Julia Maesa (7 May before 160 AD – AD) was a member of the
Severan dynasty
The Severan dynasty was a Ancient Rome, Roman imperial dynasty that ruled the Roman Empire between 193 and 235, during the Roman imperial period (chronology), Roman imperial period. The dynasty was founded by the emperor Septimius Severus (), w ...
of the
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post-Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings around the Mediterr ...
who was the grandmother of emperors
Elagabalus
Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (born Sextus Varius Avitus Bassianus, 204 – 11/12 March 222), better known by his nickname "Elagabalus" (, ), was Roman emperor from 218 to 222, while he was still a teenager. His short reign was conspicuous for s ...
and
Severus Alexander
Marcus Aurelius Severus Alexander (1 October 208 – 21/22 March 235) was a Roman emperor, who reigned from 222 until 235. He was the last emperor from the Severan dynasty. He succeeded his slain cousin Elagabalus in 222. Alexander himself was ...
, elder sister of empress
Julia Domna
Julia Domna (; – 217 AD) was Roman empress from 193 to 211 as the wife of Emperor Septimius Severus. She was the first empress of the Severan dynasty. Domna was born in Emesa (present-day Homs) in Roman Syria to an Arab family of priests ...
, and mother of
Julia Soaemias
Julia Soaemias Bassiana (180 – 11 March 222) was a Syrian noblewoman and the mother of Roman emperor Elagabalus, who ruled over the Roman Empire from 218 to 222. She was one of his chief advisors, initially with the support and accompaniment ...
and
Julia Mamaea. She wielded influence during the reigns of her grandsons as
Augusta of the Empire from 218 to her death, especially on their elevation to emperors.
Born in
Emesa
ar, حمصي, Himsi
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,
Syria
Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
(modern day
Homs
Homs ( , , , ; ar, حِمْص / ALA-LC: ; Levantine Arabic: / ''Ḥomṣ'' ), known in pre-Islamic Syria as Emesa ( ; grc, Ἔμεσα, Émesa), is a city in western Syria and the capital of the Homs Governorate. It is Metres above sea level ...
), to an
Arab
The Arabs (singular: Arab; singular ar, عَرَبِيٌّ, DIN 31635: , , plural ar, عَرَب, DIN 31635: , Arabic pronunciation: ), also known as the Arab people, are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in Western Asia, ...
family of priests of the deity
Elagabalus
Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (born Sextus Varius Avitus Bassianus, 204 – 11/12 March 222), better known by his nickname "Elagabalus" (, ), was Roman emperor from 218 to 222, while he was still a teenager. His short reign was conspicuous for s ...
, Maesa and her sister Domna were the daughters of
Julius Bassianus
Julius Bassianus (born in the second half of the 2nd century, died 217) was an Arab high priest of Elagabalus at the ''Temple of the Sun'' in Emesa, Syria, where this solar deity was worshipped in a shape of a black stone. The name Elagabalus de ...
. Through her sister's marriage, Maesa became sister-in-law to
Septimius Severus
Lucius Septimius Severus (; 11 April 145 – 4 February 211) was Roman emperor from 193 to 211. He was born in Leptis Magna (present-day Al-Khums, Libya) in the Roman province of Africa (Roman province), Africa. As a young man he advanced thro ...
and aunt of
Caracalla
Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (born Lucius Septimius Bassianus, 4 April 188 – 8 April 217), better known by his nickname "Caracalla" () was Roman emperor from 198 to 217. He was a member of the Severan dynasty, the elder son of Emperor S ...
and
Geta
Geta may refer to:
Places
*Geta (woreda), a woreda in Ethiopia's Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region
*Geta, Åland, a municipality in Finland
*Geta, Nepal, a town in Attariya Municipality, Kailali District, Seti Zone, Nepal
*Get ...
, who all became emperors. She married fellow Syrian
Julius Avitus
Gaius Julius Avitus AlexianusHazel, ''Who's who in the Roman World'', p. 34 (died 217) was a Syrian nobleman who had an impressive Roman military and political career.
