The interwebs are all a-flutter this week over the pronoun identification of this Roman emperor, Elagabalus, né Marcus Aurelius Antoninus. The given name is confusing enough, being a pastiche of other famous Ancients, but historians are more confounded by other aspects of Elagabalus. As an article from last week’s _Guardian_ put it: “Was Roman emperor Elagabalus really trans — and does it matter?”
Before we deal with the pronouns, we need some context. Elagabalus came to power at only 14 — not the best age for understanding perspective or making smart judgements, and was born between 203 and 204 BCE during the Third-Century Crisis (which the young emperor helped contribute to! Yay!), not a century noted for stable and smart Roman Emperors. The written sources from Elagabalus’ lifetime unequivocally describe the ruler as rash, immoral, and hateful. Reading the contemporary Cassius Dio’s account of the emperor would lead one to put Elagabalus in the same category as the Neros or Caligulas of Ancient Roman leaders. Here’s a quote:
“He (Elagabalus) used his body both for doing and allowing many strange things . . . . He would go to the taverns by night, wearing a wig, and there ply the trade of a female huckster. He frequented the notorious brothels, drove out the prostitutes, and played the prostitute himself. Finally, he set aside a room in the palace and there committed his indecencies, always standing around nude at the door of the room, as the harlots do . . . “
Elagabalus was assassinated after only four short years on the throne in 222 CE.
From such portrayals, many scholars have written about Elagabalus’ gender and sexual orientation. The British North Hertfordshire Museum made news last week because it is changing all the pronouns referring to Elegabalus to “she/hers.”
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