Gaius Julius Alexio
Encyclopedia
Gaius Julius Alexio also known as Alexio II was a Syrian Prince
and Roman Client Priest King of Emesa
.
Alexio was a monarch of Assyrian
, Greek
, Armenian, Medes
, Berber
and Roman ancestry
. He was the child born to the monarchs Sohaemus of Emesa
and Drusilla of Mauretania
. The father of Alexio, Sohaemus was an Emesene Prince and ruled as Priest King from 54 until his death in 73. He was the second son of the previous ruling Emesene Monarchs Sampsiceramus II
and his wife Iotapa
. Alexio’s late paternal uncle was the childless Emesene King Gaius Julius Azizus who was the first husband of the Herodian Princess
Drusilla, while he had two paternal aunts, Iotapa who married the Herodian Prince Aristobulus Minor
and Mamaea.
The mother of Alexio was Drusilla of Mauretania
, a Princess from Mauretania
North Africa
. Drusilla was the child of the late Roman Client Monarchs Ptolemy of Mauretania
and Julia Urania
. The mother of Drusilla may have been a member of the Royal Family of Emesa and her father was a maternal grandson of the Ptolemaic Greek Queen Cleopatra VII of Egypt
and Roman Triumvir
Mark Antony
.
The name Alexio is a variant of the ancient Greek name Alexander
. The name Alexander was a dynastic name in the Emesani Royal Family; the Seleucid dynasty
; the Ptolemaic dynasty
and perhaps Alexio’s parents named him an intent to recover their heritage and connections to Alexander the Great. Alexio was a descendant of the Seleucid dynasty; the Ptolemaic dynasty and a distant relative of Alexander the Great through his paternal grandmother and maternal grandfather.
Alexio was born and raised in Emesa. After his father died, Alexio succeeded his father as Priest King of Emesa. Alexio ruled as a Priest King from 73 until his death in 78, thus he was a contemporary of the ruling Roman Emperor
Vespasian
. He was the priest of the Syrian Sun God, known in Aramaic
as El-Gebal. Little is known on him. What is known about Alexio is from surviving inscriptions from Emesa
.
There is a noted sepulchral Greek inscription on a monument dated 78/79 at Emesa, dedicated by his son to his family:
He married an unnamed noblewoman by whom; he had a son called Gaius Julius Fabia Sampsiceramus III Silas
. When Alexio died in 78, his son ruled as Priest King from 79 until his death in 120. After the death of Alexio, the generations after him are not recorded sufficiently to accurately present a pedigree. A descendant of Alexio's is the Emesene high priest Gaius Julius Bassianus
, who was the father of the Roman Empress Julia Domna
and another possible descendant was the Syrian Queen of the 3rd century, Zenobia
of Palmyra
.
History of Syria
The history of Syria:*Prehistory and Ancient Near East: see Pre-history of the Southern Levant, Fertile Crescent, Ebla, Mitanni*Antiquity: see Syro-Hittite states, Greater Syria, Roman Syria...
and Roman Client Priest King of Emesa
Royal family of Emesa
The royal family of Emesa, also known as the Emesani Dynasty or the Sempsigerami of Emesa , sometimes known as The Sampsiceramids were a ruling Roman client dynasty of priest-kings in Emesa, Syria Province...
.
Alexio was a monarch of Assyrian
Assyrian people
The Assyrian people are a distinct ethnic group whose origins lie in ancient Mesopotamia...
, Greek
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
, Armenian, Medes
Medes
The MedesThe Medes...
, Berber
Berber people
Berbers are the indigenous peoples of North Africa west of the Nile Valley. They are continuously distributed from the Atlantic to the Siwa oasis, in Egypt, and from the Mediterranean to the Niger River. Historically they spoke the Berber language or varieties of it, which together form a branch...
and Roman ancestry
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
. He was the child born to the monarchs Sohaemus of Emesa
Sohaemus of Emesa
Gaius Julius Sohaemus, also known as Sohaemus of Emesa and Sohaemus of Sophene , was a prince and a Roman Client Priest King from Syria who lived in the 1st century....
and Drusilla of Mauretania
Drusilla of Mauretania (born 38)
This article is about Drusilla of Mauretania for her paternal aunt of the same name; see Drusilla of Mauretania .Drusilla of Mauretania was a Princess of Mauretania, North Africa and was the great grandchild of Ptolemaic Greek Queen Cleopatra VII of Egypt and Roman Triumvir Mark Antony.-Ancestry...
