This article contributes to our understanding of Dio’s technique of using sexual discourse as a useful tool of characterisation and ethical and historical interpretation. It also aims to advance our understanding of the role of sexual-moral critique in ancient historiography more generally. In the first part, it argues that comments on sexual matters in Dio’s history contribute to the construction of imperial portraits and the evaluation of an emperor. Sexual transgressions regularly coalesce with other bad characteristics of a ruler and his overall tyrannical behaviour. In the second part it is suggested that Dio’s representation of Elagabalus is considerably peculiar in terms of both its narrative technique and content, including themes and stories that unfold in significantly different and unexpected ways. Sexual misconduct is not simply associated with other vices, but is also used as a significant stand-alone category in the historian’s assessment of Elagabalus’ character and reign. This understanding of Dio’s technique, it is proposed, makes not only a historiographical point, but also a significant historical one about Elagabalus, his rule, and the state of the Roman Empire at the time.

本文有助于我们理解Dio的使用性话语作为刻画以及道德和历史解释的有用工具的技术。它还旨在更广泛地增进我们对性道德批判在古代史学中的作用的理解。在第一部分中，它认为狄奥（Dio）历史上对性问题的评论有助于建立帝国肖像和评价皇帝。性侵犯经常与统治者的其他不良特征及其整体暴行行为结合在一起。在第二部分中，建议迪奥在其叙事技巧和内容（包括以显着不同和出乎意料的方式展现的主题和故事）方面对埃拉加巴鲁斯的表现是相当独特的。性行为不端不仅与其他恶习有关，而且在历史学家对埃拉加巴鲁斯的性格和统治力的评估中，也被用作重要的独立类别。提出对Dio的技术的这种理解，不仅成为史学上的观点，而且还成为有关Elagabalus，他的统治和当时罗马帝国状态的重要历史意义。