One of the more unusual rulers of the Roman Empire has to be Marcus Aurelius Antoninus. Born Varius Avitus Bassianus in 204, he belonged to the family who were the high priests of the Syrian sun god, Elagabalus, the local version of Baal. Because of his dedication to his god, Avitus has come to be known as Elagabalus.

More importantly for his eventual rule, he was also the grand-nephew of Septimius Severus, and therefore the cousin of the emperors Caracalla and Geta. His grandmother, Julia Maesa was the sister of the former empress, Julia Domna. Maesa convinced (perhaps bribed) a Syrian legion to proclaim the 14-year old Elagabalus as emperor, and the Severan dynasty was quickly restored.

His 4-year reign was remarkable for his disregard and disrespect for Roman traditions. Though roundly condemmed for this, it is important to remember that he was used as an excuse or a figurehead for Maesa's revolt. He had no apparent military training and would undoubtedly have lived his life quite contentedly in service to the Syrian sun god. Roman religious traditions were totally unlike Eastern, and his following of these Eastern religious rites shocked Rome. The fact that he had absolute rule from such a young age meant that his eccentricities developed quickly into outright perversions.

His coinage includes his grandmother Julia Maesa, which continued under his cousin Severus Alexander. It also includes the three wives that he married and divorced in quick succession, before remarrying his second wife. An unusual feature of the coinage is the horn extending forward from Elagabalus' forehead on a few of the series. Though less common than the non-horned portraits, they are still fairly easy to acquire. Horns were a long-established symbol of divinity in Eastern religions, and many examples can be seen in the coins of the Hellenistic dynasties. In artwork the Judeo-Christian prophet Moses sometimes even is shown with horns.

The group of coins below all show a horned bust, proclaiming the divinity of the emperor himself. The reverses show the emperor sacrificing to his god with legends identifying him more as a priest rather than a ruler. From a simple engraving standpoint, the star should have been behind Elagabalus, lending more balance to the design. The fact that it is shown directly in front of the emperor leaves no question that the star represents the sun-god to whom Elagabalus sacrifices.