The Emperor Elagabalus
Subtitle: fact or fiction?
By: Leonardo de Arrizabalaga y Prado.
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Published: 2010
Place of publication: Cambridge; New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 381
ISBN-13: 9780521895552
Subjects: Elagabalus, -- Emperor of Rome, -- 204-222; Elagabalus, -- Emperor of Rome, -- 204-222 -- Death and burial; Elagabalus, -- Emperor of Rome, -- 204-222 -- Legends; Emperors -- Rome -- Biography; Rome -- Kings and rulers -- Biography; Rome -- History -- Elagabalus, 218-222; Rome -- History -- Elagabalus, 218-222 -- Sources; Rome -- Antiquities
Genres: Legends; Biography; Sources
Description: "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"--Provided by publisher.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.
Table of contents: title: pt. 1. Exposition; title: Radical and basic questions; title: Problematic; title: Sources and method of enquiry; title: pt. 2. Explosion; title: Varius, Elagabalus, and Heliogabalus; title: Varian texts; title: Analysis of Varian propositions; title: pt. 3. Constitution; title: A mental exercise; title: Coins; title: Inscriptions; title: Papyri, ostraca, and mummy labels; title: Sculpture : round; title: Sculpture : relief; title: Topography; title: Res gestae; title: pt. 4. Speculation; title: The question Why?; title: Varius' priesthood; title: Varius' childhood; title: Varius' heritage; title: Varius' reality; title: pt. 5. Findings in contexts; title: Findings; title: Varius' family; title: The Severan dynasty; title: The Roman principate; title: Varius' shift; title: Varius and his models; title: Severan self-presentation; title: Varius and the imperial administration; title: Varius and history; title: Varius and culture; title: Appendix 1: Theory of knowledge; title: Appendix 2: Varian propositions; title: Appendix 3: Varian coin concordance; title: Appendix 4: List of Varian inscriptions; title: Appendix 5: List of Varian papyri, ostraca, and mummy labels; title: Appendix 6: Varian chronology.