 Furthermore , the political climate in the aftermath of Elagabalus ' reign , as well as Dio 's own position within the government of Alexander , likely influenced the truth of this part of his history for the worse . Dio regularly refers to Elagabalus as Sardanapalus , partly to distinguish him from his divine namesake , but chiefly to do his part in maintaining the damnatio memoriae and to associate him with another autocrat notorious for a dissolute life . 
