Cassius Dio, Julia Maesa and the Omens Foretelling the Rise of Elagabalus and Severus Alexander
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 20061836 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Riccardo Bertolazzi (corresponding author) |
| Year | 2022 |
| Pages | 279-300 |
| Publication date | 2022-02-22 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | CHAPTER |
| Venue | The Intellectual Climate of Cassius Dio (SOURCE_BOOK) |
| Publisher | Brill (PUBLISHER • NL) |
| DOI | 10.1163/9789004510517_012 |
| OpenAlex | W4221111154 |
| ISBN | 9789004510517 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 2 |
When narrating Elagabalus’ rise to power, Cassius Dio recounts that the god Elagabal told Eutychianus, a freedman of Julia Maesa, to take her grandson Avitus Bassianus to the soldiers to be acclaimed emperor. Later, Elagabal ordered the emperor to adopt his cousin Bassianus Alexianus and to call him Alexander. Dio says that this must be true, and that several other prodigies seemed to confirm this version of the facts. Yet an analysis of the historical context and a comparison between the accounts of Dio and Herodian seem rather to indicate that Maesa used stratagems to conceal her role in the accessions of both Elagabalus and Severus Alexander. It is likely that Dio wanted to present Alexander in the best light possible, avoiding the impression that the emperor from whom he had obtained considerable benefits had ascended the throne thanks to the schemes of his grandmother
Ancient history · Archaeology · Art · Emperor · Politics · Throne · Byzantine Studies and History · Classical Antiquity Studies · Historical and Linguistic Studies · History · Law
| Citations per year | 2 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2025 - 2025 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |