The British Museum has declared an ancient Roman emperor transgender, reports Telegraph.
North Hertfordshire Museum said it would be careful to use the correct pronouns when referring to Heliogabalus, the Roman emperor between 218 and 222. , in English).
The decision was made because there are historical documents that state that the emperor asked to be called “Mistress.” However, some historians believe that this request was just an attempt at “personality assassination,” the newspaper writes.
The museum said the pronouns used in the exhibits refer to “the will of a person” or what is “appropriate in retrospect.” A coin from Elagabalus’ reign of the Roman Empire until his assassination is on display in a cultural space in central England.
The museum’s consultants are consulting with England’s LGBT communities to ensure exhibitions are “contemporary and inclusive”.
“Heliogabalo definitely preferred the pronoun “she.” [ela]. We try to be careful about the use of pronouns to identify people from the past. We know that Elagabalus identified as a woman and spoke openly about it. Pronouns are not a new thing,” guarantees Keith Hoskins of the museum.
The decision is based on the report of Diao Cassius, a Roman historian who wrote in a chronicle that Heliogabalus was called “woman, mistress and queen” after he told his lover: “Do not call me ‘Lord.’ [senhor]because I’m a “Lady” [senhora]“… Besides the fact that he found women’s private parts fascinating.
Nevertheless, Telegraph recalls that Cassius Dio served Emperor Alexander Severus, who ascended the throne after the death of Heliogabalus. Reports indicate that the emperor’s deviant behavior led to his death.
The emperor’s more feminine behavior was considered an insult to the Romans.
“The Romans didn’t have the same view of transsexuals as we do today, but they blamed them for ‘feminine’ behavior designed to offend men,” explains Andrew Wallace-Hadrill, a Cambridge professor consulted by The Telegraph, who recalls: that the emperor in question was “a Syrian and not a Roman” as a justification for the charges.
Author: morning Post
Source: CM Jornal
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