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March 11, 222 marked the downfall of the Roman emperor Elagabalus (or Heliogabalus, in the Greek rendering).* Notorious to posterity for lapping the field in outrageous sensuality, he was the 14-year-old cousin of the deposed brute Caracalla and stepped into the purple because his crafty grandma won the civil war that ensued Caracalla’s assassination. By family heredity he was by that time already the high priest of the Syrian sun-god Elagabalus,** in the city of Emesa (present-day Homs, Syria). History has flattered the youth with the name of his novel god, although in life the former was simply Marcus Aurelius...

...His family held prominent positions in Rome, particularly through his grandmother, Julia Maesa, and her sister, Julia Domna, who was the wife of Emperor Septimius Severus...Growing up in Emesa, Elagabalus was exposed to the worship of the sun god Elagabal...Following the assassination of Emperor Caracalla in 217 AD, the unpopular Macrinus took the throne. Julia Maesa, Elagabalus' grandmother... devised a plan, spreading rumors that Elagabalus was the illegitimate son of Caracalla... These rumors resonated with the Roman legions, who were discontent with Macrinus' rule.In 218 AD, at the age of 14, Elagabalus was declared emperor by the Roman legions stationed...

A museum in Britain has decided that a Roman Emperor was actually transgender and has decided to change his pronouns in their displays. I’m not sure this was the wisest move on their part, not only because the idea is rather silly, but because the emperor in question is widely regarded as one of the very worst that Rome ever had, and that is saying something. 🔴 Roman Emperor was trans, Hertfordshire museum declares The ill-fated Elagabalus will now be referred to as 'she', although experts say a transgender category did not exist in ancient Rome ⬇ https://t.co/b1S8KFYTcP— The Telegraph...

From gender changing priests to coin hoards owned by LGBT+ emperors - archaeological finds suggest that Wales' ancient history could be filled with LGBT+ lifeWhen you think of ancient Wales, your mind probably doesn't jump to LGBT+ history. However, a series of archaeological finds point to a very different look at our history. With evidence of gender-variant priests and emperors, our Welsh history could be filled with more LGBT+ figures than we initially thought. These discoveries formed part of a series of talks exploring LGBT+ history and the evidence that can be found in Wales by independent researcher, Dr Alessandro...

"ROME, November 6, 2019 (LifeSiteNews) – A reconstruction of a pagan idol who demanded child sacrifice was stationed at the entrance of Rome’s Colosseum as part of a secular historical exhibition. The statue of Moloch, worshipped by both the Canaanites and the Phoenicians, is part of an exhibit dedicated to Ancient Rome’s once-great rival, the city of Carthage. The large-scale exhibition, titled Carthago: The immortal myth, runs until March 29, 2020. . .Three ancient Greek historians all attest that it was customary in Carthage to burn children alive as offerings to the deity, whom they called Baal and Cronus or...

"Elagabalus Aureus Sol Invictus" by Classical Numismatic Group, Inc.  http://www.cngcoins.com. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons The reverse of the imperial coin depicts horses pulling a wagon on which there is the sacred black stone from the temple of god Elagabalus in Emesa, modern Homs in Syria. The stone was associated in Rome with the cult of Sol Invictus by Emperor Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus (c. 203 – March 11, 222).  After his death he is commonly known as Caesar Elagabalus according to this his favorite god. The name is the Latinized form of the Syrian Ilāh...

RENO, Nev. - Republican presidential hopeful Rudy Giuliani defended Newt Gingrich, who has admitted having an extramarital affair as he pursued President Clinton's impeachment after the Monica Lewinsky affair. Giuliani, speaking to reporters during a campaign stop late Saturday afternoon in Reno, said the episode shows no one is perfect and the former House speaker can learn from it. "I think the American people realize, and I'm speaking for myself now, we've made a lot of mistakes, and hopefully we've done some good things in our lives and it's probably always been that way," he said. "The American people have...

The deluge of commentary on Rudolph Giuliani’s presidential prospects has forced me finally to break my long silence about the man. Somebody’s gotta say it: He shouldn’t be president, not because he’s too “liberal” or “conservative,” or because his positions on social issues have been heterodox, or because he seems tone-deaf on race, or because his family life has been messy, or because he’s sometimes been as crass an opportunist as almost every other politician of note. Rudy Giuliani shouldn’t be president for reasons more profoundly troubling. Maybe you had to be with him at the start of his electoral...

New York City before Rudy was an aging courtesan. Visiting New York City was a trip to a third-world country that had become so by choice. Times-Square was disgusting . . . full of the sort of raunchy shops that the morally stunted think are adult. Much of the city smelled of urine and I could hear gun shots in the distance walking back to my rooms . . . not once but often in my short trips to pre-Rudy New York. It was obvious why people stayed in New York City, even loved her, but it was a dying,...