sky"
The Syrian legion, admired by the beauty and charm of the fourteen-year-old boy, dressed in majestic priestly attire, proclaimed him the legitimate Roman emperor, giving him the name Caesar Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus. The very procession of Aurelius Augustus from Syria to Rome was unusual. They carried his... portrait in front of him! “He was depicted in a priestly robe of silk and gold, wide and long, according to the custom of the Medes and Phoenicians; his head was covered with a high crown, and he wore many necklaces and bracelets, decorated with the rarest precious stones. His eyebrows were painted black, and traces of rouge and white were visible on his cheeks. The senators had to sadly confess that, after enduring the terrible tyranny of her own countrymen, Rome was at last forced to bow before the effete luxury of Oriental despotism.”
The authority of Heliogabalus was in a certain way ensured by the support of the Roman army, which enabled the emperor to mix the rituals and beliefs of the East with the traditions of Rome with fanatical zeal. The decoration of his own chapel with statues of Abraham, Apollo, Orpheus and ... Christ well illustrates the emperor's intention to bring together all kinds of religions of that time. Heliogabalus, not officially proclaimed under this name, after building a temple in Rome to the praise of the god revered by the emperor, of which he was a priest, having received power, the first thing he did was elevate his mother, giving her the title of senator, which had never happened before. Although Caligula elevated his horse to senatorial dignity. His plans were to bring Christian, Jewish and Samaritan worship into the temple. So he dreamed of comprehensive control over all the faiths known to him. Such rather bold and unacceptable statements, of course, misled the Romans, who increasingly doubted the adequacy of Heliogabalus. The Palladium, the fire of Vesta, the shields of the Salii - everything sacred and revered by the Romans was collected under the roof of one temple. At that time, the emperor performed divine services every day in Syrian clothes, with rouged and whitened cheeks, blackened eyebrows and eyeliner in front of significant Roman persons. It was complemented by dancing to music and a choir of young girls. But this was just the beginning.
The peak of imperial madness occurred with the marriage of the emperor’s “beloved” god with the goddess Tinnit, invited from Carthage. In honor of such a divine event, he even sacrificed several handsome young men from revered families, thus reviving a custom that had long been forgotten in Rome.
Administrator
Heliogabalus made the dancer, who constantly catered to the whims of the emperor, the prefect (chief of police) of Rome, the barber he liked - the prefect of food supplies, and his charioteer - the chief of security. It is amazing that the Romans were not outraged by the almost demonstrative sale of positions for coins - whoever would give the most. Another thing is that places were distributed to men with genitals of non-standard size, with whom Heliogabalus indulged in debauchery. The emperor tried to generously reward the men who pleased him. He turned former slaves - freedmen - into governors, legates, consuls, thus disgracing the authority of the titles, distributing them to any people the ruler liked. A marriage with a certain Zotik, who had significant influence on him, influenced Heliogabalus even more. Indeed, not a single emperor in world history has dared to do this until today, although same-sex marriage is legalized in Europe today.
Inventor of the lottery
However, we still use some of what Heliogabalus came up with today. After all, it was he who invented... lotteries with prizes! Moreover, this imperial idea softened the attitude of the Romans towards him for some time. Common people, poor and wretched, were invited to his palace, where they enjoyed treats at feasts; and there they were given numbered spoons made of tin, silver and gold with numbers stamped on them, which were immediately shouted out at the feast. As a result, someone received ten camels or a slave from Britain, someone a jar of flies, someone ten pounds of gold, and someone a piece of roast pork or a dozen ostrich eggs, to their own joy and to the laughter of others, and above all those who received, for example, dead dogs as winnings. The happiest person was considered to be the one who won one hundred gold coins with the imperial profile. Intoxicated by wealth and gifts, the Romans admired the generosity and kindness of Heliogabalus. Of course, the emperor’s feast was not like others. The list of unconventional dishes included: combs cut from live roosters, nightingales' brains, beans with amber, boiled peas decorated with golden balls and rice along with white pearls. And there were also channels filled with wine, from where it was possible to draw it in unlimited quantities.
Sybarite
The emperor’s concern for arranging a fantastic and different holiday and presenting a gift to his dear guest did not allow him to forget about himself, so that sometimes his meals cost no less than one hundred thousand sesterces. Sometimes Heliogabalus’s bullying of his hangers-on exceeded all likelihood. They were served dishes made of wax and stones, and they had to pretend that they were eating it all. In honor of the eight mutilated, stupid, lame, hunchbacked and one-eyed, specially organized holidays were held, again for the sake of laughter. The emperor’s desire to “laugh heartily” went so far that the unfortunates, when they got drunk, were locked in the same number in a huge cage with tame trained leopards, bears and lions, enjoying their exorbitant fright through secret eyes. He was the only one who learned how to prepare jelly from fish, oysters, lobsters and crabs, and he came up with the idea of making wine infused with “rose” petals even more aromatic: he decided to add crushed pine cones to it. He ordered all depraved acts at mime performances to be carried out in reality, which previously could only be hinted at. And there was also snow, once brought from afar - another manifestation of the emperor’s ambitions: it was intended for the construction of a snow mountain in the palace of Rome. Heliogabalus introduced into the tradition of Roman culture wearing capes made of pure silk, which he purchased at fabulous prices from Chinese resellers. He never wore any of the expensive items of clothing twice. He slept on beds, the covers of which were stuffed with down from... the armpits of hares. There he was the most tender, and how many hares did you have to catch and pluck? He preferred carts lined with gold; instead of horses, they were harnessed to naked women, on whom he also rode naked throughout the palace. Heliogabalus defecated only in gold vessels, but he urinated in onyx ones.
Fatalist
Abusing his unconventional sexual needs with girls, men and boys, the emperor did not forget about the prophecy of the Syrian priests, who predicted his violent death. The emperor chose to prepare for this in advance. Of course, it was considered shameful for a legitimate emperor to die at the hands of stranger, so silk ropes were laid out throughout the palace to hang oneself. He prepared “poisonous” bottles made of precious stones and sharp golden swords to stab himself in case of fatal circumstances. Around the high tower built, the emperor ordered the courtyard to be laid out with golden slabs, decorated, of course, with precious stones. He needed this in order to rise to the very heights and throw himself down, so that his sacred brains would be smeared not on the ground, but on gold.