Background and career
Although Alexianus was a Roman citizen who was born and ...
, who was of consular rank. She bore him two daughters, Soaemias and Mamaea, who became mothers of Elagabalus and Severus Alexander, respectively.
As one of the Severan dynasty's prominent women, Maesa sought to return to power after her sister's suicide. She was closely involved in raising her grandson Elagabalus, and after his murder, another grandson, Severus Alexander, as emperors, which resulted in the restoration of the Severan dynasty to the Roman throne after the assassination of Caracalla and the usurpation of the throne by
Macrinus
Marcus Opellius Macrinus (; – June 218) was Roman emperor from April 217 to June 218, reigning jointly with his young son Diadumenianus. As a member of the equestrian class, he became the first emperor who did not hail from the senatori ...
. Sometime after Alexander's accession, she died in Rome. She was later deified in Syria along with her sister.
Early life and marriage
Julia Maesa was born on 7 May before 160 AD, the elder daughter of the priest
Julius Bassianus
Julius Bassianus (born in the second half of the 2nd century, died 217) was an Arab high priest of Elagabalus at the ''Temple of the Sun'' in Emesa, Syria, where this solar deity was worshipped in a shape of a black stone. The name Elagabalus de ...
in
Emesa
ar, حمصي, Himsi
, population_urban =
, population_density_urban_km2 =
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, population_blank1_title = Ethnicities
, population_blank1 =
, population_blank2_t ...
,
Syria
Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
, modern day
Homs
Homs ( , , , ; ar, حِمْص / ALA-LC: ; Levantine Arabic: / ''Ḥomṣ'' ), known in pre-Islamic Syria as Emesa ( ; grc, Ἔμεσα, Émesa), is a city in western Syria and the capital of the Homs Governorate. It is Metres above sea level ...
, as part of the
Emesan dynasty
The Emesene (or Emesan) dynasty, also called the Sampsigeramids or the Sampsigerami or the House of Sampsigeramus ( ar, آل شمسيغرام, translit=ʾĀl Šamsīġirām), were a Roman Empire, Roman client dynasty of Arabs, Arab priest-kings k ...
. She had a younger sister,
Julia Domna
Julia Domna (; – 217 AD) was Roman empress from 193 to 211 as the wife of Emperor Septimius Severus. She was the first empress of the Severan dynasty. Domna was born in Emesa (present-day Homs) in Roman Syria to an Arab family of priests ...
who would later become Roman empress after her marriage to
Septimius Severus
Lucius Septimius Severus (; 11 April 145 – 4 February 211) was Roman emperor from 193 to 211. He was born in Leptis Magna (present-day Al-Khums, Libya) in the Roman province of Africa (Roman province), Africa. As a young man he advanced thro ...
who was, by the time of their marriage, a senator.
As Maesa was an
Arab
The Arabs (singular: Arab; singular ar, عَرَبِيٌّ, DIN 31635: , , plural ar, عَرَب, DIN 31635: , Arabic pronunciation: ), also known as the Arab people, are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in Western Asia, ...
, her
cognomen
A ''cognomen'' (; plural ''cognomina''; from ''con-'' "together with" and ''(g)nomen'' "name") was the third name of a citizen of ancient Rome, under Roman naming conventions. Initially, it was a nickname, but lost that purpose when it became here ...
, Maesa, is the feminine
agent noun of the Arabic verb ''masa'' ( ar, مايسة) which signifies walking with a swinging gait. This would be an appropriate female name as the verb from which it was derived was used by Arab poets to describe the figures of the women whom they write about. Although no written account describing her appearance survives, her sharp and formidable features, which contradict the soft and sensitive ones of her sister, are well displayed on the coins minted during the reign of her grandchildren.
Maesa later married a fellow Syrian,
Julius Avitus
Gaius Julius Avitus AlexianusHazel, ''Who's who in the Roman World'', p. 34 (died 217) was a Syrian nobleman who had an impressive Roman military and political career.
