| Facing page | |
| Coin of Antoninus Pius, struck at Emesa (British Museum) | 26 |
| Coin of Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (Caracalla) (British Museum) | 26 |
| Medal of Julia Domna Pia, Empress (British Museum) | 40 |
| Coin of Julia Maesa Augusta (British Museum) | 40 |
| Coin of Julia Soaemias Augusta (British Museum) | 40 |
| Coin of Julia Mamaea Augusta (British Museum) | 40 |
| Coin of Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (Caracalla) (British Museum) | 60 |
| Coin of Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (Elagabalus) (British Museum) | 60 |
| Coin of Macrinus recording Victoria Parthica, A.D. 218. (From a woodcut) | 60 |
| Coin of Diadumenianus as Emperor, A.D. 218 (British Museum) | 60 |
| Coin of A.D. 219 commemorating the arrival of Elagabalus in Rome (British Museum) | 110 |
| Liberalitas II. Coin struck in A.D. 219 for the Emperor’s marriage with Julia Cornelia Paula. (From the collection of Sir James S. Hay, K.C.M.G.) | 110 |
| Coin struck in A.D. 219 concerning the grain supply (British Museum) | 110 |
| Coin struck in A.D. 219 to commemorate the Emperor’s recovery (British Museum) | 110 |
| Thyatira Coin of Elagabalus (British Museum) | 142 |
| Coin struck to commemorate Alexianus’ adoption, A.D. 221 (British Museum) | 142 |
| Coin struck to commemorate Alexander as Pont. Max., A.D. 221 (British Museum) | 142 |
| Jovi Ultiori. The Eliogabalium as reconsecrated to Jupiter, A.D. 224. (From a woodcut) | 174 |
| Coin struck to commemorate the Procession of Elagabal, A.D. 221 (British Museum) | 174 |
| Coin of A.D. 221 representing the Eliogabalium. (From a photogravure) | 174 |
| Coin of A.D. 220, misread by Cohen as T.P. III Cos. IIII (British Museum) | 196 |
| Coin of A.D. 221, misread by Cohen as T.P. IIII Cos. IIII (British Museum) | 196 |
| Coin of A.D. 222 (British Museum) | 196 |
| Coin of Julia Cornelia Paula Augusta (British Museum) | 216 |
| Coin of Julia Cornelia Paula Augusta, A.D. 220-21 (British Museum) | 216 |
| Coin of Julia Aquilia Severa Augusta, A.D. 220-21 (British Museum) | 216 |
| Coin of Annia Faustina Augusta, A.D. 221-22 (British Museum) | 216 |
| Coin of Julia Aquilia Severa Augusta, A.D. 221-22 (British Museum) | 216 |
About This Book
A critical study reevaluates the lurid portrait given by late ancient biographers of a young emperor of Imperial Rome by testing the trustworthiness of the surviving sources, especially Lampridius and the Scriptores Historiae Augustae. The author separates bias and contradiction, argues that the ruler pursued a deliberate religious program aimed at unifying cults, and questions claims of administrative and military collapse. Attention is given to fiscal and legal measures, and the book closes with three essays analyzing the principal figures who shaped the emperor's psychological and political world.