Julia Maesa was a member of the Severan dynasty of the Roman Empire who was the grandmother of emperors Elagabalus and Severus Alexander, elder sister of empress Julia Domna, and mother of Julia Soaemias and Julia Mamaea.
20 Facts About Julia Maesa
2.
Julia Maesa married fellow Syrian Julius Avitus, who was of consular rank.
3.
Julia Maesa bore him two daughters, Soaemias and Mamaea, who became mothers of Elagabalus and Severus Alexander, respectively.
4.
Julia Maesa 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.
5.
Julia Maesa was later deified in Syria along with her sister.
6.
Julia Maesa had a younger sister, Julia Domna who would later become Roman empress after her marriage to Septimius Severus who was, by the time of their marriage, a senator.
7.
Julia Maesa later married a fellow Syrian, Julius Avitus, a consul who served as provincial governor in the empire.
8.
Julia Maesa bore him two daughters, her eldest daughter, Julia Soaemias, was born around 180 AD or some time before, and was followed by another daughter, Julia Mamaea, not long after.
9.
Julia Maesa arrived in Emesa some time between spring 217 and spring 218.
10.
Julia Maesa's husband died in Cyprus shortly before 217, as had her eldest daughter's husband.
11.
Julia Maesa Soaemias had a 14-year-old son, Varius Avitus Bassianus, who was the hereditary priest of the Emesan sun god Elagabalus.
12.
Julia Maesa had begun attracting the soldiers of the Legio III Gallica 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.
13.
Julia 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.
14.
Julia Maesa did not seem to mind that this claim would be sacrificing the honour and reputation of her daughters.
15.
Julia Maesa began offering to distribute her great wealth and fortune to the Roman soldiers based in Emesa in exchange for their support.
16.
Julia Maesa attempted to escape north but was captured and executed in Cappadocia, while his son Diadumenian was captured in Zeugma and executed as well.
17.
Julia Maesa 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.
18.
Julia Maesa decided to take measures to prevent things from getting too out of hand.
19.
Julia Mamaea and Julia Maesa helped guide the smooth running of the empire in Alexander's minority.
20.
Julia Maesa's death deprived her daughter, Julia Mamaea, not only of a mother but of a political mentor and colleague, and Julia Mamaea was now alone in her family in guiding her son's rule.