Julia Soeamias
(Musei Capitolini, Roma)
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5.7: Heliogabalus adopt Alexianus
[Spring 221] Observing his actions, Maesa suspected
that the soldiers were outraged by his eccentricities. Fearing that if Heliogabalus were killed, she would become a private citizen again, she tried to
persuade the youth, who was in every respect an empty-headed young
idiot, to adopt as his son and appoint as caesar his first cousin and
her grandson, the child of her other daughter,
Mamaea.
She told the
emperor what it pleased him to hear, that it was clearly necessary for
him to have time to attend to the worship and service of his god and to
devote himself to the rites and revelries and divine functions, but
that there should be another responsible for human affairs, to afford
him leisure and freedom from the cares of empire. It was not necessary
for him, she said, to look for a stranger or someone not a relative; he
should entrust these duties to his own cousin.
It was then that the
name of Alexianus was changed to Alexander; the name of his grandfather
became Alexander the Great, since the Macedonian was very famous and
was held in high esteem by the alleged father of them both. Maesa's
daughters, and the old woman too, boasted of their adultery with
Caracalla, son of Severus, in order to increase the soldiers' love for
the youths, who thus appeared to be Caracalla's sons.
[26 June 221] Alexander was then
appointed caesar and served as consul with Heliogabalus himself.
Appearing before the Senate, Heliogabalus confirmed this appointment, and
all the senators voted approval of the fantastic and ridiculous
situation they were ordered to endorse - that the emperor, who was about
sixteen, assume the role of father to Alexander, who was twelve. After
adopting Alexander as caesar, Heliogabalus undertook to teach him his own
practices; he instructed him in dancing and prancing, and, enrolling
him in the priesthood, wanted the lad to imitate his appearance and
actions.
But
his mother Mamaea
kept Alexander from taking part in activities so disgraceful and
unworthy of an emperor. Privately, she summoned teachers of every
subject and had her son trained in the lessons of self-discipline;
since he devoted himself to wrestling and to physical exercise as well,
he was, by his mother's efforts, educated according to both the Greek
and the Roman systems. Heliogabalus, much annoyed at this,
regretted his decision to make Alexander his son and partner
in the empire.
He
therefore banished Alexander's teachers from the imperial palace; he
put to death some of the most distinguished and sent others into exile.
The emperor offered the most absurd excuses for doing this, claiming
that these men, by teaching Alexander self-control, educating him in
human affairs, and refusing to allow him to dance and take part in the
frenzied orgies, would corrupt his adopted son. The madness
of Heliogabalus increased to such a degree that he appointed all
the actors
from the stage and the public theaters to the most important posts in
the empire, selecting as his praetorian prefect a man who had from
childhood
danced publicly in the Roman theater [Publius Valerius Comazon].
He
elevated in similar fashion another young actor, putting him in charge
of the education and conduct of the Roman youths and of the
qualifications of those appointed to membership in the senatorial and equestrian orders. To charioteers, comedians, and actors of mimes he
entrusted the most important and responsible imperial posts. To slaves
and freedmen, to men notorious for disgraceful acts, he assigned the
proconsular provincial governorships.
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