Hierocles ( el, Ἱεροκλῆς, late 2nd century – 222 AD) was reputedly a favourite and lover of the Roman Emperor

Elagabalus Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (born Sextus Varius Avitus Bassianus, 204 – 11/12 March 222), better known by his nickname "Elagabalus" (, ), was Roman emperor from 218 to 222, while he was still a teenager. His short reign was conspicuous for s ...

. Most of the descriptions of his life are given by

Cassius Dio Lucius Cassius Dio (), also known as Dio Cassius ( ), was a Roman historian and senator of maternal Greek origin. He published 80 volumes of the history on ancient Rome, beginning with the arrival of Aeneas in Italy. The volumes documented the ...

and the ''

Historia Augusta The ''Historia Augusta'' (English: ''Augustan History'') is a late Roman collection of biographies, written in Latin, of the Roman emperors, their junior colleagues, designated heirs and usurpers from 117 to 284. Supposedly modeled on the sim ...

''. Hierocles was from

Caria Caria (; from Greek: Καρία, ''Karia''; tr, Karya) was a region of western Anatolia extending along the coast from mid-Ionia (Mycale) south to Lycia and east to Phrygia. The Ionians, Ionian and Dorians, Dorian Greeks colonized the west of i ...

Anatolia Anatolia, tr, Anadolu Yarımadası), and the Anatolian plateau, also known as Asia Minor, is a large peninsula in Western Asia and the westernmost protrusion of the Asian continent. It constitutes the major part of modern-day Turkey. The re ...

, and was at some point enslaved, later becoming a charioteer in the service of Elagabalus. Initially, he was a lover and student of another charioteer named Gordius. Elagabalus was said to have been captivated by the blond and youthful Hierocles when the athlete fell in front of him during a chariot race. The Emperor made him his lover and husband and, as a consequence, Hierocles was alleged to have gained significant political influence. His mother, a slave, was promoted to be equal among wives of ex-consuls. Hierocles banished the Emperor's other lover, athlete

Aurelius Zoticus Aurelius Zoticus (active c. 219 – 221) was a ''cubicularius'' and famous male lover of the young Roman emperor Elagabalus. His story is known in two versions, one told by Cassius Dio and one contained in the later '' Historia Augusta''. Versi ...

, and inflicted physical violence upon Elagabalus when the latter was unfaithful. After Elagabalus granted Hierocles his freedom, he wanted Hierocles to be declared ''caesar'', against the opposition of his grandmother,

Julia Maesa Julia Maesa (7 May before 160 AD – AD) was a member of the Severan dynasty of the Roman Empire who was the grandmother of emperors Elagabalus and Severus Alexander, elder sister of empress Julia Domna, and mother of Julia Soaemias and Julia ...

. Allegedly, Elagabalus' partiality towards Hierocles, coupled with his eccentricities, were the principal reasons he lost the support of the

Praetorian Guard The Praetorian Guard (Latin: ''cohortēs praetōriae'') was a unit of the Imperial Roman army that served as personal bodyguards and intelligence agents for the Roman emperors. During the Roman Republic, the Praetorian Guard were an escort fo ...

, which led to his death. When the Emperor fell from power in 222, and was assassinated by the Praetorian Guard, Hierocles was executed, along with other members of Elagabalus's court.Cassius Dio 80.15-21

References

2nd-century births 222 deaths 3rd-century Romans Ancient chariot racing Ancient LGBT people Ancient Roman sportspeople Carian people Emperor's slaves and freedmen Gay men Husbands of Roman emperors LGBT history in Italy Roman Caria Severan dynasty Spouses of Elagabalus {{AncientRome-bio-stub