entity_periods: ENT_ROM_SOL_INVICTUS_ELAGABAL, PER_ROM_IMPERIAL

Period assignments linking entities to the historical periods when they are attested. An entity may span multiple periods. All Greek entities are assigned; Egyptian tradition is fully covered; total coverage exceeds 70%.

Data license: MIT · Data source: jebboone/deitydb

This data as json

entity_id	period_id	confidence	rationale	source_id	review_status
ENT_ROM_SOL_INVICTUS_ELAGABAL	PER_ROM_IMPERIAL	high	The Emesene sun-god Elagabal in imperial Roman dress as 'Deus Sol Invictus Elagabal'. The emperor Elagabalus (Varius Avitus, r.218-222 CE), hereditary priest of the conical black baetyl of Emesa, brought the stone to Rome, built the Elagaballium on the Palatine, and tried to make Elagabal supreme over the traditional gods; the cult was abolished and the stone returned to Emesa after his murder. This is the short-lived Roman state cult-form; the underlying Syrian deity is the existing ENT_ARA_ELAGABAL (Elagabal of Emesa), and it is distinct from but a precursor to Aurelian's later ENT_ROM_SOL_INVICTUS. Attested on coinage and by Herodian and the Historia Augusta; Beard/North/Price discuss the episode.	SRC_BEARD_ROMAN_RELIGIONS	reviewed