Background and career
Although Alexianus was a Roman citizen who was born and ...
, a consul who also served as provincial governor in the empire. She bore him two daughters, her eldest daughter,
Julia Soaemias
Julia Soaemias Bassiana (180 – 11 March 222) was a Syrian noblewoman and the mother of Roman emperor Elagabalus, who ruled over the Roman Empire from 218 to 222. She was one of his chief advisors, initially with the support and accompaniment ...
, was born around 180 AD or some time before, and was followed by another daughter,
Julia Mamaea, not long after.
Life in Rome
After her sister's arrival in Rome and the beginning of her tenure as empress consort, Maesa, accompanied by her family, travelled to Rome where they took up residence in the imperial court, although her husband,
Julius Avitus
Gaius Julius Avitus AlexianusHazel, ''Who's who in the Roman World'', p. 34 (died 217) was a Syrian nobleman who had an impressive Roman military and political career.
Background and career
Although Alexianus was a Roman citizen who was born and ...
, who held several important posts, did not stay in Rome for long and had to make many journeys across the empire; she did not accompany him on the journeys.
During their time in Rome, Maesa and her family amassed great wealth and fortune, and rose to high positions in the Roman government and court of
Septimius Severus
Lucius Septimius Severus (; 11 April 145 – 4 February 211) was Roman emperor from 193 to 211. He was born in Leptis Magna (present-day Al-Khums, Libya) in the Roman province of Africa (Roman province), Africa. As a young man he advanced thro ...
and later, his son and successor,
Caracalla
Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (born Lucius Septimius Bassianus, 4 April 188 – 8 April 217), better known by his nickname "Caracalla" () was Roman emperor from 198 to 217. He was a member of the Severan dynasty, the elder son of Emperor S ...
. Her two daughters attained prominent positions in the court while their Syrian husbands held important posts as provincial governors and consuls, with Maesa's husband, along with that of her daughter rising from the
Equestrian rank to reach Senatorial rank.
Return to Emesa
In 217 AD, after the murder of emperor Caracalla and the usurpation of the throne by
Macrinus
Marcus Opellius Macrinus (; – June 218) was Roman emperor from April 217 to June 218, reigning jointly with his young son Diadumenianus. As a member of the equestrian class, he became the first emperor who did not hail from the senatori ...
, Maesa's sister, Domna, now with none of the power or influence she held during the reigns of her husband and her son, suffering from
breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer that develops from breast tissue. Signs of breast cancer may include a lump in the breast, a change in breast shape, dimpling of the skin, milk rejection, fluid coming from the nipple, a newly inverted nipple, or a re ...
, and having lost both of her children, chose to commit suicide by starvation.
Maesa and her family, who had resided in Rome for the last two decades, were spared and ordered by Macrinus to leave Rome and return to their home town of Emesa in Syria, likely because Macrinus wanted to avoid any action that would seem disloyal to Caracalla's memory thus avoiding any reprisals from the Roman army. Macrinus left Maesa's great wealth, amassed over a period of over 20 years, intact. Maesa arrived in Emesa some time between spring 217 and spring 218.
Restoration of the Severan dynasty
![Julia Domna Glyptothek Munich 354](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8f/Julia_Domna_Glyptothek_Munich_354.jpg)
Macrinus was in a difficult position after Caracalla's assassination and was struggling to gain legitimacy and maintain loyalty to his rule. This situation encouraged Maesa to act against Macrinus. Being located in Emesa, she was close to a military base where many soldiers still held the Severans in high esteem and were loyal to the dynasty. The soldiers were also discontented with Macrinus' peace with the
Parthians Parthian may be:
Historical
* A demonym "of Parthia", a region of north-eastern of Greater Iran
* Parthian Empire (247 BC – 224 AD)
* Parthian language, a now-extinct Middle Iranian language
* Parthian shot, an archery skill famously employed by ...
