"Do not call me 'lord,' for I am a lady," Bassiana / Elegabalus in Zonoras' History

Not A Lord, But a Lady

Name: Joannes Zonoras Date: 1070 – 1140 CE  Region:  Constantinople [modern Turkey] Citation:  Excerpts from Roman History 12.14d - 15b

  [Bassiana / Elegabalus] was not content with this alone; they also raced chariots, danced, and even wanted to be a bride. They wanted to be bound legally to their husband, whom they titled Caesar. They enjoyed being called “lady” and “empress,” wore a veil, spun wool, and used makeup. They shaved their face to seem feminine. Their husband was a former slave named Hierocles...

When he said to them, “Hail, Lord Emperor,” they would curtsy like a woman, and replied with a wink, “Don’t call me, ‘lord,’ for I am a lady.”

καὶ οὐχ οὕτω μόνον ἠσέλγαινεν, ἡρματηλάτει τε καὶ ὠρχεῖτο ἀλλὰ καὶ ἄνδρα σχεῖν ἤθελεν ἕνα ὥσπερ γαμέτην δή τινα νόμιμον, καὶ Καίσαρα αὐτὸν ἐβούλετο προχειρίσασθαι καὶ δέσποινα καὶ βασιλὶς ὠνομάζετο καὶ ἐφόρει κεκρύφαλον καὶ ἐριούργει καὶ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ὑπεγράφετο. ἅπαξ τε τὸ γένειον ἀποκείρας μετέπειτα ἐψιλίζετο ἵνα δοκοίη γυνή. ὁ δὲ ἀνὴρ αὐτῆς Καρικὸν ἦν ἀνδράποδον, ἐκαλεῖτο δ ̓ Ἱεροκλῆς.. [1] καί τις δ’  Ἀυρήλιος καλὸς μὲν καὶ πᾶν τὸ σῶμα τὰ δ ̓ αἰδοῖα φέρων ὑπερμεγέθη ἐμηνύθη αὐτῷ καὶ αὐτίκα ὑπὸ πομπῇ μεγαλοπρεπεῖ προσήχθη. ᾧ προσειπόντι “χαῖρε κύριε αὐτόκρατορ,” ἐκεῖνος θρύψει γυναικώδει τὸν αὐχένα παρεγκλίνας καὶ ἐπιμύσας βραχύ τι τὰ ὄμματα, “μή με λέγε κύριον,” ἔφη, “ἐγὼ γὰρ κυρία εἰμί.”

Neque bis flagitiis contentus, aurigabat, saltabat, nubere etiam volebat, ut unum legitimum maritum haberet, quem Caesarem designaret: ac dominae et imperatricis nomine gaudebat, calanticam gestans, et lanam tractans, et genas pingens. Barbam semel quoquo abrasam, postea psilothro curabat ut muliercula videretur, cuius mulierculae maritus erat Caricum mancipium, nomine Hierocles... Qui cum ei dixisset: “Salve, domine imperator,” ille muliebri mollitie collo inclinato, et oculis nonnihil conniventibus: “Ne me dominum,” inquit, “dixeris, domina enim sum.”  Translated into Latin by Berthold Georg Niebuhr

[1]  Zonoras continues with misogynistic language which will not be published here.

Joannas Zonoras [1074 – 1145 CE, Modern Turkey] was an 11th century Byzantine scholar known for his Excerpts from Roman History.

Not a Lord, But a Lady: Elegabalus / Bassiana, Cassius Dio, Roman History 80.16.3-5

Name:  Cassius Dio Date:     155 – 235 CE  Region:   Nicaea [modern Turkey] Citation:      Roman History 80.16.3-5

When Elagabalus / Bassiana saw Zoticus, she leapt up gracefully, and when he greeted her, saying “Greetings, Emperor,” she shook her head and flashed him a smile, replying, “Don’t call me ‘lord,’ for I am a lady.”

καὶ ὃς ἰδὼν αὐτὸν ἀνέθορέ τε ἐρρυθμισμένως, καὶ προσειπόντα, οἷα εἰκὸς ἦν, ‘κύριε αὐτοκράτορ χαῖρε,’ θαυμαστῶς τόν τε αὐχένα γυναικίσας καὶ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ἐπεγκλάσας ἠμείψατο, καὶ ἔφη οὐδὲν διστάσας  ‘μή με λέγε κύριον: ἐγὼ γὰρ κυρία εἰμί.’

