Silver pendant with Roman coin Elagabalus

Elagabalus (Sextus Varius Avitus Bassianus), born around 203 AD in Emesa, Syria, was Emperor of Rome from 218 to 222 AD. He was a high priest of the sun god Elagabal before ascending to the throne. His short reign was notorious for religious upheaval, eccentric behaviour, alleged sexual debauchery and scandal.

He attempted to replace traditional Roman gods with the worship of the sun god Elagabal, even forcing high-ranking officials to participate in religious rites.

His reign was infamous for lavish feasts, excessive spending, and controversial marriages, including one to a Vestal Virgin, which violated Roman religious customs.

His erratic rule alienated the Senate, Praetorian Guard, and Roman citizens, leading to his assassination at age 18 by his own guards, who replaced him with his cousin Severus Alexander.

Elagabalus remains one of the most controversial emperors in Roman history, remembered for his religious zealotry, decadence, and disregard for tradition.

Artemis Pergaia was the local form of Artemis worshipped at Perge in Pamphylia, where her celebrated sanctuary was one of the region’s most important religious centres. Her cult idol differed from the familiar Classical image of Artemis as a huntress: it was an ancient, rigid and highly stylised figure, often shown wearing a tall headdress and a long, tapering garment. The idol frequently appears on the coins of Perge, sometimes standing within a temple, emphasising the city’s close association with the goddess.