, making Emesa an excellent location to launch a coup to restore her family to power.
Her first step was to choose a male candidate from within the family to replace the usurper, Macrinus. Maesa's husband died in Cyprus shortly before 217, as had her
eldest daughter's husband. Julia Soaemias had a 14-year-old son,
Varius Avitus Bassianus, who was the hereditary priest of the Emesan sun god. But Maesa had a different future in mind for him. He had begun attracting the soldiers of the
Legio III Gallica
Legio III Gallica ( Third Legion "Gallic") was a legion of the Imperial Roman army. The cognomen ''Gallica'' suggests that its earliest recruits came from veterans of the Gallic legions of Gaius Julius Caesar, a supposition supported by its e ...
stationed near Emesa, who would visit the city's temple occasionally to view what they considered to be the extravagant yet amusing religious rituals of Bassianus.
Maesa proceeded with her plot of trying to challenge the legitimacy of emperor Macrinus, and she did so by claiming that Bassianus, who greatly resembled Caracalla, was indeed the former emperor's bastard son and that Caracalla had slept with both her daughters. The claim that Bassianus was the love child of Caracalla and Soaemias, despite almost certainly being untrue, was not so easily refuted, as aside from the young boy's resemblance to the emperor, Soaemias had been living in the Roman court at the time of Caracalla's reign. Maesa did not seem to mind that this claim would be sacrificing the honour and reputation of her daughters.
Julia Maesa began offering to distribute her great wealth and fortune to the Roman soldiers based in Emesa in exchange for their support. This news spread throughout the army camps. Maesa, her daughter and Bassianus were taken into the army camp at night where the 14-year-old boy was immediately acknowledged and hailed as emperor by the soldiers and clad in imperial purple.
Historian
Cassius Dio
Lucius Cassius Dio (), also known as Dio Cassius ( ), was a Roman historian and senator of maternal Greek origin. He published 80 volumes of the history on ancient Rome, beginning with the arrival of Aeneas in Italy. The volumes documented the ...
narrates a slightly different version of events. He mentions a certain
Gannys, who is not mentioned as partaking in the plot in any other source, as the main instigator of the revolt. Allegedly a 'youth who has not yet reached manhood', Dio claims he was raised by Maesa and was Soaemias' lover and the protector of her son. On a certain night, Bassianus was dressed in clothes worn by Caracalla as a child. Without the knowledge of either Soaemias or Maesa, Gannys then took him to the army camp and claimed he was the murdered emperor's son.
It is unlikely that Maesa and Soaemias, with much to gain from Bassianus becoming emperor, would have been completely unaware of the actions of Gannys. On the other hand, it is also unlikely that Maesa alone orchestrated the young boy's ascension. In her plan she probably had the support of many important figures from the city of Emesa and even some figures in Rome's ruling elite.
Reaction of Macrinus
![Aureus Macrinus-RIC 0079 (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d4/Aureus_Macrinus-RIC_0079_%28cropped%29.jpg)
With the support of an entire legion, other legionaries, prompted by discontent over pay, deserted Macrinus and joined Elagabalus' ranks as well. In response to the growing threat, Macrinus sent out a cavalry force under the command of Ulpius Julianus to try to regain control of the rebel soldiers. Rather than capturing the rebel forces, the cavalry instead killed Ulpius and defected to Elagabalus.
Following these events, Macrinus travelled to
Apamea
Apamea or Apameia ( grc, Απάμεια) is the name of several Hellenistic cities in western Asia, after Apama, the Sogdian wife of Seleucus I Nicator, several of which are also former bishoprics and Catholic titular see.
Places called Apamea in ...
to ensure the loyalty of
Legio II ''Parthica'' before setting off to march against Emesa. According to Dio, Macrinus appointed his son Diadumenian to the position of
Imperator
The Latin word ''imperator'' derives from the stem of the verb la, imperare, label=none, meaning 'to order, to command'. It was originally employed as a title roughly equivalent to ''commander'' under the Roman Republic. Later it became a part o ...
