Listen free for 30 days

Listen with offer

Preview

£0.00 for first 30 days

Try for £0.00
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

The Mad Emperor

By: Harry Sidebottom
Narrated by: Saul Reichlin
Try for £0.00

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £13.99

Buy Now for £13.99

Pay using card ending in
Switch payment method
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.

Summary

On 8 June AD218, a fourteen-year-old Syrian boy, egged on by his grandmother, led an army to battle in a Roman civil war. Against all expectations, he was victorious.

Varius Avitus Bassianus, known to the modern world as Heliogabalus, was proclaimed emperor. The next four years were to be the strangest in the history of the empire.

Heliogabalus humiliated the prestigious Senators and threw extravagant dinner parties for lower-class friends. He ousted Jupiter from his summit among the gods and replaced him with Elagabal. He married a Vestal Virgin—twice. Rumours abounded that he was a prostitute. In the first biography of Heliogabalus in over half a century, Harry Sidebottom unveils the high drama of sex, religion, power and culture in Ancient Rome as we’ve never seen it before.
©2022 Harry Sidebottom (P)2022 W. F. Howes Ltd
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: History
Europe Rome Italy Ancient History
Show More Show Less
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

Listeners also enjoyed...

 Nero cover art
Trajan cover art
The Eagle and the Lion cover art
Messalina cover art
Emperors of Rome: Julius Caesar, Constantine, Nero, Caligula, and More cover art
The Roman Emperors cover art
Ancient Rome cover art
The Burgundians cover art
The Capsarius cover art
The Thirty Years War cover art
Marius' Mules I: The Invasion of Gaul cover art
Roman Emperors cover art
Battle for the Island Kingdom cover art
History of the Romans cover art
Crécy cover art
Wounds of Honour: Empire I cover art

What listeners say about The Mad Emperor

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    5
  • 4 Stars
    4
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    6
  • 4 Stars
    2
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    5
  • 4 Stars
    3
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Audible.co.uk reviews

Amazon reviews
Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Zazafraz

A sober look at one of history’s madmen.

The time jumps can at times make you lose track, but the theme based storytelling rather than linear timeline storytelling is surprisingly effective. I am amazed with the in depth background and world exploring and explaining that the author goes into. Explaining and expanding on the world we are in, exploring the many possibilities, and justifying his opinions. I learned a lot more than just the life of a single emperor in this book.

Report this

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Daniel Willoughby

Banger

What can I say, this book can only be described in one way that is true and honest… banger.

Report this

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful