Gaius Julius Antiochus Epiphanes Philopappos or
Philopappus, was a Prince of the
Kingdom of CommageneThe Kingdom of Commagene was an ancient kingdom of the Hellenistic Age.Little is known of the region of Commagene prior to the beginning of the 2nd century BC. However, it seems that, from what little evidence remains, Commagene formed part of a larger state that also included Sophene...
who lived in the
Roman EmpireThe Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean. The term is used to describe the Roman state during and after the time of the first emperor,...
during the 1st century and 2nd century. He was one of the most prominent Greeks who lived in the
Roman EmpireThe Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean. The term is used to describe the Roman state during and after the time of the first emperor,...
.
Ancestry, family and early life
Philopappos was a man of aristocratic and well-connected origins. He was the first-born son of the Greek prince of Commagene,
Gaius Julius Archelaus Antiochus EpiphanesGaius Julius Archelaus Antiochus Epiphanes, also known as Julius Archelaus Epiphanes; Epiphanes; Gaius Julius Antiochus Epiphanes or simply known as Gaius was an influential prince of the Kingdom of Commagene, who lived in the 1st century.Epiphanes was the first-born son and child to King...
and an
EgyptEgypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Western Asia...
ian
GreekThe Greeks , also known as Hellenes, are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighbouring regions, who can also be found in diaspora communities around the world....
woman called
Claudia CapitolinaClaudia Capitolina was an Egyptian Greek woman who lived in the Roman Empire, in the 1st century and possibly in the 2nd century. Capitolina came from a distinguished family of Equestrian rank. She was born and raised in Alexandria, Egypt. Capitolina was the daughter and only child of Tiberius...
. His younger sister and only sibling was the poetess and friend to
Roman EmperorThe Roman emperor was the ruler of the Roman State during the imperial period . The Romans had no single term for the office: Latin titles such as imperator , augustus, caesar and princeps were all associated with it...
HadrianPublius Aelius Hadrianus was emperor of Rome from AD 117 to 138, as well as a Stoic and Epicurean philosopher...
and Roman Empress
Vibia SabinaVibia Sabina was a Roman Empress, wife and second cousin, once removed, to Roman Emperor Hadrian. She was the daughter to Salonina Matidia , and suffect consul Lucius Vibius Sabinus...
,
Julia BalbillaJulia Balbilla was a noble Roman woman and a poet who lived between the 1st century and 2nd century in the Roman Empire.-Family and Life:...
.
Philopappos’ parents were distantly related. The paternal grandmother of Claudia Capitolina was Greek Princess
Aka II of CommageneAka II of Commagene, also known as Aka II was a Princess from the Kingdom of Commagene, who lived between the 1st century BC and 1st century. She was of Armenian and Greek descent.There are two possibilities on the origins of Aka II...
, who was a granddaughter or great, granddaughter of King
Antiochus I Theos of CommageneAntiochus I Theos Dikaios Epiphanes Philorhomaios Philhellen , was the king of Commagene from 70 BC until his death, and the most famous ruler of that kingdom.The ruins of the tomb-sanctuary of Antiochus Theos are magnificent to behold even today...
. While his father, was the first born son to King
Antiochus IV of CommageneGaius Julius Antiochus IV Epiphanes was the last king of Commagene, who reigned between 38-72 as a client king to the Roman Empire.-Life:...
and his wife Queen Julia
IotapaIotapa 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 and 1st century. The name Iotapa or Iotape originally derives from the name Jotapa or Jotape, which was a name of Persian origin...
of Commagene. Antiochus IV and Iotapa were direct descendants of Antiochus I Theos.
