By Kyle Orton (@KyleWOrton) on 25 October 2025
Islamic State Sets its Sights on Libya as a Launchpad for Terrorism Against Europe
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Tag Archives: Romans
Roman Eastern Foederati and Arab Monotheism Before Islam
Was Islam’s Ka’ba Always in Mecca?
Rome’s Worst Emperor? Assessing the Sources About Elagabalus
A Note on the Family of Elagabalus and Roman Rule in Syria
By Kyle Orton (@KyleWOrton) on 7 February 2025
When Septimius Severus became Roman Emperor in 193 AD, his wife, whom he had married in 187, was Julia Domna, a native of Emesa (now Homs), meaning Rome had its first Syrian Empress.
A Note on Akhenaten and Ancient Religious Revolutions
By Kyle Orton (@KyleWOrton) on 7 February 2025
The written biographies of the Roman Emperor Elagabalus (r. 218-22 AD) claim that he oversaw an effort to replace the traditional gods with the Syrian sun god of which he was the high priest, and that this was part of the reason he was overthrown. There is, however, no physical evidence for an Elagabalan religious revolution, and we have an idea of the kinds of evidence that should show up where a ruler has tried to impose a new religious dispensation and it has been rejected by his successors because we have counter-examples.
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