legend

History of the August and “The Roses of Heliogabalus”

The successor of Nero and Caligula, the 23rd Roman Emperor Elagabalus was spoiled since childhood. His name has become synonymous with the perversion of character, cruelty and blind adherence to lust. Strictly speaking, he was spoiled, not yet born – because he was conceived, brought up and grew up in a social paradigm that distorts his contemporaries.

Elagabalus was a worthy son of his era, from childhood he was taught that he can do anything. He wore women’s robes, was publicly exposed, was defiantly bisexual, slept with male slaves. Proudly declared that even the corrupt women did not have as many lovers as he. At the same time, by the time he was 19 years old (G.J. 203-222 AD), he had already been married five times. He openly considered honest people to be lost, and deceit and promiscuity in connections was a virtue.

The highest chic of that time was considered to sleep with a slave and then kill him. He also had a peculiar behavioral code – indicative of the fact that he was rather orderly. For example, Elagabalus daily gave something to his friends, all the time supposedly for some evil deed – he left good gifts without a gift. He made strange lotteries where he could win ten camels and ten pounds of gold — or ten flies and ten pounds of lead. At dinner, the “golden boy” ate camels’ heels, peacocks and nightingale tongues and crests cut from live roosters.

Elagabalus was so absorbed in pleasures that his mother, Julia Soaemias, and her grandmother, Julia Meza, were responsible for state affairs. Young emperor was not embarrassed in any way – he allowed them to be present in the Senate and to vote, which was previously not accepted. Quite bizarrely, a kind of “democracy” was woven into the postulates and behavioral norms of Elagabalus – he gave Senate posts, regardless of age or social origin of the candidates.

The Roses of Heliogabalus- Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema (1888)

“The Roses of Heliogabalus” – painting by English artist Lawrence Alma-Tadema, written in 1888. According to some, this canvas is filled with the spirit of human suffering, while according to others it is a fake historical-literary. Despite the opinions of historians that this is just a fake legend, this piece of art won’t leave you indifferent.

The product in pastel tones with the predominant pink is written about death, and, to put it more clearly, about multi-death, group murder. For the basis, Alma-Tadema took the plot, from a historical point of view, dubious – “The History of August.” It described how during the feast the Roman emperor Elagabalus ordered the killing of his enemy guests, sprinkling them with roses from the ceiling. From the smell of roses, guests had to suffocate.

The main character can be seen in the background in a golden diadem, reclining in a golden mantle (or robe) on pillows next to his mother Julia. Farther visible is the statue of Dionysus – her Tadema was painted from the original kept in the Vatican Museum. Some critics perceive the sculpture as a symbol of ridicule, evil irony over the plot depicted – the Greek god looks at all this “chaos” and laughs happily (however, this is only the personal opinion of critics).

The emperor with undisguised curiosity observes the creation of his hands – the slow and painful death of guests from roses falling from an awning suspended from the ceiling and then released by the executioner into a free and deadly fall. The boy is the only male in the company of ladies. According to legend, his goal was to poison the guests with the smell of roses – and it was the pink mass that was the first to strike the eye and occupy the prevailing area of the canvas.

At first, the guests were surprised at the sudden pink waterfall, then they were delighted, but the roses continued and continued to pour in, and this cruel joke gradually began to bother and then scared. And then they all died. At the same time, the organizers of the massacre are located on a kind of “captain’s bridge”, observant bed, full of gloating. They seem to be watching a fascinating performance, which they themselves orchestrated, they are full of pride.

According to historians, the artist painted a picture in the winter, and for four months each week, he ordered fresh roses in the French Riviera, controlling the liveliness of each petal. With that, one of the tasks of the master was to bring into the canvas the spirit of rotting and decomposition – like roses, like the people who died from them.

The legend of Samson and Delilah

The birth of Samson was predicted by the Angel. Samson was born in the family of Israeli judge Manoy and his beautiful wife, who was barren for a long time. Here is a really fascinating and interesting legend about Samson.

Cecil B. DeMille Production
Paramount Pictures

An Angel had appeared in a dream of Samson’s father foreshadowing the birth of an heir who will save all the Judean people from torment and enslavement. But there was a condition that the boy would serve God without sinning, would never drink alcohol and would never cut out his hair. The happy father promised to Angel to fulfill God’s will and raise his son according to this order.

The boy grew unusually strong and courageous, rumors of his heroic strength went throughout the land. There is a legend that when Samson went to the city to his first wife, he met a lion and ripped his mouth with his bare hands and teared him down. Everyone in Judean lands were amazed by his physical strength, they were trying to find out the Samson’s secret powers, but he was incorruptible.

“Samson Slaying the Lion” (1628) by Peter Paul Rubens

Soon, Samson was appointed judge, and after a few years he already led the enslaved Israeli people against the Philistines. Often he engaged in battle with the Philistines and did not allow them to continue the invasion to the south and seize more and more Jewish lands. There was no end to this war between the two nations.

Samson himself was described as an attractive and amorous man. Women adored him and could not resist him, and he skillfully used their weakness. Once Samson came to the Philistine city of Gaza and met the beautiful Philistine woman Delilah there. She, too, did not differ in godliness and there were rumors that she was sly-minded and dangerous. But despite the rumors, Samson fell deeply in love with her.

“Samson and Delilah” (1887) by Jose Etxenagusia

The Philistines found out that their worst enemy was in the city, so they decided to lure Samson into a trap: close the main gates of the city and put several dozen armed guards next to them. Waiting for Samson finally leave the city, the guards eventually fell asleep. Samson felt the danger, came out at midnight and killed all the guards, broke the gates of the city and carried them to the mountain. After this he could come to Gaza whenever he wanted to and no man could stop him.

Charming black-eyed beauty named Delilah conquered and completely enchanted Samson, he lost his mental clarity. The Philistines decided to use the delicate position of Samson persuading the harlot to find out the secret of the power.

One night, Delilah started crying talking about wanting to know the secret of Samson. Samson was in doubt, but in the end he finally told the secret that if you cut his hair, all the power will simply disappear. Delilah watered Samson with wine from which he quickly fell asleep and cutted his hair off. Samson was immediately captured and imprisoned.

“Samson” (1887) by Solomon Joseph Solomon

Blinded and weakened, for several months he remained in prison of the Philistines, who forced him to work at night and came up with new and new punishments. Neither friends, nor relatives of Samson couldn’t set him free from enemies. The Philistines, celebrating the victory over the famous warrior, did not want to listen and continued to mock the fallen hero.

“Samson and Delilah” by
Ioannis Doukas

Once in Gaza, where the Philistines kept the hated Israeli giant, they organized a festival. Leaders of the Philistines gathered for a magnificent feast, where they decided to bring Samson, to laugh at him once again. He entered the temple and asked to lead him to the column on which the roof of the building rested. Samson with one movement broke, and the temple collapsed and crashed. Samson killed a lot more enemies of the Judean people, and he died under stones too.

“The Death of Samson”
Unknown maker; Genoese School

This legend is about the man who was destroyed not by a human or an animal, but by love. Yielding to the temptation, Samson sentenced himself, and emotions took over his mind. And the legend of the most powerful man, who was ruined by blind love for a woman, has been passed down from generation to generation for thousands of years.