Marcus Julius Gessius Marcianus
Encyclopedia
Marcus Julius Gessius Marcianus was a Syrian
Syria (Roman province)
Syria was a Roman province, annexed in 64 BC by Pompey, as a consequence of his military presence after pursuing victory in the Third Mithridatic War. It remained under Roman, and subsequently Byzantine, rule for seven centuries, until 637 when it fell to the Islamic conquests.- Principate :The...

 who lived in the 2nd and 3rd centuries. He originally came from Arca Caesarea (modern Arqa
Arqa
Arqa is a village near Miniara in Akkar District of the North Governorate in Lebanon, 22 km northeast of Tripoli, near the coast...

, Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...

). Marcianus' career had advanced to the Equestrian order and he became a Promagistrate
Promagistrate
A promagistrate is a person who acts in and with the authority and capacity of a magistrate, but without holding a magisterial office. A legal innovation of the Roman Republic, the promagistracy was invented in order to provide Rome with governors of overseas territories instead of having to elect...

.

Marcianus married Julia Avita Mamaea
Julia Avita Mamaea
Julia Avita Mamaea was the second daughter of Julia Maesa, a powerful Roman woman of Syrian origin and Syrian noble Julius Avitus. She was a niece of empress Julia Domna and emperor Septimius Severus and sister of Julia Soaemias...

, as her second husband. She was the second daughter of the powerful Roman Syrian woman Julia Maesa
Julia Maesa
Julia Maesa was a Roman citizen and daughter of Julius Bassianus, priest of the sun god Heliogabalus, the patron god of Emesa in the Roman province of Syria...

 and the Syrian noble Julius Avitus
Julius Avitus
Julius Avitus or his full name Gaius Julius Avitus Alexianus, was a Syrian noble that lived in the 2nd century and 3rd century CE. He was born in Emesa...

. Her maternal aunt was 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...

; her maternal uncle in marriage was Roman emperor Lucius Septimius Severus
Septimius Severus
Septimius Severus , also known as Severus, was Roman Emperor from 193 to 211. Severus was born in Leptis Magna in the province of Africa. As a young man he advanced through the customary succession of offices under the reigns of Marcus Aurelius and Commodus. Severus seized power after the death of...

; her maternal cousins were Roman emperors Caracalla
Caracalla
Caracalla , was Roman emperor from 198 to 217. The eldest son of Septimius Severus, he ruled jointly with his younger brother Geta until he murdered the latter in 211...

 and Publius Septimius Geta
Publius Septimius Geta
Geta , was a Roman Emperor co-ruling with his father Septimius Severus and his older brother Caracalla from 209 to his death.-Early life:Geta was the younger son of Septimius Severus by his second wife Julia Domna...

 and Julia was the maternal aunt to Roman emperor Elagabalus
Elagabalus
Elagabalus , also known as Heliogabalus, was Roman Emperor from 218 to 222. A member of the Severan Dynasty, he was Syrian on his mother's side, the son of Julia Soaemias and Sextus Varius Marcellus. Early in his youth he served as a priest of the god El-Gabal at his hometown, Emesa...

.

Mamaea bore Marcianus two children, a daughter called Theoclia (little is known of her) and a son Marcus Julius Gessius Bassianus Alexianus, later emperor Alexander Severus
Alexander Severus
Severus Alexander was Roman Emperor from 222 to 235. Alexander was the last emperor of the Severan dynasty. He succeeded his cousin Elagabalus upon the latter's assassination in 222, and was ultimately assassinated himself, marking the epoch event for the Crisis of the Third Century — nearly fifty...

(208-235). His children were born and raised in Arca Caesarea. Marcianus most probably died, before his son became Roman emperor in 222.

Sources

  • German version of Wikipedia
  • http://www.severusalexander.com/intro.htm#_Basic_History
  • http://www.livius.org/jo-jz/julia/julia_mamaea.html
  • http://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?key=Julia%20Mamaea
The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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