A museum is changing the label of its exhibit about a famous Roman emperor after concluding that she was, in fact, a trans woman. The well-known North Hertfordshire museum will now refer to Emperor Elagabalus with the feminine pronoun ‘she’.
Elagabalus, the Roman Emperor Was a Trans Woman
The new historical classification for Elagabalus comes after classical texts claim that the emperor once said “Do not call me sir, for I am a lady.” A museum spokesperson said it was “just polite and respectful to be sensitive to the identifying pronouns of people from the past.”
The museum has a coin of the Roman emperor that is often displayed among other LGBTQ+ items in its collection. According to a BBC report, the site authorities said they have consulted the Stonewall charity to ensure that “exhibits, advertising, and talks are as up-to-date and inclusive as possible.”
Who Was Elagabalus?
Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus, better known as Elagabalus, ruled the Roman Empire during his promiscuity and was the cause of great rejection by the Senate and even the Praetorian Guard. Given this situation, history says that the soldiers and his grandmother hatched the plot to assassinate him by bringing his cousin, Alejandro Severo, to power.
“Elagabalus certainly preferred the pronoun ‘she’ and as such, this is something we reflect on when talking about her in contemporary times, as we believe it is standard practice elsewhere. “We know that Elagabalus identified as female and was explicit about which pronouns to use, which shows that pronouns are not something new,” said Keith Hoskins, executive member for Arts at North Hertfordshire Council. “It has only been four years, from 218 AD. until his assassination at the age of 18 in 222 AD. He became a highly controversial figure throughout his brief reign, developing a reputation for sexual promiscuity.
Dio Cassius, a senator and contemporary of Elagabalus, wrote in his historical chronicles that the emperor married five times: four times to women and once to Hierocles, a former slave and chariot driver. In this last marriage, the emperor was called wife, lover, and queen.
This story was written in Spanish by Miguel Fernández in Cultura Colectiva News
