With the Gods on His Back. Elagabalus and the Relocation of Effigies (S.H.A., Heliogab. 3-7)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.20318/arys.2025.9208Keywords:
Elgabal, Helagabalus, pignora Imperii, Palladium, Salambô, Artemise of Laodicea, Vestals’ fire, Mater Magna, ancilia, betyl, henotheismus, legitimation., Elagabal, Helagabalus, Pignora Imperii, Palladium, Salambô, Artemise of Laodicea, Vestals'fire, Mater Magna, Ancilia, Betyl, Henotheismus, LegitimationAbstract
The Historia Augusta provides a detailed account of Elagabalus’s reign, including his relocation of several significant religious artifacts to the newly constructed temple of Elagabalus on the Palatine Hill. These artifacts included the image of Mater Magna, the sacred fire of Vesta, the ancilia, the Palladium, the stone of Salambó, and the image of Diana of Laodicea.
While scholars have often overlooked the specific deities chosen for this relocation, a careful analysis reveals a compelling pattern. The deities selected share a common characteristic that may explain their forced displacement. This shared trait suggests that Elagabalus’s choices were not arbitrary but rather part of a deliberate strategy.
It is likely that Elagabalus’s actions were motivated by a desire to appropriate and legitimize his new divinity in the Roman religious market. By associating Elagabalus with these established and revered deities, he sought to enhance his own divine status and secure a place for his new cult within the existing religious hierarchy. However, his innovations met with significant resistance from the Roman populace, and his religious reforms ultimately resulted in his vilification and the condemnation of his actions as vulgar profanation.
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