, and promised the soldiers 20,000 sesterces each, with 4,000 of these to be paid on the spot. Dio further says that Macrinus hosted a dinner for the residents of Apamea in honour of Diadumenian. At the dinner, Macrinus was supposedly presented with the head of Ulpius Julianus who had been killed by his soldiers. In response, Macrinus left Apamea and headed south.
Macrinus and Elagabalus' troops met somewhere near the border of
Syria Coele and
Syria Phoenice. Despite Macrinus' efforts to quell the rebellion at this engagement, his whole legion defected to Elagabalus forcing Macrinus to retire to
Antioch
Antioch on the Orontes (; grc-gre, Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπὶ Ὀρόντου, ''Antiókheia hē epì Oróntou'', Learned ; also Syrian Antioch) grc-koi, Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπὶ Ὀρόντου; or Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπ ...
. Elagabus took to the offensive and marched on Antioch.
Battle of Antioch
![Head of Julia Meza](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/90/Head_of_Julia_Meza.jpg)
Elagabalus' armies, commanded by the inexperienced but determined
Gannys, engaged Macrinus' Praetorian Guard in a
pitched battle
A pitched battle or set-piece battle is a battle in which opposing forces each anticipate the setting of the battle, and each chooses to commit to it. Either side may have the option to disengage before the battle starts or shortly thereafter. A ...
. Gannys commanded at least two full legions and held numerical superiority over the fewer levies that Macrinus had been able to raise. Macrinus had ordered the Praetorian Guard to set aside their scaled armour breastplates and grooved shields in favour of lighter oval shields prior to the battle. This made them lighter and more manoeuvrable and negated any advantage light Parthian lancers had. The Praetorian Guards broke through the lines of Gannys' force, which turned to flee. During the retreat, however, Julia Maesa and Soaemias, in a surprising act of heroism joined the fray, leaping from their chariots to rally the retreating forces, while Gannys charged on horseback headlong into the enemy. These actions effectively ended the retreat with the troops resuming the assault with renewed morale, thus turning the tide of battle. Fearing defeat, Macrinus fled back to the city of Antioch. He attempted to escape north but was captured and executed in
Cappadocia
Cappadocia or Capadocia (; tr, Kapadokya), is a historical region in Central Anatolia, Turkey. It largely is in the provinces Nevşehir, Kayseri, Aksaray, Kırşehir, Sivas and Niğde.
According to Herodotus, in the time of the Ionian Revo ...
, while his son
Diadumenian
Diadumenian (; la, Marcus Opellius Antoninus Diadumenianus; 14September 208 – June 218) was the son of the Roman Emperor Macrinus, and served as his co-ruler for a brief time in 218. His mother was Nonia Celsa, whose name may be fictitiou ...
was captured in
Zeugma and executed as well.
Elagabalus entered Antioch as effectively Rome's new emperor. He stopped the soldiers from sacking the city and sent a message to the senate who were forced to accept the young boy as their new emperor. Upon ascension as emperor he took the name ''Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus''.
Reign of Elagabalus
Although now declared emperor, Elagabalus' claim was not uncontested, as several others laid claim to the Roman throne. These included Verus, the commander of
Legio III Gallica
Legio III Gallica ( Third Legion "Gallic") was a legion of the Imperial Roman army. The cognomen ''Gallica'' suggests that its earliest recruits came from veterans of the Gallic legions of Gaius Julius Caesar, a supposition supported by its e ...
, who ironically was the first to proclaim Elagabalus as emperor, and Gellius Maximus, the commander of Legio IV Scythica. These rebellions were quashed and their instigators executed.