Damn
The four years of the reign of the Roman emperor caused a serious resonance in Roman society and strong disgust among citizens, so a conspiracy was formed against the emperor. They started with the murder of the emperor's depraved associates, and tried to ensure that the type of murder corresponded... to their way of life. The emperor himself hid in a latrine, where he was killed along with his mother. There is a version that Heliogabalus’s body was thrown into a cesspool, and then into the Tiber. Although it may be that it got stuck in the opening of the cloaca, so they still took it out of there and threw it into the river. Such a fate was exceptional, because all the other emperors killed as a result of conspiracies, starting with Caesar, were nevertheless buried. And here is such a truly sad ending. The Senate forever forbade the pronouncement of the name - Antoninus, declared cursed and dishonored.
The life story of Heliogabalus, who was born in 204 AD. and reigned from June 8, 218 to March 11, 222, was reflected in the historical works of Herodian and the lives of Lampridius and Dio Cassius. All of the above details of sexual depravity are reflected in the works of these writers. However, what is fiction in all this and what is a lie is no longer possible today. The truth always flies somewhere in the clouds.
FROM EMESA TO ROMEVarius Avitus
Reigned as Imperator Caesar Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus from May 16, 218 to March 11, 222.
Was not numbered among the host of gods
Emesa (modern Homs), a Syrian town on the Orontes River, was a major religious center in ancient times. People came here to worship the Semitic sun god Elab Gabal, Lord of the Mountain. The Greeks remade the ancient Semitic name in their own way, calling it Heliogabalus (Greek helios is known to mean "sun"). The historian Herodian, who lived there at the time described, described the temple of the supreme deity in this town as follows:
The huge temple sparkles with gold, silver and precious stones. Not only local residents worship the deity, but also all neighboring satraps and barbarian leaders. Every year they send the richest gifts to the temple. There is no statue in the temple, as was customary among the Greeks and Romans; there is no image of God made by man at all. They venerate a huge stone there, round at the bottom, tapering at the top and ending in a point. The stone is all black. They say about him that he fell from the sky. The bulges and depressions on the surface of the black stone were also not made by people, and they indicate that it depicts the Sun.
The position of the chief priest of the temple, as was usually the case, probably remained under the jurisdiction of one family, passing from generation to generation. In the time of Commodus he was Julius Bassianus, a Syrian by birth, but a citizen of Rome, as evidenced by his surname. He had two daughters, Julia Domna and Julia Meza. Septimius Severus met the first of them when he commanded a legion in Syria, and married her a few years later, becoming the governor of Gaul Lugdunskaya. When Septimius Severus became emperor, his wife, naturally, turned out to be the first lady of the empire, and in in this case not at all nominally, but in essence. An intelligent, educated, energetic and ambitious woman, she had a huge influence on the development of state affairs both during her husband’s life and after his death, when Caracalla became the ruler.
Domna's career also influenced the fate of her sister, Yulia Meza. She also moved to Rome, constantly stayed in the imperial palace and accumulated enormous wealth. She married Julius Avit, who was also from Syria. He quickly made his career, climbed up the steps of the state ladder and reached the highest - he was elected consul. He died around 218 in Cyprus, leaving his wife two daughters, Soemia and Mameya. Both of them also married Syrians. Soemia's husband, equitus Varius Marcellus, later became a senator and governor of Numidia. He and Soemiya had several children, including a son, Avit, who inherited his grandfather’s name. Mameya's husband did not rise above the rank of equite. His son, Alexian, inherited his nickname from his maternal great-grandfather - Bassian.
When Caracalla was killed in 217, and soon after his mother Julia Domna died, Emperor Macrinus ordered Julia Mesa to move with her daughters and grandchildren to Emesa. Now she was ordered to live in her hometown as a private person, in a small house, but all her wealth and freedom of action remained with her. It seemed more prudent to Caesar to keep this ambitious and influential lady with her untold wealth away from the capital of the empire, away from big politics. Perhaps the emperor heard rumors about this person’s penchant for intrigue and intrigue. Macrinus's reasonable and prudent order, however, turned out to be insufficient; he underestimated the penetrating power of Mesa and the loyalty of the soldiers to Caracalla.
In Emesa, boys, according to family tradition, served as priests in the El Gabala temple, although the eldest of them, Avit, was only 14 years old, the youngest, Alexian, only 10. Avit soon began to perform the duties of the high priest. Herodian describes this boy in a luxurious purple, gold-embroidered priest's robe with wide sleeves hanging down to his feet, so that other, also gold and purple, clothes could be seen underneath. A crown of precious stones sparkled and shimmered on the child’s head. The historian, full of delight, writes:
In the prime of his youth he was the most beautiful of all the young men in the world. In terms of natural beauty, youthful charm and magnificent clothing, he could only be compared with Dionysus, as beautiful images represent this god.
Colorful oriental services attracted crowds of spectators, and the young high priest, as tradition required, conducted them, dancing around the altar to the sounds of flutes and pipes, shaking a tambourine. There were also many Roman soldiers at the services, who had also been sent here by Caracalla - they were camped in the surrounding area. And suddenly the news spread among the legionnaires that this charming boy was not at all the son of Varius Marcellus, his real father was Emperor Caracalla himself! When a few years ago the whole family lived in the imperial palace in Rome, Caracalla too often - so they said - visited the chambers of his aunt Julia Mesa, and became very interested in her daughter Soemia. It turns out that the boy, named Avitus, is the son not of Marcellus, but of Caesar, so he has the right to bear his name and inherit his throne! These rumors were also fueled by others: supposedly Meza and Soemia were very rich, they had real treasures at their disposal, and they would willingly reward those who would help the boy receive his father’s inheritance: the throne and purple. One of the senior officers, Valery Komazon Evtikhian, and the boy’s teacher, Gannis, played a large role in the spread of such rumors.
