TLS
‘Harry Sidebottom certainly makes the most of this potential. In thirteen chapters he takes us on an enjoyable romp through the few highs and many lows of Heliogabalus’s fleeting four years as emperor, between 218 CE and 222... Throughout Sidebottom showcases the historian in action, assessing his sources, trawling through prosopography and carefully identifying marble portrait busts. He offers a scholarly but readable biography of an emperor who has been rather short of such attentions.’
Daisy Dunn
'Sidebottom brings [Heliogabalus] vividly back to life. His prose feels vibrant and effortless but also rewards close reading.'
Financial Times, Book of the Year - Tony Barber
‘Ancient history was never less dry than in Harry Sidebottom’s superbly entertaining and always scholarly account of the reign of Heliogabalus... There is something for every reader: sex, politics, scandals and a compelling portrait of imperial society and culture.’
Emma Southon
‘A riveting and rollicking account of a much maligned but truly thrilling era in Roman history.’
Adrian Goldsworthy
'Combining the pace of a novelist, the training of a scholar and the instincts of a true historian, this is a wonderful exploration of the Roman world under its strangest emperor.'
David Aaronovitch
'Sidebottom is an agile guide and draws the reader’s attention to the remarkably inclusive nature of the empire, from its acceptance of different cultures into citizenship (the exact and polar opposite of, say, Qatar), its routine freeing of slaves and its acceptance of new gods into its pagan pantheon... Buy the book, it’s very entertaining.'
LRB
‘Sidebottom has an expert’s command of the rebarbative source base for third-century Rome... A whole scholarly architecture lies beneath and underpins his thoroughly convincing portrait of a failed emperor. His conclusions must be taken seriously.’
Guy de la Bédoyère
'Harry Sidebottom skilfully juggles what to believe and what not to believe... The racy story is told with the vivid phrasing and descriptive powers of an accomplished novelist... supported by a rich back story and a fascinating discussion of his legacy... a well-illustrated and absorbing read.'
Daily Mail
'The decadence, debauchery and sexual promiscuity that marked the adolescent’s time on the imperial throne make for a rollicking read.'
Barry Strauss
‘The Mad Emperor recreates the Ancient World with the eye of a poet and the sure hand of a scholar.’
Telegraph
'We are used to being told that the historical truth is less exciting than the myth. But, as Harry Sidebottom’s The Mad Emperor demonstrates, this is one of those rare cases when the history does not fall short. While working hard to correct the preconceptions of both scholars and general readers, Sidebottom presents a picture of third-century imperial Rome that is, if anything, wilder than the popular imagination.'
Matthew Kneale
‘A scholarly but highly readable account of the teenager who became classical Rome’s most reviled emperor, but who may be viewed with a touch more sympathy now.’
TalkSPORT, Book of the Week - Paul Ross
'An absolute belter'
Perspective Magazine - ASH Smyth
‘Such material certainly lends itself to Sidebottom’s boisterous, novelistic prose style... Sidebottom’s deep knowledge of the Eastern Empire and its structures is undeniable.’
Indulge Magazine
‘A vibrant and decadent account.’
Strong Words
‘[An] energetic and vivid history’
Library Journal
10/01/2022
Sifting fact from fiction, historian and novelist Sidebottom (ancient history, Oxford; author of the "Warrior of Rome" historical fiction series) pieces together the short, controversial reign of the second-century CE Roman emperor Heliogabalus in this fascinating biography. The teenage scion of a noble Syrian family was reviled by historians of his era for his financial extravagance and disregard for Roman sexual taboos (he married four women, including two vestal virgins, and allegedly prostituted himself and took male lovers). Examining sculptural inscriptions, Roman coinage, and surviving documents, Sidebottom identifies a more complicated reason for Heliogabalus's disastrous reign, centered on the young emperor's failure to appease the constituencies vital to Imperial success; he argues that Heliogabalus's sexuality and devotion to an Eastern solar deity alienated the Roman elite. Sidebottom also discusses life in the Principate era, including race relations, social status, the imagery of Imperial propaganda, and reciprocal obligations of the ruler and the ruled; more than a biography of a single emperor, this book analyzes the sources of Imperial authority. VERDICT A must for anyone interested in the Classical era.—Sara Shreve