Elagabalus spent the winter of 218–219 in
Nicomedia
Nicomedia (; el, Νικομήδεια, ''Nikomedeia''; modern İzmit) was an ancient Greek city located in what is now Turkey. In 286, Nicomedia became the eastern and most senior capital city of the Roman Empire (chosen by the emperor Diocletia ...
before he set off for
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
. Maesa allegedly urged him to enter the capital draped in Roman clothes, but instead, he had a painting of him made as a priest making offerings to the Emesene deity
El-Gabal
Elagabalus (), Aelagabalus, Heliogabalus, () or simply Elagabal (Aramaic: 𐡁𐡋𐡄𐡂𐡀𐡋 ''ʾĕlāhgabāl'' or 𐡁𐡋𐡄𐡀𐡂𐡀𐡋 ''ʾĕlāhaʾgabāl''; Arabic: إله الجبل ''Ilah al-Jabal'', "mountain god") ...
. The painting was hung right above the statue of
Victoria
Victoria most commonly refers to:
* Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia
* Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada
* Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory
* Victoria, Seychelle ...
in the senate, putting senators in the awkward position of having to make offerings to the Syrian deity whenever they wanted to make offerings to Victoria.
Both Maesa and her daughter Soaemias are featured heavily in all literary accounts of his reign, and are credited with having a significant influence over the young emperor. Julia Maesa was honoured with the titles of 'Augusta, mater castrorum et senatus' (Augusta, mother of the camp and the senate) and 'avia Augusti' (grandmother of the emperor). She and her daughter Soaemias received senatorial titles and later appeared in the Senate beside Elagabalus during his adoption of Severus Alexander, an honour previous imperial women had not received.
Soon, the young emperor lost his popularity with the praetorian guards, who did not approve of his behaviour and his unusual religious rituals. Considering how their support was crucial for his rule to survive, this was an extremely dangerous development. Julia Maesa decided to take measures to prevent things from getting too out of hand. When she opposed his move to raise his lover
Hierocles to ''caesar'', he threatened her life. However, she convinced her grandson to adopt his cousin, her grandson
Alexander
Alexander is a male given name. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history.
Variants listed here are Aleksandar, Al ...
, and declare him ''caesar'', with the argument that it would leave more time for Elagabalus to devote himself to religious matters. The adoption of the 12 years old Alexander provided a strategic shift for the supporters of Elagabalus, as some of the supporters felt it was no longer wise to tie their fate with that of the priest-emperor and now saw an alternative in his adopted son.
![Julia Maesa obversee](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/47/Julia_Maesa_obversee.png)
Rivalry was soon increasing between the two boys and Elagabalus regretted adopting his more popular cousin. The soldiers began to look favourably upon Elagabalus' cousin, and the allies and supporters of the dynasty as well as the imperial family itself became divided, with Elagabalus and Soaemias on one side, and Mamaea, Maesa and Alexander on the other.
By the beginning of 222, Alexander and Elagabalus had become so estranged from each other that they no longer appeared together in public. An assassination attempt against Alexander by Elagabalus enraged the praetorian guards who demanded an assurance of Alexander's safety from Elagabalus and the dismissal of certain officials. Elagabalus broke his promise to do so, prompting the praetorian guard to slay Elagabalus and his mother, cutting their heads off and throwing aside their bodies. Alexander was now proclaimed emperor.
A traditionally held belief is that while Elagabalus was mainly involved in religious matters, Julia Maesa and her daughter were the ones effectively running the state. This claim has been treated with caution by contemporary historians such as Barabara Levick, as in ancient Rome, politics and religion were intertwined and the rule of Elagabalus and the supremacy of his particular deity broke this relationship. In any case it is certain that Maesa had influence over the young boy, but Elagabalus' disagreements and dismissal of Maesa's advice, who was an advocate of Roman traditionalism, can be seen as the primary cause of his downfall.
Julia Maesa may have been involved in the assassination of her daughter and grandson, or at least she tolerated it. However, it may have helped her to retain her family's grip on power and preserve the empire's stability.
