Interview with Harry Sidebottom on Heliogabalus the Mad Emperor

We have our fair share of bizarre rulers in the twenty-first century, but the subject of today’s episode makes Putin, Trump and Kim Jong Il seem rather tame. According to the Oxford academic and bestselling novelist Harry Sidebottom, our guide this week, the Roman Emperor Heliogabalus was the maddest and baddest of them all.
Heliogabalus turned Rome upside down as he rampaged over political and religious tradition during his lust-fuelled, four-year reign, contributing to the instability and chaos of the later third century AD.
In this special end of year episode, we get into the spirit of Heliogabalus by allowing Harry Sidebottom to trample on our own tradition of choosing just one year in history to travel back to.
Today we visit three separate years, 218, 220 and 222 so we can hear the full extraordinary story he tells in his new book on the maddest emperor of them all.
The characters and stories that feature in this episode of Travels Through Time form part of Sidebottom’s latest book. The Mad Emperor: Heliogabalus and the Decadence of Rome is out now.
Show notes
Scene One: 1 May 218. Heliogabalus’ grandmother sneaks him out of Emesa (modern day Homs) in Syria to start the revolt that will elevate him to the position of Emperor of Rome.
Scene Two: Midsummer’s Day 220. Heliogabalus holds a huge parade in Rome to demonstrate his new religion.
Scene Three: March 222. Heliogabalus is murdered on the orders of his grandmother.
Memento: Heliogabalus’ horn.
People/Social
Presenter: Violet Moller
Guest: Harry Sidebottom
Production: Maria Nolan
Podcast partner: Ace Cultural Tours

[@MrGatonegroish]

Very interesting points about the religious panic amongst Romans with the deity Elagabalus. With their concept of pax deorum, one wonders if their reaction to this strange new god might have felt like modern reactions to unfamiliar economic measures (especially those that go against 'common wisdom'). I'd say most of us place some 'blind' faith on the economy -- we know it works without having to question exactly how. Maybe likewise with religion for the Romans. To them upsetting the pax deorum might have, on the emotional level, seemed like abolishing market capitalism to us, a bizarre upsetting of "the way things simply are".

[@chas8965]

Excellent episode yet again. Travels Through Time is one of the best podcasts out there on history. Quality. In comparison the BBC History Extra podcasts pale in comparison. They need to up their game considerably to get even close to this podcast.

[@TravelsThroughTime]

Thank you for this generous comment. Very happy to hear that you are enjoying the episodes!

[@julieblackstock8650]

Really enjoyed this as I had never heard of him,. fascinating

[@TravelsThroughTime]

Glad you enjoyed it. Thank you!