Julia Meza developed a vigorous activity and, supporting rumors, on behalf of the pretender to the throne, began to distribute rich gifts to the soldiers and officers of the Syrian legions, which won them over to the side of her grandson.
On the night of May 15-16, 218, Avit was secretly transported to one of the Roman camps; according to some sources, his grandmother and mother did not even know about it, according to others, they were brought along with him. Further development events, perhaps, confirms the second option. The next morning the boy was introduced to the soldiers, declaring that he was Caracalla’s own son and, being such, legally took his father’s place and traditionally received his name - Marcus Aurelius Antoninus. A long purple cloak, worn by the Caesars on special occasions, was thrown over the boy. And they began to strengthen the camp, fearing an attack by troops loyal to Macrinus. This is how a boy stepped into history, whom his contemporaries most often called the False Antoninus, or the Assyrian, or Sardanapalus, but the name of his god, Heliogabalus, was forever stuck to him.
The closest to the scene of events was the prefect Ulpius Julian, and without hesitation he hastened to move against the rebellious cohorts in order to nip the rebellion in the bud. Julian had enough troops to capture the camp; perhaps Heliogabalus would have died in the confusion of the night battle, and history would never have known about such a Caesar. One thing is certain: Julian did not attack the camp at night, but began to wait until morning, probably assuming that the rebel soldiers would come to their senses and surrender without a fight. He had confidence in his soldiers, most of them were Moorish, and they remained loyal to Macrinus, also a native of those places.
Meanwhile, overnight the situation changed dramatically. Secret envoys from the camp promised big money to everyone who came over to their side, and the soldier who killed an officer loyal to Macrinus was promised to transfer the position and property of the killed officer. And so, when in the morning the so-called Caesar Antoninus appeared on the walls of the encircled camp, and everything was drowned out by loud cries: “Here he is, the son of Caracalla, our beloved Caesar!”, first confusion arose among the besiegers, and then turmoil arose and a fight broke out. Officers who tried to reason with their soldiers were killed with their own swords. The prefect himself managed to escape, but was soon discovered and also finished off.
Having learned about what had happened, Macrinus from Antioch moved to Apamea, which lies halfway between Syria and Emesa. One of his legions was there. It was here that Caesar declared his son Diadumenian Augustus, that is, co-ruler, although the boy was only ten years old. He also did this in order to generously gift the soldiers on this occasion and thereby keep them with him. Each legionnaire was supposed to be given 20,000 sesterces, and of this amount 4,000 immediately. In addition, Caesar promised to return to the army the privileges that he had recently canceled for reasons of economy. He arranged a rich feast for the city residents. And all this supposedly in honor of an event of great importance - the appointment of his son as co-ruler. There was no official mention of the riot in Emesa. And in the midst of the feast, a out of breath soldier appeared in front of Caesar with a large bundle, sealed with the seal of the prefect Ulpius Julian. The soldier declared that he was in a hurry from Emesa and was carrying from the prefect the head of the self-proclaimed son of Caracalla as a gift to Caesar. When they untied the bloody fabric, everyone saw the head of Ulpius Julian himself. The soldier who delivered her disappeared unnoticed.
Macrinus ordered an immediate return to Antioch, and the Apamean legion soon joined the army of Heliogabalus. Both Caesars engaged in feverish propaganda activities, sending out countless letters, appeals, promises, couriers rushing with them in all directions, to all cities. To all provincial governors and all military camps. Particular attention was paid by both Caesars, the ruling and the impostor, to eastern regions, because the fate of the state was decided there. The messages of both Caesars were, in essence, the same, both emphasized the legitimacy of their power and branded the enemy with the shameful nicknames of an enemy of the people and an impostor. Heliogabalus accused Macrinus of murdering his “father” Caracalla, and Macrinus ridiculed the ridiculous claims of a priest of a minor god and a usurper of power.
The highest ranks of the empire found themselves in very difficult situation and didn’t know what to do. Even if they were inclined to side with one of the contenders, they did not dare to speak out openly, the time had come - every careless word was fraught with death. And it was impossible to remain neutral. Neutrality was also punished.
In a letter from Macrinus addressed to the Prefect of Rome, read out in the Senate, the emperor very soberly, in a businesslike manner, presented the situation in which the country found itself due to the wrong policy of the North and Caracalla, which led to the loss of combat effectiveness of what was once the most formidable army in the world. Caracalla's policy - constant bribery of the legions - led to the fact that during his reign the cost of soldiers' salaries increased by 280 million sesterces, the treasury was empty, and not paying anything to the soldiers was like death. In addition, there is another reason for the rebellion, and it, according to Macrinus, is that recruits entering the army demand the same salary as only deserved veterans and professionals. Macrinus’ letter also contained the following words, filled with tragedy: “I regret that I have a son... What consoles me is that I survived fratricide, which threatened the world with catastrophe. And further. I know that many are ready to give their own lives just to see the murdered Caesar, but I still don’t think that anyone wants my death.” At this point, one of the senators, distinguished by his particular stupidity, cried out: “Yes, we all dream about this!” And once again the venerable senators laughed for a long time when those words from Macrinus’ letter were read to them, in which he ridicules the young age of the impostor boy who proclaimed himself emperor, as if having forgotten that he had recently proclaimed his son of the same age Caesar.
As required, the Senate readily approved all the regulations that Caesar wished to introduce. They solemnly declared war on the usurper Heliogabalus and his cousin Alexian. The Senate also promised an amnesty to all military units that defected to the impostor. And when such strict decrees were adopted in Rome, problems in distant Syria had already been resolved.
On June 8, a battle broke out near Antioch between the troops of Macrinus and Heliogabalus. The impostor's cohorts were commanded by the latter's educator, Gannis, who probably did not receive any military education, but did a good job with his job. In the first phase of the battle, among the troops of Macrinus, detachments of Praetorians distinguished themselves and began to push back the enemy. Seeing this, Meza and Soemiya immediately rushed to the retreating soldiers and, crying, began to persuade the soldiers to hold on, promising to reward them. And then Heliogabalus himself appeared. He rode on horseback with a flowing cloak, raising his sword above his head, as if he really intended to engage in battle. In any case, his retreating army stopped, thought, turned around and rushed into battle again. It was Macrinus himself who most likely lost the battle. He probably chickened out when he received the news that some of his loyal units had gone over to the enemy’s side. Fearing an ambush, he abandoned his troops and fled to Antioch. Meanwhile, the leaderless troops fought for several more hours until they discovered that Caesar was not among them. Only then, first the legionnaires, and then the praetorians, agreed to go over to the side of Heliogabalus and now serve him.
