Book
The Mad Emperor
First published 2022
This biography re-examines Elagabalus, the Syrian teenager who became Roman emperor in AD 218 and was murdered four years later. Sidebottom traces his rise through the Severan dynasty, his priesthood at Emesa and the religious and political experiments that alienated powerful groups in Rome.
The book treats the sensational stories preserved by hostile ancient authors as evidence requiring scrutiny rather than simple fact. It uses Elagabalus’s reputation to examine Roman attitudes towards gender, sexuality, ethnicity, religion and the performance expected of an emperor.
Historical Periods
Historical people
More from this period
5 more top-rated novels about Severan Dynasty
Ranked by rating and voting volume; books already shown on this page are omitted.
More by the author
Other books by Harry Sidebottom
Discover more
Authors similar to Harry Sidebottom
Recommended from shared genres and periods.
Anthony Riches
20 books
Christian Cameron
41 books
Valerio Massimo Manfredi
13 books
Steven Pressfield
7 books
Mary Renault
8 books