Elagabalium

The temple was a colonnaded structure some 70 metres by 40 metres, in front of the Colosseum, within a colonnaded enclosure. The temple platform was originally built under Domitian between 81 and 96, and may have been a place of worship to Jupiter. The remnants of this terrace are still visible today at the north-east corner of the Palatine Hill. When Elagabalus became emperor in 218 the temple was expanded and rededicated to the god Elagabal, the patron deity of his homeplace Emesa in Syria. Elagabal was personified by a conical black stone, which has been suggested to have been a piece of meteorite rock. After Elagabalus' death the temple was again dedicated to Jupiter by Severus Alexander. A second, smaller temple to the god Elagabal was built where the church of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme now stands. If still in use by the 4th-century, it would have been closed during the persecution of pagans in the late Roman Empire. == The cult of Elagabalus ==

depicting Elagabalus. The reverse reads Sanct Deo Soli Elagabal, and depicts a four-horse, gold chariot carrying the holy stone of the Emesa temple. Since the reign of Septimius Severus, sun worship had increased throughout the Empire. Elagabalus saw this as an opportunity to set up his god, El-Gabal or Elagabal, as the chief deity of the Roman pantheon. Elagabal was placed over even Jupiter. As a sign of the union between the two religions, Elagabalus gave either Astarte, Minerva, Urania, or some combination of the three, to Elagabal as a wife. Herodian writes that Elagabalus forced senators to watch while he danced around the altar of Elagabal to the sound of drums and cymbals, Ancient history records lurid tales of human sacrifice taking place inside the temple, involving children which were collected all over Italy from the richest and noblest families. The religious excesses of Elagabalus' reign eventually contributed to his demise. On March 11, 222, Elagabalus was killed by members of the Praetorian Guard, and replaced by his cousin Severus Alexander. Elagabalus' religious edicts were reversed, and the statues which had been moved to the Elagabalium were restored to their original shrines. ==See also==