Macrinus rushed to Antioch, shouting that he had defeated the enemy, but defeat quickly followed him. And soon everyone learned the truth. Unrest began in the city; supporters of Macrinus fought with supporters of Heliogabalus.
At night, Macrinus shaved off his hair and beard, changed into a rough cloak and, accompanied by only a few loyal officers, set off for Rome under the guise of a secret envoy. He was in a hurry to get to Rome, rushed through the countries of Asia Minor without rest and was already not far from his goal. According to Cassius Dio, if he had gotten there, he would certainly have been saved. After all, both the Senate and the Romans fiercely hated Caracalla, and therefore his self-proclaimed son. Unfortunately, Macrinus was unable to escape. He was accidentally detained in Chalcedony and sent back to Antioch under guard as a common criminal. The unfortunate man tried to commit suicide - they did not give it to him, and one of the centurions himself killed him. Macrinus's young son, Diadumenian, was also killed in Parthia. All this happened in June 218, at the latest in early July.
After the death of Macrinus, and in fact already from June 8, Heliogabalus became the only ruler of the Roman Empire, and the youngest of all its Caesars, who reigned independently at such a young age - he was 14 years old. Of course, earlier in the history of Rome there were cases when father-emperors called boy-sons Caesars during their lifetime: Marcus Aurelius - Commodus, Severus - Caracalla, Macrinus - Diadumenian. But in these cases, such a naming is, so to speak, temporarily fictitious - the appointment of Caesar as his son as co-emperor was carried out so that the continuity of power would not be lost in the event of the death of the current emperor. Heliogabalus did not have anyone standing above him or next to him, so he was truly a unique phenomenon.
However, this was only an appearance - politics was carried out by adults from the emperor’s inner circle, in this case his mother, Soemia, grandmother Mesa, as well as Eutychian and Gannis. Meanwhile, the makings of a Caesar boy made themselves felt every day. These were bad inclinations, not at all harmless. The mentally unbalanced boy showed abnormal inclinations towards unrestrained, sophisticated desires, sometimes even crimes. Being a fanatical worshiper and priest of the god he revered, the boy thought of nothing but sacrifices and entertainment. This was accompanied by savage rituals and incredible extravagance, including unprecedented erotic orgies that shocked even the ancient Romans. Until now, the Romans knew only by hearsay about such rituals, considering them inherent in some religious cults of the East. Caesar officially ordered that the Sun be considered the main deity of the empire, which Rome did not know until now.
But this happened a little later, for now, the day after the victory over the troops of Macrinus, Heliogabalus, at the head of his supporters, entered Antioch. He promised each of the warriors 2000 sesterces. And I paid the entire amount! True, he ordered the money to be borrowed from the residents of the city. From the Syrian capital, Caesar sent a message to the Roman Senate, full of mockery of Macrinus and accusing him of the murder of Caracalla. In addition, in the message, Heliogabalus did not skimp on the usual promises in such cases, solemnly assuring that he would always and in everything follow the example of the famous emperors Augustus and Marcus Aurelius. In the message, he ordered that he, the new Caesar, be granted all the accepted titles and titles. He called himself the grandson of Severus, Pius, that is, the Pious, Felix, that is, the Happy, and also Augustus, proconsul, tribune of the people, etc.
He could calmly count on the Senate - it, as always, servilely agreed to all the conditions, recognized all the titles of the current emperor, and branded Macrinus and his son, not yet knowing about their death, as enemies of the people, that is, people who are no longer protected state justice. The senators did exactly the opposite of their recent letter to Macrinus. Around the country they began to clearly glorify the recently cursed Caracalla; in the temples they asked the gods to send good luck to his divine son and make the young man look like a worthy father. And apparently, the gods listened.
After spending several months in Antioch, the young emperor traveled with his court through Asia Minor, spent the autumn in Bithynia, and stopped in Nicomedia for the winter. He was engaged only in religious rites, fervently serving his god, always in golden-woven purple robes with a golden tiara on his head sparkling with precious stones. In general, Heliogabalus recognized only expensive Chinese fabrics and despised both Roman and Greek clothing. He sent a huge portrait of himself to Rome, in which he was presented during the sacrifice. At his order, the portrait was placed in the embassy hall of the Roman Senate high above the sculpture of the Goddess of Victory, in front of which, according to tradition, senators left sacrifices - incense and wine - before important meetings. This fact of the elevation of the Syrian god over the symbol of Roman victories and achievements was of great importance.
Rome understood well what awaited him. Everyone knew about the death sentences against Roman patricians during Heliogabalus' stay in Syria. They paid for acting in concert with Macrinus. However, Gannis, Caesar’s teacher, who had done so much for him, was also among the victims! Heliogabalus even intended to make him the husband of his mother, Soemia, and heir to the throne. Gannis suffered because he dared to reprimand the boy and urge him to somewhat restrain his arrogance. Caesar killed him with his own hands in Nicomedia.
News reached Rome: every now and then, in different parts of the vast empire, people of different ranks declared themselves Caesars, prompted by a clear example of how easily anyone could achieve this. Most often, such attempts were nipped in the bud, but they made it clearer what awaited the empire in the coming years.
In the spring of 219, Caesar slowly set off for Rome. The road led through Trakia, the Danubian provinces and the Alps. The emperor and high priest of the Sun entered his capital in late summer, never to leave the city.