Quem ut ille conspexit, exiliit gestu modulato: quumque ab eo salutaretur, ut par erat, "Domine Imperator salve," ipse mirum & mulibrem in modum cervice inflexa, oculisque intortis, nil cunctatus respondit: "Ne me Dominum voces, Domina enim ego sum."

Translated into Latin by Hermann Samuel Reimarus, 1753

Cassius Dio [Lucius Cassius Dio; 165 – 235 CE, modern Turkey] was a Roman statesman born in Nicaea, Bithynia [modern Turkey] who wrote an 80 volume work on Roman history that spanned from Aeneas’ flight from Troy to the rise of the emperor Severus Alexander. Although much of his history is lost, the fragments that we do have show rare insight into the Roman world.

Hierocles, Husband to an Empress, Cassius Dio, Roman History, 80.15.1-3

Name:  Cassius Dio Date:     155 – 235 CE  Region:   Nicaea [modern Turkey] Citation:      Roman History 80.15.1-3

It is important to note that, like the Hadrian/Antinous, Domitian/Earinus, Caracalla/Festus, Nero/Sporus and other Imperial couples, the disparity in social classes between the two lovers may negate the consent of the relationship and should not be romanticized in modern times. 

[Elegabala’ / Bassiana’s] husband was the Carian slave Hierocles, who had been Gordian’s concubine; he learned how to drive a chariot during this relationship. This skill is how the Emperor Elegabala / Bassiana met him, for while Hierocles was racing, he happened to fall out of his chariot right in front of the Emperor’s seat. He lost his helmet in the fall; the sight of the baby-faced blond youth captivated the ruler, and so Hierocles was snatched up and immediately sent to the Palace. Hierocles’ romantic skills captivated the ruler even more, and his clout rose to such prominence that, even though his mother was a slave, she was brought to Rome under military escort, where she was awarded the rank of Consular Mother.

 * Sardanapalus was a mythical Assyrian king known for his extravagance and gender-bending lifestyle

ὁ δὲ δὴ ἀνὴρ αὐτῆς Ἱεροκλῆς ἦν, Καρικὸν ἀνδράποδον, Γορδίου ποτὲ παιδικὰ γενόμενον, παρ᾽ οὗ καὶ ἁρματηλατεῖν ἔμαθεν. κἀκ τούτου καὶ παραδοξότατα αὐτῷ ἠρέσθη. ἐν γάρ τοι ἱπποδρομίᾳ τινὶ ἐκπεσὼν τοῦ ἅρματος κατ᾽ αὐτὴν τὴν τοῦ Σαρδαναπάλλου* ἕδραν τό τε κράνος ἐν τῇ πτώσει ἀπέρριψε, καὶ ἐκφανεὶς αὐτῷ ῾λειογένειος δ᾽ ἔτι ἦν καὶ κόμῃ ξανθῇ ἐκεκόσμητὀ ἀνηρπάσθη τε εὐθὺς ἐς τὸ παλάτιον, κἀν τοῖς νυκτερινοῖς ἔργοις ἔτι καὶ μᾶλλον ἑλὼν αὐτὸν ὑπερηυξήθη, ὥστε καὶ ὑπὲρ αὐτὸν ἐκεῖνον ἰσχῦσαι, καὶ βραχύ τι νομισθῆναι τὸ τὴν μητέρα αὐτοῦ ἔτι δούλην οὖσαν ἔς τε τὴν Ῥώμην ὑπὸ στρατιωτῶν ἀχθῆναι κἀν ταῖς τῶν ὑπατευκότων γυναιξὶ συναριθμηθῆναι.

Erat vero vir eius, Hierocles quidam, Caricum mancipium, [qui Gordio quondam in deliciis fuerat,] a quo currus etiam agitare didicerat: qua occasione Imperatior, praeter exspectationem, placere coepit. Quum enim aliquando ludis Circensibus, e curru, ante Sardanapali* sellam, decidisset, inque eo casu galeam proiecisset; aperto capite conspectus ab illo, (imberbis autem adhuc & flava ornatus coma erat), statim raptus est in Palatium; & quum nocturnis flagitiis magis etiam cepisset Imperatorem, ita potentia auctus est, ut illo ipso plus posset; ac parum esse videretur, quod mater eius, servili adhuc conditione a militibus deduta in urbem, Consularium relata sit in numerum matronarum.

