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MUSEUM RECLASSIFIES ROMAN EMPEROR AS TRANS WOMAN

Published
21 November

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Image source, PHAS
Image caption,
Debate over whether Roman emperor Elagabalus was transgender has split academics
By Yasmin Rufo
Culture reporter


A museum is to relabel its display about a Roman emperor after concluding that
he was in fact a trans woman.

North Hertfordshire Museum will now refer to emperor Elagabalus with the female
pronouns of she and her.

It comes after classical texts claim the emperor once said "call me not Lord,
for I am a Lady".

A museum spokesperson said it was "only polite and respectful to be sensitive to
identifying pronouns for people in the past".

The museum has one coin of Elagabalus, which is often displayed amongst other
LGBTQ+ items in its collection.

It said it consulted LGBTQ+ charity Stonewall to ensure "displays, publicity and
talks are as up-to-date and inclusive as possible".



Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, better known as Elagabalus, ruled the Roman empire
for just four years from 218AD to his assassination, aged 18, in 222AD.

He became an increasingly controversial figure over his short reign, developing
a reputation for sexual promiscuity.

Cassius Dio, a senator and contemporary of Elagabalus, writes in his historical
chronicles that the emperor was married five times - four times to women, and
once to Hiercoles, a former slave and chariot driver.

In this final marriage, Dio writes that the emperor "was bestowed in marriage
and was termed wife, mistress and queen".

Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,
North Hertfordshire Museum has a coin of Elagabalus in its LGBTQ+ collection

The debate over Elagabalus's gender identity is long-standing and often splits
academics.

Dr Shushma Malik, a Cambridge university classics professor, told the BBC: "The
historians we use to try and understand the life of Elagabalus are extremely
hostile towards him, and therefore cannot be taken at face value. We don't have
any direct evidence from Elagabalus himself of his own words.



"There are many examples in Roman literature of times where effeminate language
and words were used as a way of criticising or weakening a political figure.

"References to Elagabalus wearing makeup, wigs and removing body hair may have
been written in order to undermine the unpopular emperor."

Dr Malik added that whilst Romans were aware of gender fluidity, and there are
examples of pronouns being changed in literature, it "was usually used in
reference to myth and religion, rather than to describe living people".

However, councillor Keith Hoskins, executive member for Enterprise and Arts at
North Herts Council, said texts such as Dio's provide evidence "that Elagabalus
most definitely preferred the 'she' pronoun and as such this is something we
reflect when discussing her in contemporary times, as we believe is standard
practice elsewhere".

"We know that Elagabalus identified as a woman and was explicit about which
pronouns to use, which shows that pronouns are not a new thing," he added.



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