“GODS AND MEN ARE MADNESS”“The ancient world is coming to an end - everything in it is deteriorating, rotting and going crazy.” These words from the drama “Iridion” by the poet Krasinski, which takes place in the time of Heliogabalus, are more than true. The harsh verdict on the era was based on ancient sources and assessments of historians of subsequent times. Feigned piety for show, the wildest erotic orgies, incredible cruelty and some kind of madness mixed with buffoonery, permeating all sides state life- this is the essence of the definitions that have come down to us from the reign of Heliogabalus. Perhaps some of this is exaggerated; for example, the presentation of the biographies of the Caesars in the book “Writers of the History of the Caesars” cannot be trusted, which I have already warned about several times. But there is no reason to doubt that Heliogabalus is one of the worst, truly insane rulers in the entire history of Ancient Rome. It is not surprising that the poet chose his reign to create the background in a work about the collapse ancient world. True, if we talk about the scientific-historical approach, the political collapse of Ancient Rome was still far away. The reign of Heliogabalus falls exactly halfway through the five-century history of the empire. It was in his time that two and a half centuries passed from the moment when Augustus became sovereign of the empire, and the same amount of time was destined to pass until the day when the last Caesar of the Western Empire left the political scene. Moreover, if we talk about issues of religion and culture, the most important changes, signifying the end of Antiquity, had yet to happen. And yet, despite these reservations, it must be recognized that the poetic vision of the end of the ancient world in the Iridion was based on historical facts, and the above words of the poet could not be more accurate and vividly express the very essence of the time of Heliogabalus - a symbol of the collapse and death of the values of Antiquity.
What happened in Rome itself? The capital had been waiting for a new Caesar for a year; the fifteen-year-old emperor entered Rome in the summer of 219. At the ceremonial entry, the main thing was a chariot with an image of God, and the emperor himself spun in front of it. For his deity, the black stone, he ordered the immediate construction of two temples. One was erected on the Palatine, next to the imperial palace, the second in the gardens on the Esquiline Hill, both huge and magnificent. The Palatine Temple was to become the main center of a new, solar religious cult. Moved there core values Rome, symbols of its glory and power: the holy fire of Vesta, palladium, a small mysterious figurine supposedly from Troy, the shield of the god Mars and the black stone of the goddess Cybele, delivered to Rome when Rome was still a republic. Every morning, the young Caesar appeared at the altars of this hill and brought daily bloody sacrifices to his god, mainly bulls and many hundreds of sheep, burned entire bonfires of precious incense, and poured the best wine onto the altars. Then he performed a ritual dance around his god, accompanied by girls from Syria shaking tambourines and copper plates - cymbals. At this eastern rite, senators and other high-ranking officials of the empire were required to be present with the most important military leaders, and they were forced to serve during divine services. They were dressed in appropriate attire - purple robes, tied with gold belts, with wide sleeves reaching to the floor and soft shoes, as is customary among Syrian priests and eastern prophets. These respectable and respected people were forced to wear golden vessels with the entrails of sacrificial animals on their heads and burn incense in front of the altars. Now it became an honor even for senators to serve during divine services in the main temple of the Sun God, although in the East the duties of servants in temples were usually performed by slaves.
In Rome, religious cults, both Greek and Eastern, were previously revered, so the Romans were accustomed to different gods and Caesar would have forgiven his passion for the black stone, but the dancing of the emperor of a powerful empire around the altar, surrounded by writhing maidens, could not help but shock the Romans. What most aroused the indignation of Roman citizens was the desire of the new Caesar to make his black stone more important than Jupiter Capitolinus. And Heliogabalus, apparently, was striving for exactly this. He intended to establish Sun worship as a new and dominant religion great empire, as a cult that unites all its peoples and has absorbed all other cults existing in the country. In the era being described, there was already a clear tendency to unite numerous religious cults, beliefs and gods into a single higher faith - this tradition, called syncretism, under other circumstances could present Heliogabalus as its founder and harbinger. But for this a completely different person was needed. Heliogabalus, with his childish plans and infantile actions, was simply ridiculous.
He imagined that his god should have a wife. Athena, called Minerva by the Romans, was not suitable for this: an arrogant virgin, and, moreover, in full armor. They began to think, and the search led to a goddess revered in Africa, especially in Carthage. In Latin her name sounds like Caelestis, in Greek - Urania, that is, Heavenly. It concealed within itself the image of the ancient Semitic deity Tanit, or Tenit, that is, the Moon, in Greek Selene. This was a suitable consort for the Sun. By order of Caesar, the statue of Urania was immediately brought from Carthage to Rome and a solemn wedding ceremony was held. All citizens of the Roman Empire were ordered to rejoice and have fun on this occasion. In addition, Caesar demanded that his subjects send worthy gifts to the beloved wife of his god.
And now, every year in midsummer, a solemn procession moved through Rome from the Palatine to the temple on the Esquiline Hill. Once a year, the Sun God left his temple. The stone rode on a gilded chariot, decorated with precious stones, harnessed to six snow-white horses in gilded harness. The reins were tied to a stone to create the impression that the god himself was driving the horses. Heliogabalus controlled them, holding the first pair by the bridle and, turning his face to the deity, did not take his eyes off him. This means that he was walking backwards, and so that the emperor would not fall, the road was sprinkled with golden sand, and on both sides there were soldiers with shields standing as a solid wall. People crowded around, throwing flowers and wreaths under the horses' hooves. In front of the sacred chariot they carried statues and images of all other gods, carried wedding gifts, and symbols of imperial power. Soldiers walked in formation, and senators and equites marched in special groups. When God was in the temple, Caesar climbed a high tower built next to the temple, and from there he threw various gifts into the crowd, or rather, tablets with symbolic images of gifts that could then be received. Those who were lucky received gold and silver dishes, expensive clothes and various domestic animals, except pigs. Heliogabalus disdained these animals; like the Jews, he never ate their meat. We also know that he ordered himself to be circumcised; we add, however, that in those days this custom was accepted not only among the Jews, but also among many other peoples in the Middle East.
