Who is your favorite emperor? Mine is Elgabalus >came to

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Who is your favorite emperor?
Mine is Elgabalus

>came to power at the age of 14 through the machinations of his mother and grandmother

>basically treated being emperor as “spoiled celebrity kid” + “explore own sexuality”.

>paraded around with low-born male lovers, whom he advanced to top government positions. Had tons of gay sex. Also liked to be roughed up by his lovers and frequently appeared “beaten up” with black eyes and whatnot. Sent out his servants to find guys with the biggest junk and invite them to come and play with the Emperor. >

>Also liked to dress up (as prostitutes, for example) in public.

>introduced the cult of the sun god in Rome, against the will of the majority of the population and practiced human sacrifice as part of the cult.Played “jokes” on his people and his guests, such as throwing snakes at them during official banquets, or serving them food made out of wax/clay, etc.

>rode around in carriages pulled by nude girls.

>married three women (spent about one year on each) with the declared goal of producing an heir, but got bored with them quickly (about 1 year each). His second bride/victim was a Vestal Virgin… which was sacrilage usually punishable by death. Killed the husband of the third.

>Was murdered 3.5 years into his reign, along with his mother and grandmother, who did the real governing for him.

Claimed by Edward Gibbon, to have "abandoned himself to the grossest pleasures and ungoverned fury". Normally upright historian Barthold Georg Niebuhr raged against his "unspeakably disgusting life".