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71 guilty of a most scandalous outrage against public morality, marrying, as he did on that occasion, a vestal, having informed the senate of his intention, and explained to them that it was lawful for a priest to marry a priestess. He invited over a number of Phœnician women, and danced with them publicly before the sacred stone which he had set up to be worshipped by the universe. Unhappily the symbols of this worship were revoltingly indecent, and, in fact, some of the almost incredible details which are recorded of the private life of Elagabalus may be attributed to the ignorance that prevailed respecting the symbolical character of the rites he practised. It may be remembered, too, by the way, that his mother, Soemis, and his grandmother, Maesa, joined in the same form of worship. Herodianus, however, informs us that Maesa would willingly have checked this feverish and bigoted zeal for sun-worship, which she easily foresaw would expose the foolish young emperor to ridicule and endanger his position on the throne; and as nothing is said of Soemis, we may fairly presume