Caesar had a favorable attitude towards both Judaism and Christianity. According to rumors, he was even going to allow their cults into his Palatine Temple. During his reign there were no persecutions against Christians, this is known for certain. During the time of Heliogabalus, the bishop of Rome was Calixtus, who, before his ordination to the rank of bishop, was in charge of the Christian cemetery at via Appia. That is why these catacombs, still very popular among tourists, bear his name. This burial place for Christians enjoyed special honor in all centuries, since Roman bishops of the 3rd century were buried there. Calixtus himself is buried there. And yet the Christian community of that time, although it was not in danger, was experiencing great turmoil, it was torn apart by personal and doctrinal problems. Calixtus's main opponent was Hippolytus, an outstanding theologian, later canonized. Ippolit wrote his works in Greek. The opinion was created that formally he was the second bishop of Rome, that is, the antipope, the first in history. However, we are not completely convinced of this.
As already mentioned, the religious beliefs and quirks of Heliogabalus did not bring any particular harm to the state and did not pose any particular danger; rather, they were infantile and tyrant reforms of a crazy teenager allowed to have unlimited power. The situation was worse with the wastefulness with which they were accompanied. The luxury that surrounded Caesar no longer amused, but outraged. He ate only on silver and gold dishes, and only the most exquisite food - camel heels or cockscombs, nightingale and peacock tongues torn from living birds, expensive fish. The feast was prepared daily, and every day everything was kept the same color. Caesar bathed in ponds filled with either expensive wine, rose oil, or saffron. The halls of his palace were literally filled with blooming roses, lilies, violets, and daffodils.
However, the greatest outrage in society was caused by the insane sexual perversity of the young Caesar, which crossed all boundaries. Even Rome, seemingly accustomed to everything, was amazed. The country was talking only about perverted and savage orgies, which Rome had never known before. And everywhere Caesar played the main role, appearing either as a man or as a woman, depending on his mood. His wives were countless, and one of them was a Vestal Virgin, by which Caesar clearly and demonstratively violated the most sacred ancient traditions of Rome. “What kind of children will the high priest and the chief vestal virgin have!” - this madman exclaimed in ecstasy.
Dressed as a woman, Caesar began to appear in brothels, boasting about the number of clients he had served. He ordered that the strongest and tallest men be selected for him throughout the country. And then I found myself a husband. He became a certain slave named Hierocles, who labored in Rome as a chariot driver in a circus. It so happened that during one performance he fell from his chariot right in front of the imperial box, his helmet fell off his head, and scattered golden curls surrounded the young man’s beautiful face. The enchanted Heliogabalus immediately ordered to be transferred to the palace, and when the driver came to his senses and passed the night test, he remained in the palace forever and was declared the husband of Heliogabalus. Hierocles' influence was enormous; it was argued that he actually ruled the country. He was even allowed to beat his “wife” if he caught her in the arms of other men, and Heliogabalus made sure that there was no shortage of such “betrayals.” Both Caesars often sat with “lanterns” under their eyes, as happened with unfaithful wives. Heliogabalus even intended to declare his "husband" the de facto ruler of the Roman Empire, which led to a sharp conflict with his grandmother, Julia Mesa, and no doubt displeased the army.
By the way, one of Heliogabalus’s crazy ideas was the creation of a women’s senate in the Quirinal. It was chaired by the emperor's mother, Soemia Maesa, and discussed the problems and privileges of married women of high Roman society. The emperor's mother, in her idiotic plans, was not far from her son, which cannot be said about his grandmother Julia Meza, an intelligent, strong-willed and sensible woman. There was something symbolic in the convening of the Women’s Senate; the very idea of its creation was largely explained by the real situation in the country, which at that time was ruled by these two women, Caesar’s mother and grandmother. Already on their first visit to Rome, together with the young emperor, they both appeared in the Senate and shocked worthy statesmen by taking the places of consuls - Rome had not seen this since the time of its creation. However, this balance of power fully corresponded to the real situation in the country. The most important problems were always solved by Yulia Meza, who took a reasonable approach to solving state problems. They said, however, that she was given all possible assistance by a certain Eutychian, who occupied a very high position in the Roman hierarchy. And what is surprising is that during her reign, both at court and in the state in general, everything was in order, the administration acted properly. True, it so happened that at that time the country was not threatened by any cataclysms, there were not even military raids, but serious internal reforms were not carried out, legislation was not improved. Everything went as if by inertia.
Meza was aware that her grandson was facing the worst thing that could happen to a ruler: ridicule and contempt. Realizing how the matter could end, she herself led a conspiracy against him, transferring her hopes to her youngest grandson, the son of Mameya. At her instigation, Heliogabalus adopted his cousin and named him Caesar.
This happened on July 10, 221, when Heliogabalus was 18 years old and Alexian was 12! At a meeting of the Senate, Caesar, sitting between his grandmother and mother, made an official statement and, again, somehow childishly congratulated himself on the fact that he already had such a big son at such a young age. He noted that he was doing this at the instigation of the god Heliogabalus and named his named son Alexander, without explaining why he was changing the name. God commanded so.
For all his immaturity, Caesar still understood something, he was aware that his “son” was becoming a rival for him and could remove him from the throne at any moment. Heliogabalus tried to harass his younger brother in various ways, but the heir was vigilantly guarded by his grandmother Mesa, mother Mameya and the Praetorians.
Alexander, an affectionate and obedient boy, enjoyed universal sympathy and was entirely in the hands of the soldiers, who had already suffered too much from the eccentricities of the perverted Caesar. True, Heliogabalus tried to take away the title of Caesar that he had given to his brother, but he was not allowed. Finally, in March 222, they came to an agreement and decided to end everything peacefully. Both Caesars, in the same lectern, together with Soemia, headed to the praetorian barracks. Alexander was greeted there joyfully, Heliogabalus was ignored. Completely unaware of what was happening, Heliogabalus ordered the arrest of those soldiers who were too happy about the appearance of Alexander. A fight broke out, the frightened emperor hid in a box, which a handful of people loyal to him were going to take out secretly. At the last moment the box was opened. Heliogabalus was killed along with his mother. Hierocles also died, as well as several courtiers. The corpses of Caesar and his mother were dragged around the city all day, and then thrown into a canal connected to the Tiber.
ORIGIN OF SEPTIMIUS Severus AND THE SYRIAN DYNASTY
Notes:
Optimates (from lat. optimus - “best”) - ideological and political movement in Ancient Rome in the 2nd–1st centuries. BC e. The optimates expressed the interests of the Senate aristocracy, the so-called nobilet. A particularly intense struggle between the populares and optimates unfolded around the agrarian question and around the principles of democratization of the Roman state.
