Above all, Elagabalus had a reputation for giving free rein to his sexual impulses and took many lovers of both sexes. “He never had intercourse with the same woman twice except with his wife,” the
Augustan History relates, “and he opened brothels in his house for his friends, his clients, and his slaves.”
On one occasion he gathered all the city’s prostitutes in the Forum and appeared before them “in a woman’s costume and with protruding bosom.” He then proceeded to harangue the assembled crowd as if giving orders to ranks of soldiers. He instructed them in sexual practices and spurred them on, promising generous prizes if they complied with his bizarre demands.
The most coveted positions of state were held by the charioteers, athletes, and slaves whose job it was to satisfy Elagabalus’s carnal needs. The emperor had a particular fondness for Hierocles, a charioteer whom he called “husband.” Elagabalus kept many other lovers besides Hierocles, however, and would deliberately allow himself to be discovered with other favorites in the hope of being “punished” with a beating from Hierocles. (Read about
chariot racing during the Roman Empire.)
Elagabalus opened up the imperial baths to the public so that he could enjoy watching the users bathe naked. He had his servants scour the streets and ports in search of men who seemed particularly virile.
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