The Mad Emperor
Heliogabalus and the Decadence of Rome
(Author) Harry SidebottomWhat happens when you put the Roman Empire in the hands of a teenage boy? The life and times of the worst Roman emperor of all. 'Buy the book; it's very entertaining.' David Aaronovitch, The Times A Financial Times, BBC History and Spectator Book of the Year On 8 June 218 AD, a fourteen-year-old Syrian boy, egged on by his grandmother, led an army to battle in a Roman civil war. Against all expectations, he was victorious. Varius Avitus Bassianus, known to the modern world as Heliogabalus, was proclaimed emperor. The next four years were to be the strangest in the history of the empire. Heliogabalus humiliated the prestigious Senators and threw extravagant dinner parties for lower-class friends. He ousted Jupiter from his summit among the gods and replaced him with Elagabal. He married a Vestal Virgin – twice. Rumours abounded that he was a prostitute. In the first biography of Heliogabalus in over half a century, Harry Sidebottom unveils the high drama of sex, religion, power and culture in Ancient Rome as we’ve never seen it before.
Harry Sidebottom
Harry Sidebottom is a British historian, archaeologist, and author best known for his historical fiction novels set in ancient Rome. His most notable works include the Warrior of Rome series, which follows the adventures of a Roman soldier named Ballista during the Roman Empire's Crisis of the Third Century. Sidebottom's novels are praised for their meticulous attention to detail, vivid depictions of ancient warfare, and complex characters. His contributions to historical fiction have helped popularize the genre and offer readers a compelling glimpse into the ancient world. Sidebottom's most famous work is "Fire in the East," the first book in the Warrior of Rome series.
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