Sigismund, or Zygmunt Krasiński (Polish pronunciation - Zygmunt Krasiński) - count, Polish poet and playwright, is ranked among the greatest Polish poets of the Romantic era, along with Adam Mickiewicz and Juliusz Słowacki. However, some sources note that the significance of Krasinski and his works in literature is not as pronounced as that of the other two romantics. “Iridion” - Krasinski’s most artistically integral work - was written under the influence of “Conrad Wallenrod” by A. Mickiewicz.
2nd: Julia Aquilia North
3rd: Annia Aurelia Faustina
Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Heliogabalus or Elagabalus(lat. Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Heliogabalus ; - March 11) - Roman emperor from the Severan dynasty, who reigned from June 8 to March 11, 222.
Origin
On his father's side, Antoninus Heliogabalus belonged to the Syrian aristocratic family of Variev and was called Bassian Varius Avitus from birth. His great-grandfather, grandfather and father, senator Sextus Varius Marcellus, were priests of the Phoenician sun god Elagabalus, considered the patron saint of the city of Emesa. On his mother’s side, Bassian was related to the imperial family: his grandmother, Julia Mesa, was the sister of Julia Domna, the wife of Emperor Septimius Severus and the mother of Emperor Caracalla. But perhaps the connection between Heliogabalus and the family of Severus was even closer and more direct: the mother of the future emperor, Julia Soemia, in her youth had a love affair with Caracalla, and they said that her son was born precisely from the younger Severus, and not from her legal spouse (Lampridius : "Antoninus Heliogabalus").
After the death of Caracalla, when Macrinus ascended the throne, Soemia and his mother and sister, Julia Mamaea, settled in Emesa. Here the son of Soemia was initiated into the chief priesthood of Elagabalus. Under the name of this god (where “el” - the Semitic “god” - due to false etymology, was often replaced by the Greek “helios” - the sun), the emperor himself became known, although he did not officially bear such a name.
Governing body
The handsome young man in magnificent priestly attire was liked by the Syrian legions, and thanks to the gold and intrigues of his grandmother, he was proclaimed emperor by them under the name Caesar Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus at the age of fourteen. After defeating Macrinus' general Julian and then Macrinus himself, Heliogabalus headed to Rome. On the way to the capital, he already showed his autocracy - the result of his upbringing in the spirit of eastern despotism: without waiting for a Senate decision, he accepted the titles Pius Felix Proconsul tribunicia potestate. During the reign of Heliogabalus, many uprisings took place - Seleucus, Kvartina and Taurina. The Senate under Heliogabalus was completely humiliated by the inclusion of a mass of immigrants from Asia into its composition. Master's degrees became the property of actors, freedmen and servants.
Personal life
The emperor's personal life was filled with debauchery: he boasted that not a single corrupt woman had as many lovers as he did. Of the lovers of Heliogabalus, Roman historians especially note Hierocles and Zoticus, who had a strong influence on him.
Death
The follies of the young emperor forced Julia Maesa to think about transferring the throne to her second grandson, Alexian Bassian, son of Julia Mamea, who, thanks to his Greco-Roman upbringing and high level education was the complete opposite of Heliogabalus. Through the efforts of Julia Maesa, Bassian became Caesar and co-emperor under the name Alexander Severus. When Heliogabalus tried to destroy his cousin, the soldiers mutinied against the emperor and killed him and his mother. The corpse of Heliogabalus was thrown into the Tiber (one source adds that before this he was thrown into the Great Sewer), forbidding anyone else to take the name Antoninus, which he had dishonored. His religious decrees were revoked, and the black stone of the god Elagabalus was returned to Emesa.
As always in cases of official condemnation and damnatio memoriae, the sources that have reached us are replete with various accusations against Heliogabalus. There is reason to believe that many of them are exaggerated, especially those contained in Historia Augusta, a late book written at the end of the 4th century and replete with outright fiction of the author(s); many reproduce the same stories about Caligula, Nero and other "bad emperors". The works of Heliogabalus's contemporaries, Dio Cassius and Herodian, deserve greater confidence.
Image in art
In the 19th and 20th centuries, Heliogabalus aroused great interest among artists. Of the works associated with him, the most famous are the novel by Antonin Artaud, the novel Jean Lombara"Agony", a collection of poems by Stefan Gheorghe and "Six litanies of Heliogabalus" John Zorn, as well as Louis Feuillade's silent film "L'Orgie romaine", filmed in 1911.
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Links
- "Roman Orgy" (English) on the Internet Movie Database
Literature
- // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: in 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - St. Petersburg. , 1890-1907.
- Fedorova E. V. Imperial Rome in faces. - Rostov-on-Don: Phoenix, 1998. - ISBN 5-222-00178-4
- Aelius Lampridius. Antoninus Heliogabalus // Lords of Rome: Biographies of Roman emperors from Hadrian to Diocletian / Translators: Aristide Dovatur, S. Kondratiev. - St. Petersburg. : Aletheia, 2001. - pp. 134-150. - 384 p. - (Ancient library. Ancient history). - 1500 copies. - ISBN 5-89329-262-6.
- Gusev K.D.// Privolzhsky Scientific Bulletin. - Izhevsk, 2015. - No. 6 (1). - P. 48-52.
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That absolute power corrupts absolutely. An example of this is the Roman emperors Tiberius, Caligula, and Nero. However, there was such an emperor in the history of Rome that he eclipsed this entire trinity. His name is Heliogabalus. He managed to live his short life so dirty and waste it so mediocrely that his name, Antoninus, was banned by the Senate forever.
Priest of the "sun god"
The handsome boy in magnificent priestly attire was liked by the Syrian legions, and thanks to the gold and intrigues of his grandmother, he was proclaimed by them as Roman emperor under the name Caesar Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus, and he was then only fourteen years old. During his slow procession from Syria to Rome, his portrait was carried in front, sent as a gift to the Senate. "He was depicted in a priestly robe of silk and gold, wide and long after the custom of the Medes and Phoenicians; his head was covered with a high crown, and he wore many necklaces and bracelets, decorated with the rarest precious stones. His eyebrows were painted black color, and traces of rouge and white were visible on his cheeks. The senators had to sadly confess that, after Rome had so long endured the terrible tyranny of her own countrymen, she was at last forced to bow before the effete luxury of Oriental despotism." Supported by most of the army, Heliogabalus began to instill the religious rites of the East in Rome with fanatical zeal. The mixture of beliefs that was possible at that time is illustrated by the decoration of his personal chapel, in which he placed statues of Abraham, Orpheus, Apollo and... Christ.
Having received the throne, he began by making his mother a senator, which had never happened before, and built a temple in Rome in honor of the god Heliogabalus, of which he was a priest. It was for this reason that he was nicknamed Heliogabalus, but he did not officially bear this name! At the same time, he said more than once that it would be necessary to transfer the worship of Christians, Samaritans and Jews to it, so that the priesthood of Geltiogabalus would hold in its hands the secrets of all these cults and, you must agree, that the people of that time were most likely simply horrified by such bold statements! The most sacred objects for the Romans were collected here: the palladium, the shields of the Salians, the fire of Vesta, which now had to recede into the background in front of the image of the black stone, denoting the solar god.
The emperor himself, dressed in Syrian clothes, with drawn eyes and eyebrows, with whitened and rouged cheeks, performed divine services every day in the presence of all officials of Rome. In conclusion, the emperor performed a sacred dance to the accompaniment of instruments and the singing of choirs of girls, who accompanied the hymns with orgiastic movements and dancing around the altars. Not content with ordinary religious ceremonies, Heliogabalus arranged a solemn wedding of his god with the goddess Tanit brought from Carthage and even made human sacrifices - beautiful boys from noble families!
Administrator
He appointed the dancer he liked as the prefect (chief of police) of Rome, the head of his own guard - his charioteer, the prefect of food supply - the barber who pleased him. The fact that the emperor sold positions for money - whoever would give the most - did not particularly outrage the Romans. But Heliogabalus did not so much sell them as give them away, looking for them... men with large genitals, who were specially sought out and brought to the palace, where he indulged in debauchery with them, and, accordingly, rewarded them for this! He made freedmen - former slaves - governors, legates, consuls, and thus disgraced all these titles, distributing them to completely random people. It got to the point that he married a certain Zotik, who had great influence on him, which, again, none of the Roman emperors had done before him!
Inventor of the lottery
But at first the people loved him, and, above all, because he was the first to come up with table lotteries with prizes. He invited commoners to feasts in his palace, where they were given spoons with numbers. Then, during the feast, these numbers were shouted out, and someone received ten camels, someone received ten flies, one received ten pounds of gold, another received ten pounds of lead, and someone received a dozen ostrich eggs! Among the prizes for laughter were dead dogs, and a pound of beef, and then a hundred gold coins with a portrait of the emperor, so that the people who had become rich in this way accepted all this with great pleasure and congratulated each other on such an emperor. Accordingly, at his feasts everything was different from others. They were served with bowls filled with the brains of nightingales, combs cut from live roosters, boiled peas with golden balls, beans with amber and rice with white pearls. According to contemporaries, he even staged gladiatorial battles in the form of naval battles on canals filled with wine!
Sybarite
While arranging all this for others, Heliogabalus, of course, did not forget his own person. He did not sleep with any woman other than his wife more than once. Before each feast, again, for the sake of entertainment, he ordered dishes to be made from wax and stones and served them to his strange friends and hangers-on, who were supposed to pretend to be a cheerful feast. One-eyed, lame, bald and hunchbacked people were invited to the feasts, all in the amount of eight people, and all this, again, for the sake of laughter. When they got drunk, they were locked in a room with tame leopards, lions and bears and enjoyed their fright, peeping into their secret eyes. He was the first to make jelly from fish, oysters, lobsters and crabs, and he figured out how to make wine infused with rose petals even more fragrant by adding crushed pine cones to it! For the snowy mountain in the palace in Rome, snow was brought from afar...
He was the first of the Romans to start wearing clothes made of pure silk, which was bought at fabulous prices from resellers from China! Moreover, he did not wear any clothes or shoes twice. He preferred carts lined with gold and harnessed naked women to them, and he himself, also naked, drove around the entire palace in this form.
Fatalist
Engaging in the most unbridled debauchery with both women and men, as well as indulging in his other unbridled passions, Heliogabalus believed the prediction of the Syrian priests that he would die a violent death and prepared for this in advance. Believing that, as an emperor, he could and should die at a critical hour only by his own hand, he laid out silk ropes throughout the palace so that he could hang himself on them. Then he prepared bottles of poison made from precious stones and golden swords to stab himself with. He also built a high tower, and under it he ordered the courtyard to be paved with golden slabs decorated with precious stones. And all this so that, in case of mortal danger, he can rise up and throw himself down, so that his brains spread not over something, but over gold!
Damn
As a result, after four years of reign, Heliogabalus aroused such strong disgust among the Romans that a conspiracy was drawn up against him. His depraved “friends” were killed, and they were killed in such a way that death corresponded to their lifestyle. He was unable to use either poison, silk ropes, a tower, or swords. He hid in a latrine and was killed there, at the same time as his mother. According to one version, his body was first thrown into a cloaca (cesspool), and then into the Tiber. According to another, it did not fit into the sewer hole, and then its corpse with stones tied (so that it would never float up and could not be buried!) was thrown into the Tiber. He turned out to be the only Roman emperor to whom this was done after death. Moreover, his name, Antoninus, was banned by the Senate forever, it seemed so dishonored to him!
About the life of Heliogabalus, born in 204 AD. e. and who ruled from June 8, 218 to March 11, 222, a rather neutral story by the historian Herodian, and two biographies of Cassius Dio and Lampridius, have reached us. They are precisely full of sensational details of all the above scenes of sexual debauchery, and they describe everything in such detail that almost no one tried to doubt them. Be that as it may, today it is not possible to check who is right and who is wrong. The truth, as always, is still out there somewhere!
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