Julia Soaemias
Syrian noblewoman, mother and chief advisor of emperor Elagabalus.
Julia Soaemias Bassiana was a Syrian noblewoman and mother of Roman emperor Elagabalus, serving as one of his chief advisors alongside her own mother Julia Maesa. She guided the young emperor during his reign from 218 to 222 until growing unrest and a family division led to her son's replacement by her nephew. Julia Soaemias was killed along with her son by the Praetorian Guard.
Quick Facts
- Reign
- 8 June 218 – 11 March 222
- Predecessor
- Nonia Celsa (likely)
- Successor
- Julia Maesa and Julia Mamaea
- Reg type
- Co-Augustae
- Regent
- Julia Maesa (218–222)
- Julia Cornelia Paula (219–220)
- Aquilia Severa (220–221)
- Annia Faustina (221)
- Full name
- Julia Soaemias Bassiana
- Regnal name
- Julia Soaemias Bassiana Augusta
- Spouse
- Sextus Varius Marcellus
Facts from the source article.
Early life
Julia Soaemias had her name recorded in many different ways by ancient writers. Cassius Dio and Herodian used the Greek form Soaemis, while Eutropius wrote Symiasera, Paeanius used Symia Severa, and Aurelius Victor gave Soemea. The Historia Augusta called her Symiamyra in the biography of Elagabalus and Symiamira in the biography of Macrinus. Among Latin authors, only Victor’s version comes close to the common name Soaemias. Modern scholars think these variations come from mistakes in copying or from nicknames used at the time. The form Symiamira may have been chosen for propaganda, since it resembles Semiramis, a legendary Assyrian queen with a bad reputation. Coins show even more forms: Soaemias, Soaemis, Souaimis, Syaimis, Suemis, Soaimia, and Syaimia. Later writers have also used Suaemias and Soaimias. She was the eldest daughter of Julia Maesa and Gaius Julius Avitus Alexianus, sister of Julia Avita Mamaea, niece of Julia Domna, and niece by marriage to Emperor Septimius Severus. She married Sextus Varius Marcellus, a Syrian equestrian and politician from Apamea. As part of the Severan imperial family, they lived in Rome, and her husband entered the Roman senate. She gave birth to at least two children, but only one is known by name: Sextus Varius Avitus Bassianus, later the emperor Elagabalus. Her husband died around 215 while serving as Roman governor of Numidia. After his death, Soaemias and her children set up a tombstone for him in Velletri, near Rome. That stone has two bilingual inscriptions in Latin and Greek, listing his political career, titles, and honors.
In Rome
In 217, her maternal cousin emperor Caracalla was killed and Macrinus took the throne. Julia's family was allowed to return to Syria with their enormous wealth, settling in Emesa. There her son Bassianus became chief priest of the Syrian deity Elagabalus. Using their wealth and the claim that Caracalla had slept with her daughter and that the boy was his bastard, Julia Maesa persuaded soldiers of the Gallic Third Legion stationed near Emesa to swear loyalty to Bassianus. Cassius Dio records a different story: that Gannys, a youth not yet a man and Soaemias's lover, acted as the boy's protector and foster father, dressing him in Caracalla's clothing and smuggling him to camp at night without Maesa or Soaemias's knowledge, persuading the soldiers to swear loyalty. This story is likely a fabrication, as Maesa had much to gain and would probably not be unaware of the coup. Herodian's account that the coup was handled by Maesa and her family alone is also unlikely, since Dio's version indicates the boy later had support from many equestrians and senators from Emesa. Whatever the circumstances, Elagabalus later rode to battle against Macrinus, entered Antioch as emperor, and Macrinus fled, was captured near Chalcedon, and executed in Cappadocia. Bassianus became emperor styled Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus, and Soaemias was styled Iulia Soaemias Augusta. As emperor, Elagabalus focused on religious matters; sun worship had increased since the reign of Septimius Severus, so he and his mother saw an opportunity to install Elagabal as chief deity of the Roman pantheon, renaming the god Deus Sol Invictus, honored even above Jupiter.
Death
Julia Soaemias died alongside her son, the emperor Elagabalus, in 222 when the Praetorian Guard slaughtered them both. She had entered the military camp hoping to shield him after a riot broke out. The trouble began when Elagabalus, having failed to kill his cousin Alexander, stripped him of his titles and consulship. He then spread a false rumor that Alexander was dying, just to gauge the Guard’s loyalty. The soldiers demanded to see both men at their camp. After the killings, the bodies were dragged through Rome’s streets and thrown into the Tiber. Later, Soaemias was declared a public enemy, and her name was systematically erased from official records.
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