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Ruling with his mother he administered everything subordinate to her; it was she who took care of the empire in every respect. So she persuaded him to judge trials for the most part, so that he would be occupied with those things and have no opportunity to pursue vices. He was born with a natural disposition both meek and tame and inclined towards benevolence. So up to his fourteenth year of ruling the kingdom he ruled without bloodshed, despite the fact that certain people had fallen foul of major accusations, so that after the death of Marcus[1] the empire was amazed at Alexander. He even censured his mother and was altogether vexed seeing her being avaricious and accumulating so much from abusive confiscations. But he was forced by her to do many things; for his mother ruled absolutely over him. She carried on with deeds shameful and unbecoming to rulers, and secretly summoned tutors in every discipline; he then said farewell to both wrestling-schools and gymnasia and scared away the tutors. To such an extent did things drift that everything changed, from the stage and the public theatres to the greatest offices of state. Because of this they hated him.

*)ale/candros o( *mamai/as: su\n th=| mhtri\ a)/rcas u(p' e)kei/nh| pa/nta diw/|kei, h(/tis pantaxo/qen e)frou/rei th\n a)rxh/n. dika/zein te ou)=n au)to\n e)/peiqen e)pi\ plei=ston, w(s a)\n e)n tou/tois a)sxolou/menos mh\ e)/xoi kairo\n e)s to\ e)pithdeu/ein ti tw=n a(marthma/twn. u(ph=rxe de\ au)tw=| kai\ fusiko\n h)=qos pra=on kai\ h(/meron e)/s te to\ fila/nqrwpon pa/nu e)pirrepe/s. e)s tessareskaide/katon ou)=n e)/tos a)/rcas th=s basilei/as, a)naimwti\ h)=rce, kai/toi tinw=n megi/stais ai)ti/ais u(popeso/ntwn, w(s meta\ th\n *ma/rkou teleuth\n th\n basilei/an qauma/zein *)aleca/ndrou. h)|tia=to de\ kai\ th\n mhte/ra kai\ pa/nu h)/sxallen o(rw=n au)th\n ou)=san filoxrh/maton kai\ polla\ e)c e)phreiw=n qhsauri/zousan. polla\ de\ u(p' au)th=s h)nagka/zeto pra/ttein: h)=rxe ga\r au)tou= u(perballo/ntws h( mh/thr. h(/tis a)ph=ge tw=n ai)sxrw=n kai\ a)prepw=n toi=s basileu=sin e)/rgwn, didaska/lous te pa/shs paidei/as la/qra metepe/mpeto: o( de\ palai/strais te kai\ gumnasi/ois e)/xaire kai\ tou\s didaska/lous a)peso/bei. e)s tosou=ton de\ e)cw/keilen, w(s dh\ pa/nta ta\ a)po\ th=s skhnh=s kai\ tw=n dhmosi/wn qea/trwn metagagei=n e)pi\ ta\s a)rxa\s ta\s megi/stas. dia\ tou=to e)musa/ttonto au)to/n.

"Alexander Mamaias" (again in brief at mu 123) is the emperor M. Aurelius Severus Alexander; ruled 222-235. The present entry derives from John of Antioch, frs. 140 and (from "She carried on...") 138 FHG (= now frs. 219 and 218 Roberto). See generally OCD(4) pp.212-13; and De Imperatoribus Romanis entry (Herbert Benario) at web address 1.
[1] His cousin and predecessor M. Aurelius Antoninus Elagabalus (ruled 218-222). Elagabalus (Heliogabalus) was from a prominent Syrian family in the city of Emesa (present-day Homs). The contemporary Roman senator, Cassius Dio, condemned him for being a tyrant; having multiple wives, including a Vestal Virgin; flaunting other Roman religious traditions; and generally leading a life of sexual debauchery; cf. Cassius Dio 80.11-17. Modern historians, e.g. Rowan (165-170), are more nuanced in their estimates of the young emperor, finding Dio's account to be a blend of exaggeration and salacious fiction, but cementing together some historically accurate anecdotes. Nevertheless, Elagabalus lost the support of the Senate and began plotting against his cousin Alexander, whom he recognized to be broadly supported by the Praetorian Guard. At the age of eighteen, along with his mother, the Praetorians beheaded Elagabalus, his body being disposed of into the Tiber River; cf. Cassius Dio 80.20. See also alpha 1089 note.

David Whitehead (modified headword; added notes and keyword; cosmetics) on 31 August 2001@05:08:26.
Catharine Roth (added link) on 31 August 2001@11:56:57.
David Whitehead (more keywords; cosmetics) on 2 August 2006@08:31:31.
David Whitehead (another keyword; tweaks) on 3 February 2012@07:03:03.
David Whitehead (updated a ref) on 30 July 2014@04:16:37.
Catharine Roth (coding, tweak) on 28 November 2014@00:39:09.
David Whitehead (updated more refs) on 29 January 2015@03:13:05.
Catharine Roth (tweaked note) on 29 May 2015@00:03:19.
Ronald Allen (tweaked translation after discussion with Catharine Roth) on 20 September 2026@11:38:58.
Ronald Allen (expanded n.1, added bibliography) on 26 September 2026@19:18:57.
Ronald Allen (added cross-reference n.1) on 27 September 2026@11:12:33.
Ronald Allen (tweaked translation after further discussion with Catharine Roth) on 28 September 2026@11:12:53.

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