272
Elagabalus.
and Soaemis. Macrinus was imprudent enough to let this pass
without taking any precautions. Maesa collected her immense
riches at Emesa, and found numbers of soldiers ready to accept
her bribes and enter into her schemes. Macrinus at first did
not attach much importance to an affair conducted by a couple
of women and a very insignificant young man. But Maesa
unexpectedly succeeded in transferring to Elagabalus the par-
tiality which the soldiers had felt for Caracalla, by promising
them still greater advantages. The consequence was the de-
fection of a great part of the army. If Macrinus had at that
moment acted quickly and energetically, he would have gained
the upper hand; for, in the battle which decided the question,
a great number of the Boman soldiers, and even the praetorians,
displayed more bravery and fidelity to Macrinus than had been
anticipated. But Macrinus despaired too soon, and fled from
the battle to Asia Minor with his son Antoninus Diadumeni-
anus, who had already been raised to the rank of Caesar. Both
were overtaken in Bithynia, and put to death a.d. 218, by the
command of the young tyrant.
The name of Elagabalus is branded in history above all
others; for Caligula and Nero, if compared with him, appear
in a favourable light. Caligula was not so beastly as Elaga-
balus: and if Nero equalled him in this respect, still he was a
man of some talent; whereas Elagabalus had nothing at all to
make up for his vices, which are of such a kind that it is too
disgusting even to allude to them. His reign was disgraced,
not so much by cruelty, although some cruel acts occurred, as
by his prodigious extortions, which he made to defray the
expenses of the maddest luxuries. He had a passion for every-
thing that degrades human nature, and was enthusiastic in
increasing the lustre of his idol Elagabalus, whom he raised to
the place of the Capitoline Jupiter as the supreme divinity of
the Boman world, and in whose service he endeavoured to
combine the religion of Syria with the obscenities of the Car-
thaginian worship. While he was leading his unspeakably
disgusting life, he prepared his own ruin ; for the soldiers began
to despise him, notwithstanding all the advantages which he
bestowed upon them. He would have been murdered as early
as the year a.d. 221, if he had not adopted his cousin Alexianus,
afterwards Alexander Severus, on the suggestion of his grand-
mother Maesa.
ALEXANDER SEVERUS.
273
Alexander Severus, the son of Mamaea, was then about
seventeen or, according to Herodian, only thirteen or fourteen
years old.ls His nature was completely the opposite of that
of his cousin. He was a young man of noble character, and
very much resembled M. Aurelius, with this difference, that
the latter was a specimen of a noble European, the former of a
noble Asiatic nature. He was born at Area Caesarea in Phoe-
nicia, and learned the Latin language at Rome, though he was
always looked upon as a Graeculus1 and not as a Roman.13 It
is impossible for a man to possess a better and purer will or a
nobler heart than young Alexander Severus. The beautiful
expression of youthful innocence which beamed in his coun-
tenance won even the hearts of the rude Roman soldiers, and
they were attached to him with their whole hearts. Elaga-
balus soon regretted the adoption, and as he made attempts
upon Alexander’s life, a report of the latter’s death caused an
insurrection, which was quelled with great difficulty. After-
wards Alexander was honoured with still greater distinctions
than before. Abject as Elagabalus was, he was quite conscious
of his own depravity, and felt that it was impossible for him
to be tolerated by the side of his cousin. He therefore formed
a fresh plan for murdering him. But Alexander escaped, and,
a fearful insurrection broke out, in which Elagabalus was cut
down by the soldiers, A.D. 222. His body was dragged into
the Tiber, and curses were pronounced upon his memory.
The reign of Alexander Severus, who was now proclaimed
emperor, lasted thirteen years, till A.D. 235. We are some-
what in danger of representing his reign in too favourable a
light; for Lampridius and others seem to have made him the
subject of a sort of “ Cyropaedia.” His personal amiability
and kindness, however, as well as his zealous endeavours to
discharge his duties, cannot be denied ; and these qualities form
a strong contrast between him and most of his predecessors.
M. Aurelius was the model he strove to imitate; but, weak
as that emperor had been in regard to his wife Faustina,
Alexander was still weaker towards his mother Mamaea, and
his government was in reality her regency.
On the one hand we read of a great reduction of the taxes14,
while on the other we hear of great complaints of his mother’s
12 Lamprid. Alex. Severus, 60; Herodian, v. 3. ,s Lamprid. Alex. Severus 3.
u Lamprid. Alex. Severus, 39.
VOL. III. T