Reign of Severus Alexander
![Alexander Severus Musei Capitolini MC471](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1d/Alexander_Severus_Musei_Capitolini_MC471.jpg)
Alexander ascended the throne at the age of around 14, and he was kept in check by his mother and grandmother who were determined to erase the negative impression left by Elagabalus' rule. Alexander was given the name Marcus Aurelius Severus Alexander to emphasize his relationship to Septimius Severus, the founder of the dynasty.
Julia Mamaea and Julia Maesa also helped guide the smooth running of the empire in Alexander's minority. The inscriptions carrying the emperor's name referred to him as ''Juliae Mamaeae Aug(ustae) filio Juliae Maesae Aug(ustae) nepote'' (the son of Julia Mamaea and grandson of Julia Maesa), showing their status. The changes introduced by Maesa and her daughter included selecting a council of sixteen chosen for their moderation and experience to control the affairs of the administration and provide advice to the young emperor, restoring an aristocratic and non-tyrannical form of government. Under the new regime, new measures reversing Elagabalus' policies were introduced. The eastern religious practices introduced by the former emperor were eradicated in Rome and his religious edicts were reversed, the sacred stone of
El-Gabal
Elagabalus (), Aelagabalus, Heliogabalus, () or simply Elagabal (Aramaic: 𐡁𐡋𐡄𐡂𐡀𐡋 ''ʾĕlāhgabāl'' or 𐡁𐡋𐡄𐡀𐡂𐡀𐡋 ''ʾĕlāhaʾgabāl''; Arabic: إله الجبل ''Ilah al-Jabal'', "mountain god") ...
was returned to Emesa and the vast temple which had been dedicated to him by Elagabalus was re-dedicated to
Jupiter
Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the List of Solar System objects by size, largest in the Solar System. It is a gas giant with a mass more than two and a half times that of all the other planets in the Solar System combined, but ...
.
[Herodian 6.1]
Death
Maesa likely died between November 224 and 227. Her death deprived her daughter, Julia Mamaea, not only of a mother but also of a political mentor and colleague, and Julia Mamaea was now alone in her family in guiding her son's rule.
Deification
Like her sister Julia Domna, Julia Maesa was deified. In the ''
Feriale Duranum
The ''Feriale Duranum'' is a calendar of religious observances for a Roman military garrison at Dura-Europos on the Euphrates, Roman Syria, under the reign of Severus Alexander (224–235 AD).
History and description
The small papyrus roll w ...
'', the list of religious observances of the ''Cohors XX Palmyrenorum'', dating to AD, Maesa is subject to a supplication on her birthday (7 May). Coins commemorating her deification show her borne aloft on the back of a peacock. Unfortunately the coins are undated, but she also appears deified on the ''
Acta Fratrum Arvalium'' of 7 November 224, which lists the number of gods and goddesses the ''
Arval Brethren'' made sacrifices to on that certain date.
Severan dynasty family tree
See also
*
Emesan dynasty
The Emesene (or Emesan) dynasty, also called the Sampsigeramids or the Sampsigerami or the House of Sampsigeramus ( ar, آل شمسيغرام, translit=ʾĀl Šamsīġirām), were a Roman Empire, Roman client dynasty of Arabs, Arab priest-kings k ...
*
Julia Domna
Julia Domna (; – 217 AD) was Roman empress from 193 to 211 as the wife of Emperor Septimius Severus. She was the first empress of the Severan dynasty. Domna was born in Emesa (present-day Homs) in Roman Syria to an Arab family of priests ...
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Elagabalus
Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (born Sextus Varius Avitus Bassianus, 204 – 11/12 March 222), better known by his nickname "Elagabalus" (, ), was Roman emperor from 218 to 222, while he was still a teenager. His short reign was conspicuous for s ...
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Maesa, Julia
Augustae
Severan dynasty
Deified Roman women
2nd-century Roman women
3rd-century Roman women
2nd-century Arabs
3rd-century Arabs
3rd-century women rulers
150s births
224 deaths
People from Homs
Emesene dynasty
Julii