. The father of Alexio, Sohaemus was an Emesene Prince and ruled as Priest King from 54 until his death in 73. He was the second son of the previous ruling Emesene Monarchs Sampsiceramus II
Royal family of Emesa
The royal family of Emesa, also known as the Emesani Dynasty or the Sempsigerami of Emesa , sometimes known as The Sampsiceramids were a ruling Roman client dynasty of priest-kings in Emesa, Syria Province...
and his wife Iotapa
Iotapa
Iotapa or Iotape also known as Iotapi was the name of various queens and princesses who lived in between the 2nd century BC, 1st century BC, 1st century and 2nd century. The name Iotapa or Iotape originally derives from the name Jotapa or Jotape, which was a name of Persian origin...
. Alexio’s late paternal uncle was the childless Emesene King Gaius Julius Azizus who was the first husband of the Herodian Princess
Herodian Dynasty
The Herodian Dynasty was a Jewish dynasty of Idumean descent, client Kings of Roman Judaea Province between 37 BCE and 92 CE.- Origin :During the time of the Hasmonean ruler John Hyrcanus 134-104 BCE, Israel conquered Edom and forced the Edomites to convert to Judaism.The Edomites were integrated...
Drusilla, while he had two paternal aunts, Iotapa who married the Herodian Prince Aristobulus Minor
Aristobulus Minor
Aristobulus Minor or Aristobulus the Younger was a prince from the Herodian Dynasty. He was of Jewish, Nabataean and Edomite ancestry....
and Mamaea.
The mother of Alexio was Drusilla of Mauretania
Drusilla of Mauretania (born 38)
This article is about Drusilla of Mauretania for her paternal aunt of the same name; see Drusilla of Mauretania .Drusilla of Mauretania was a Princess of Mauretania, North Africa and was the great grandchild of Ptolemaic Greek Queen Cleopatra VII of Egypt and Roman Triumvir Mark Antony.-Ancestry...
, a Princess from Mauretania
Mauretania
Mauretania is a part of the historical Ancient Libyan land in North Africa. It corresponds to present day Morocco and a part of western Algeria...
North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
. Drusilla was the child of the late Roman Client Monarchs Ptolemy of Mauretania
Ptolemy of Mauretania
Ptolemy of Mauretania was a prince and the last Roman client King of Mauretania.-Family and early life:Ptolemy was the son of King Juba II and Queen Cleopatra Selene II of Mauretania. He had a younger sister called Drusilla of Mauretania...
and Julia Urania
Julia Urania
Julia Urania was a Roman Client Queen of Mauretania. She married the Roman Client King Ptolemy of Mauretania, who was a son of the former Mauretanian Client Monarchs Juba II and Cleopatra Selene II.Her grandson was Gaius Julius Alexio.-Biography:...
. The mother of Drusilla may have been a member of the Royal Family of Emesa and her father was a maternal grandson of the Ptolemaic Greek Queen Cleopatra VII of Egypt
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
and Roman Triumvir
Roman Republic
The Roman Republic was the period of the ancient Roman civilization where the government operated as a republic. It began with the overthrow of the Roman monarchy, traditionally dated around 508 BC, and its replacement by a government headed by two consuls, elected annually by the citizens and...
Mark Antony
Mark Antony
Marcus Antonius , known in English as Mark Antony, was a Roman politician and general. As a military commander and administrator, he was an important supporter and loyal friend of his mother's cousin Julius Caesar...
.
The name Alexio is a variant of the ancient Greek name Alexander
Alexander
Alexander is a common male first name, and less common surname. The most famous is Alexander the Great, the King of Macedon who created one of the largest empires in ancient history.- Origin :...
. The name Alexander was a dynastic name in the Emesani Royal Family; the Seleucid dynasty
Seleucid dynasty
The Seleucid dynasty or the Seleucidae was a Greek Macedonian royal family, founded by Seleucus I Nicator , which ruled the Seleucid Kingdom centered in the Near East and regions of the Asian part of the earlier Achaemenid Persian Empire during the Hellenistic period.-History:Seleucus was an...
; the Ptolemaic dynasty
Ptolemaic dynasty
The Ptolemaic dynasty, was a Macedonian Greek royal family which ruled the Ptolemaic Empire in Egypt during the Hellenistic period. Their rule lasted for 275 years, from 305 BC to 30 BC...
and perhaps Alexio’s parents named him an intent to recover their heritage and connections to Alexander the Great. Alexio was a descendant of the Seleucid dynasty; the Ptolemaic dynasty and a distant relative of Alexander the Great through his paternal grandmother and maternal grandfather.
