The accession of Elagabalus to the throne was the result of a revolt fomented by his grandmother, Julia Maesa, sister-in-law of the emperor Septimius Severus and aunt of Caracalla. A successful military campaign and the backing of allies in the Senate assured the teenager's accession to power, and he slowly made his way to Rome. Elagabalus seemed to strive during his short reign to break every social and sexual taboo of Roman society. He refused to wear the traditional woollen garb of the Romans and appeared in barbaric silk dress. He introduced his mother to the Senate and later created a women's senate. Elagabulus himself behaved effeminately; and though he successively married five women, one of whom was a Vestal virgin, he remained childless. Eventually his excesses led to his murder by the Praetorians, who replaced him with his cousin Alexander. He was killed in latrines where he was found hiding, and his body was thrown in the Tiber.

Main Roman Coin Book and Other References:

RIC = Mattingly, Harold    The Roman Imperial Coinage
BMC = Coins of the Roman Empire in the British Museum
RSC = Seaby, H A    Roman Silver Coinage
RCV = Sear, David R    Roman Coins and Their Values
Cr = Crawford, Michael    The Roman Republican Coinage
SB = Sear, David R    Byzantine Coins and Their Values
S = Coins of England and the United Kingdom
WW = Wildwinds.com (reference & attribution site)