But such a competitor soon arose; and, to the
astonishment of all the world, in the person of a Syrian. The Emperor
Severus, on losing his first wife, had resolved to strengthen the
pretensions of his family by a second marriage with some lady having a
regal "genesis," that is, whose horoscope promised a regal destiny. Julia
Domna, a native of Syria, offered him this dowry, and she became the
mother of Geta. A sister of this Julia, called Moesa, had, through two
different daughters, two grandsons--Heliogabalus and Alexander Severus.
The mutineers of the army rallied round the first of these; a battle was
fought; and Macrinus, with his son Diadumenianus, whom he had adopted to
the succession, were captured and put to death. Heliogabalus succeeded,
and reigned in the monstrous manner which has rendered his name infamous
in history. In what way, however, he lost the affections of the army, has
never been explained. His mother, Sooemias, the eldest daughter of Moesa,
had represented herself as the concubine of Caracalla; and Heliogabalus,
being thus accredited as the son of that emperor, whose memory was dear to
the soldiery, had enjoyed the full benefit of that descent, nor can it be
readily explained how he came to lose it.
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