Alexio was born and raised in Emesa. After his father died, Alexio succeeded his father as Priest King of Emesa. Alexio ruled as a Priest King from 73 until his death in 78, thus he was a contemporary of the ruling Roman Emperor
Roman Emperor
The Roman emperor was the ruler of the Roman State during the imperial period . The Romans had no single term for the office although at any given time, a given title was associated with the emperor...
Vespasian
Vespasian
Vespasian , was Roman Emperor from 69 AD to 79 AD. Vespasian was the founder of the Flavian dynasty, which ruled the Empire for a quarter century. Vespasian was descended from a family of equestrians, who rose into the senatorial rank under the Emperors of the Julio-Claudian dynasty...
. He was the priest of the Syrian Sun God, known in Aramaic
Aramaic language
Aramaic is a group of languages belonging to the Afroasiatic language phylum. The name of the language is based on the name of Aram, an ancient region in central Syria. Within this family, Aramaic belongs to the Semitic family, and more specifically, is a part of the Northwest Semitic subfamily,...
as El-Gebal. Little is known on him. What is known about Alexio is from surviving inscriptions from Emesa
Homs
Homs , previously known as Emesa , is a city in western Syria and the capital of the Homs Governorate. It is above sea level and is located north of Damascus...
.
There is a noted sepulchral Greek inscription on a monument dated 78/79 at Emesa, dedicated by his son to his family:
- Γαΐος Ἰούλιος, Φαβίᾳ, Σαμσιγέραμος ὁ καὶ Σείλας, Γαΐου Ἰουλίου Ἀλεξιῶνος υἱὁς, ζῶν ἐποίησεν ἑαυτῷ καὶ τοῖς ἰδίοις, ἔτους Οτʹ
- Gaius Julius Fabia, Sampsiceramus, also called Silas, son of Gaius Julius Alexio, while still living made this for himself and his family, year 390
He married an unnamed noblewoman by whom; he had a son called Gaius Julius Fabia Sampsiceramus III Silas
Gaius Julius Fabia Sampsiceramus III Silas
Gaius Julius Fabia Sampsiceramus III Silas was a Syrian Prince and Roman Client Priest King of Emesa....
. When Alexio died in 78, his son ruled as Priest King from 79 until his death in 120. After the death of Alexio, the generations after him are not recorded sufficiently to accurately present a pedigree. A descendant of Alexio's is the Emesene high priest Gaius Julius Bassianus
Julius Bassianus
Gaius Julius Bassianus or Bassus, also known as Julius Bassianus was a Syrian, who lived in the 2nd century and 3rd century. Bassianus was a high priest for the Temple of the Sun, which was adored in a shape of a black stone. The Aramaean Sun God in Aramaic is El-Gabal. Bassianus was a member of...
, who was the father of the Roman Empress Julia Domna
Julia Domna
Julia Domna was a member of the Severan dynasty of the Roman Empire. Empress and wife of Roman Emperor Lucius Septimius Severus and mother of Emperors Geta and Caracalla, Julia was among the most important women ever to exercise power behind the throne in the Roman Empire.- Family background...
and another possible descendant was the Syrian Queen of the 3rd century, Zenobia
Zenobia
Zenobia was a 3rd-century Queen of the Palmyrene Empire in Roman Syria. She led a famous revolt against the Roman Empire. The second wife of King Septimius Odaenathus, Zenobia became queen of the Palmyrene Empire following Odaenathus' death in 267...
of Palmyra
Palmyra
Palmyra was an ancient city in Syria. In the age of antiquity, it was an important city of central Syria, located in an oasis 215 km northeast of Damascus and 180 km southwest of the Euphrates at Deir ez-Zor. It had long been a vital caravan city for travellers crossing the Syrian desert...
.
Sources
- Kingdom of Commagene
- Royal Egyptian Genealogy: Ptolemaic Descendants
- Cleopatra’s Children and Descendants at Ancient History by Suite101
- Ptolemaic Genealogy - Cleopatra Selene
- Ptolemaic Genealogy - Alexander Helios
- Alexio meaning and name origin
- H. Temporini & W. Haase, Aufstieg und Niedergang der römischen Welt: Geschichte und Kultur Roms im spiegel der neueren Forschung, Walter de Gruyter, 1977
- D.W. Roller, The Building Program of Herod the Great, University of California Press, 1998
- A.R. Birley, Septimius Severus: the African emperor, Routledge, 1999
- J.P. Brown, Israel and Hellas, Volume 3, Walter de Gruyter, 2001
- M. Chahin, The Kingdom of Armenia, Routledge, 2001
- B. Levick, Julia Domna, Syrian Empress, Taylor & Francis, 2007