Elagabalus and his entourage spend the winter of 218 in Bithynia at Nicomedia, where the emperor's religious beliefs first manifest themselves as a problem.

The contemporary historian Cassius Dio suggests that Gannys was in fact killed by the new emperor because he was forcing Elagabalus to live "temperately and prudently."

To help Romans adjust to the idea of having an oriental priest as emperor, Julia Maesa has a painting of Elagabalus in priestly robes sent to Rome and hung over a statue of the goddess Victoria in the Senate House.

This places senators in the awkward position of having to make offerings to Elagabalus whenever they make offerings to Victoria.

The legions, dismayed at his behavior, quickly come to regret their decision to have him supported as emperor.

While Elagabalus is still on his way to Rome, brief revolts break out by the Fourth Legion, at the instigation of Gellius Maximus, and by the Third Legion, which itself had been responsible for the accession of Elagabalus as emperor, under command of Senator Verus.

The rebellion is quickly struck down, and the Third Legion disbanded.