Varius Avitus took the name Marcus Aurelius Antoninus upon his accession, commonly called Elagabalus after the Syrian sun-god that he worshipped. Elagabalus was born in 204 AD, at Emesa, Syria to julia Soaemias and the priest of the local son-god. He was the grandson of Julia Mamaea, and second-cousin of Caracalla. The legion stationed in Syria (III Gallica) proclaimed Elagabalus emperor on May 16th 218 AD, in a coup against Macrinus engineered by julia Maesa. To increase his popularity with the eastern legions, Soaemias and Maesa spread the story that Elagabalus was actually the illegitimate son of Caracalla. After defeating Macrinus, Elagabalus slowly undertook the journey to Rome, spending the winter in Nicomedia. His party arrived in Rome in July 219 AD. Elagabalus went on to marry three different women, divorcing all of them in turn, and finally remarried his second wife. He was such an unpopular and unstable emperor that he was replaced by Maesa. Elagabalus was assassinated on March 6th 222 AD, he was only seventeen years old when he died.

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