The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire · Character
Elagabalus
Also known as Heliogabalus
- Supporting
- First seen · Book 1 · Ch. 1
There's something both beautiful and unsettling about his presence—the painted face and flowing silks create an almost otherworldly figure, beautiful as a youth yet marked by an eccentricity that sets him apart from all conventional notions of imperial dignity.
- Gender
- male
- Age
- Young adult
- First appears
- Book 1 · Ch. 1
- Books
- 1
Elagabalus began as a young Syrian pontiff consecrated to the ministry of the high priest of the Sun at Emesa. Elevated to the imperial throne, he brought with him the exotic religious practices and dress of his homeland, wearing the flowing sacerdotal robes of silk and gold, the lofty tiara, and the painted face of an Eastern priest. His reign became notorious for the eccentricities and vices that would corrupt the military and scandalize Rome, marking him as one of the most profligate emperors in Roman history.
Description
Elagabalus possesses the elegant, almost androgynous figure of a beautiful youth, with dark hair and eyebrows tinged black. His cheeks are painted with artificial red and white cosmetics, and he wears flowing sacerdotal robes of silk and gold in the loose fashion of the Medes and Phoenicians. A lofty tiara crowns his head, while numerous collars and bracelets adorned with gems complete his elaborate, effeminate appearance.
Story so far
BOOK 1The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire / Table of Contents with links in the HTML file to the two Project Gutenberg editions (12 volumes)
Appearances
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