Matilda Brown

for all intents and purposes, Empress of the Roman Empire. And this is something that's very perturbing. I think to anybody who looks closely at this period, there's this huge question of why. And Alex and I were talking about this prior to sitting down with you, and we still have not really been able to wrap our minds around it. It is part of why I kind of wanted to bring up

Is it just that they know each other because they've been in these bureaucratic circles? Is it that Macrinus is like, well, I just like this woman. Does he already know that she's dying from cancer?

Is it just that they know each other because they've been in these bureaucratic circles? Is it that Macrinus is like, well, I just like this woman. Does he already know that she's dying from cancer?

Is it just that they know each other because they've been in these bureaucratic circles? Is it that Macrinus is like, well, I just like this woman. Does he already know that she's dying from cancer?

So I'll leave her alone, you know. Does he know that she's dying of cancer? And so he wants to, you know, he presents himself as an, he adopts the name Severus to present himself as a continuator of the Severan dynasty. He elevates himself on Septimius Severus's birthday.

So I'll leave her alone, you know. Does he know that she's dying of cancer? And so he wants to, you know, he presents himself as an, he adopts the name Severus to present himself as a continuator of the Severan dynasty. He elevates himself on Septimius Severus's birthday.

So I'll leave her alone, you know. Does he know that she's dying of cancer? And so he wants to, you know, he presents himself as an, he adopts the name Severus to present himself as a continuator of the Severan dynasty. He elevates himself on Septimius Severus's birthday.

Is he trying to use her to create this continuity with the Severans sort of artificially knowing that she's really not going to last that long? It's a big question mark. It's really, really interesting. This doesn't happen with any other empress at any point, especially for one who is so incredibly influential and involved in the running of the empire.

Is he trying to use her to create this continuity with the Severans sort of artificially knowing that she's really not going to last that long? It's a big question mark. It's really, really interesting. This doesn't happen with any other empress at any point, especially for one who is so incredibly influential and involved in the running of the empire.

Is he trying to use her to create this continuity with the Severans sort of artificially knowing that she's really not going to last that long? It's a big question mark. It's really, really interesting. This doesn't happen with any other empress at any point, especially for one who is so incredibly influential and involved in the running of the empire.

And Macrinus really shoots himself in the foot here because he allows Julia Domna to survive. And she eventually dies, I think, a couple of months after her son, probably in the summer of 217. And all around her are her family, her older sister and her older sister's two daughters, each of whom have a son.

And Macrinus really shoots himself in the foot here because he allows Julia Domna to survive. And she eventually dies, I think, a couple of months after her son, probably in the summer of 217. And all around her are her family, her older sister and her older sister's two daughters, each of whom have a son.

And Macrinus really shoots himself in the foot here because he allows Julia Domna to survive. And she eventually dies, I think, a couple of months after her son, probably in the summer of 217. And all around her are her family, her older sister and her older sister's two daughters, each of whom have a son.

And she sends this family back to Emesa, the familial sort of home place, which is sometimes described as sort of a backwater in Syria, but has a massive temple to the deity, the solar deity Elagabal. And Julia Maesa promptly enrolls both of her grandsons in this priesthood.

And she sends this family back to Emesa, the familial sort of home place, which is sometimes described as sort of a backwater in Syria, but has a massive temple to the deity, the solar deity Elagabal. And Julia Maesa promptly enrolls both of her grandsons in this priesthood.

And she sends this family back to Emesa, the familial sort of home place, which is sometimes described as sort of a backwater in Syria, but has a massive temple to the deity, the solar deity Elagabal. And Julia Maesa promptly enrolls both of her grandsons in this priesthood.

which is the ancestral priesthood that her family has belonged to and has tons of money and tons of property at her disposal. And Macrinus, thinking that this won't be an issue for him, allows them to kind of retire.

which is the ancestral priesthood that her family has belonged to and has tons of money and tons of property at her disposal. And Macrinus, thinking that this won't be an issue for him, allows them to kind of retire.

which is the ancestral priesthood that her family has belonged to and has tons of money and tons of property at her disposal. And Macrinus, thinking that this won't be an issue for him, allows them to kind of retire.

And Maesa immediately starts scheming and brings in nearby legions and starts bribing them and sort of fomenting a new Severan dynasty, a coup, to put her grandson, Elagabalus, on the throne.