Translated into Latin by Hermann Samuel Reimarus, 1753

Cassius Dio [Lucius Cassius Dio; 165 – 235 CE, modern Turkey] was a Roman statesman born in Nicaea, Bithynia [modern Turkey] who wrote an 80 volume work on Roman history that spanned from Aeneas’ flight from Troy to the rise of the emperor Severus Alexander. Although much of his history is lost, the fragments that we do have show rare insight into the Roman world.

The Emperor's Gender: Cassius Dio on Elegabalus, Roman History 80.14.3-4

Bassiana / Elegabalus Living as a Lady

Name:  Cassius Dio Date:     155 – 235 CE  Region:   Nicaea [modern Turkey] Citation:      Roman History 80.14.3-4

 At court, [Bassiana /Elegabalus] kept their appearance as a man, but everywhere else they kept the appearance and voice of a woman. And they danced all the time in public, not just on stage, but also wherever they walked, when they made sacrifices, and when they were holding court. Finally, to circle back to my original point, they got married as a bride, and were called “wife,” “milady,” and “Queen.” They spun wool, wore a veil, wore eyeliner, makeup, and anklets.

 

ὅτι ἐν τῷ δικάζειν τινὰ ἀνήρ πως εἶναι ἐδόκει, ἐν δὲ δὴ τοῖς ἄλλοις τῷ ἔργῳ καὶ τῷ σχήματι τῆς φωνῆς ὡραΐζετο. τά τε γὰρ ἄλλα καὶ ὠρχεῖτο, οὔτι γε ἐν ὀρχήστρᾳ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐμβαδίζων τρόπον τινὰ καὶ θύων ἀσπαζόμενός τε καὶ δημηγορῶν. καὶ τέλος, ἵν᾽ ἤδη ἐπὶ τὸν ἐξ ἀρχῆς λόγον ἐπανέλθω, καὶ ἐγήματο, γυνή τε καὶ δέσποινα βασιλίς τε ὠνομάζετο, καὶ ἠριούργει, κεκρύφαλόν τε ἔστιν ὅτε ἐφόρει, καὶ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ἐνηλείφετο, ψιμυθίῳ τε καὶ ἐγχούσῃ ἐχρίετο.

Et in iure quidem reddendo, aliquatenus vir esse videbatur; in aliis tamen rebus, & opere & modulatione vocis, muliebrem affectabat mollitiem. Inter alia enim saltabat, non in orchestra solum, verum etiam quodammodo dum incederet, faceret sacrificia, salutaretur, & contionem haberet. Postremo, ut redeam unde digressus sum, nupsit etiam, et uxor et domina et Augusta appellabatur; tractabat lanam, reticulum aliquando gestabat, oculosque sublinebat, cerussaque vultum et anchusa pingebat.    Translated into Latin by Hermann Samuel Reimarus

 

Cassius Dio [Lucius Cassius Dio; 165 – 235 CE, modern Turkey] was a Roman statesman born in Nicaea, Bithynia [modern Turkey] who wrote an 80 volume work on Roman history that spanned from Aeneas’ flight from Troy to the rise of the emperor Severus Alexander. Although much of his history is lost, the fragments that we do have show rare insight into the Roman world.

Challenging Gender Norms: Elagabalus, SHA Vit. Elag.4.1-3

Name: Scriptores Historia Augusta Date:   Unknown Region:    Unknown Citation:    Life of Elegabala 4.1-3

When they entered the Senate for the first time, Elagabalus ordered their mother to be brought in. When she arrived, she remained at their side on the consul's bench as a secretary--indeed, she witnessed the creation of a senatorial decree! Of all the Roman emperors, Elagabalus was the only one who allowed a woman to enter the senate as if she were a man [loco viri].

Deinde ubi primum diem senatus habuit, [Elagabalus] matrem suam in senatum rogari iussit. Quae cum venisset, vocata ad consulum subsellia scribendo adfuit, id est senatus consulti conficiendi testis, solusque omnium imperatorum fuit, sub quo mulier quasi clarissima loco viri senatum ingressa est.

Scriptores Historiae Augustae Little is known about the author(s) of the Historia Augusta; even internal evidence within the text is either falsified, skewed or utterly fictitious. Although attributed to six different authors, the text was likely written by a single author living during the 4th century CE. It is a series of imperial biographies modeled after the works of Suetonius; these biographies cover the reigns of the emperors Hadrian through Carus.