His maternal grandparents were
Tiberius Claudius BalbilusTiberius Claudius Balbillus or Balbilus, also known as ‘Balbillus the Wise‘, was an Egyptian Greek astrologer and a learned scholar. Balbillus was the son of astrologer Tiberius Claudius Thrasyllus, also known as Thrasyllus of Mendes and Princess Aka II of Commagene, who was either a granddaughter...
and an unnamed Greek woman. Balbilus was an astrologer and a learned scholar, who was later
PrefectPrefect is a magisterial title of varying definition....
of Egypt. Balbilus and his father,
EgyptEgypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Western Asia...
ian Greek Grammarian and Astrologer called
Thrasyllus of MendesThrasyllus of Mendes whose full name was Tiberius Claudius Thrasyllus . Thrasyllus was an Egyptian Greek from Mendes Egypt...
or Tiberius Claudius Thrasyllus, were friends to the first
Roman EmperorThe Roman emperor was the ruler of the Roman State during the imperial period . The Romans had no single term for the office: Latin titles such as imperator , augustus, caesar and princeps were all associated with it...
s, which included
TiberiusTiberius Julius Caesar Augustus, born Tiberius Claudius Nero , was the second Roman Emperor, from the death of Augustus in AD 14 until his own death in 37. Tiberius was by birth a Claudian, son of Tiberius Claudius Nero and Livia Drusilla...
,
ClaudiusTiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus was the fourth Roman Emperor, a member of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, ruling from 24 January AD 41 to his death in AD 54...
and
VespasianTitus Flavius Vespasianus, commonly known as Vespasian , was a Roman Emperor who reigned from 69 AD until his death in 79 AD...
.
His paternal grandparents were Roman Client Monarchs, King
Antiochus IV of CommageneGaius Julius Antiochus IV Epiphanes was the last king of Commagene, who reigned between 38-72 as a client king to the Roman Empire.-Life:...
and Queen Julia
IotapaIotapa 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 and 1st century. The name Iotapa or Iotape originally derives from the name Jotapa or Jotape, which was a name of Persian origin...
. Antiochus IV and Iotapa were husband, wife and full blooded-siblings. He was of
ArmeniaArmenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
n,
GreekThe Greeks , also known as Hellenes, are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighbouring regions, who can also be found in diaspora communities around the world....
and
MedesThe Medes were an ancient Iranian people who lived in the northwestern portions of present-day Iran. This area is known as Media...
descent. Through his paternal grandparents, he was a direct descendant from the Greek
SyriaSyria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south and Israel to the southwest....
n Kingdom the
Seleucid EmpireThe Seleucid Empire was a Hellenistic empire, i.e. a successor state of Alexander the Great's empire. The Seleucid Empire was centered in the near East and at the height of its power included central Anatolia, the Levant, Mesopotamia, Persia, today's Turkmenistan, Pamir and parts of Pakistan...
and the Greek
EgyptianAncient Egypt was an ancient civilization of eastern North Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. The civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh, and...
Kingdom the
Ptolemaic dynastyThe Ptolemaic dynasty was a Greek royal family which ruled the Ptolemaic Empire in Egypt during the Hellenistic period...
.
Philopappos was the first-born grandchild and grandson born to King Antiochus IV and Antiochus’ late wife, Iotapa. He was born in
SamosataSamosata was an ancient city on the right bank of the Euphrates whose ruins existed at the modern city of Samsat, Adıyaman Province, Turkey until the site was flooded by the newly-constructed Atatürk Dam....
the capital of the Kingdom of Commagene in the court of the palace of Antiochus IV. He lived there and was raised safely there until 72. Philopappos’ birth name was
Gaius Julius Antiochus Epiphanes. His nickname and the name he is known now is
Philopappos or
Philopappus.
Philopappos means
Fond of Grandfather. He received this nickname because of his close relationship to Antiochus IV and possibly Tiberius Claudius Balbilus. Philopappos had a traditional Greek education of the Wealthy Class.
In 72
Lucius Caesennius PaetusLucius Junius Caesennius Paetus was a Roman aristocrat, member of the Junian gens, who lived in the second half of the 1st century during the Roman Empire. He was consul for the year 61, and enjoyed several high provincial commands in the East....
, the Roman Governor of
SyriaThis article deals with the history of Syria, and the nations previously occupying its territory.-Ancient history:...
had sent letters addressed to Vespasian accusing Antiochus IV; Philopappos’s father Epiphanes and his paternal uncle
CallinicusCallinicus was a prince of the Kingdom of Commagene, who lived in the 1st century. Callinicus was the second-born son and child to King Antiochus IV of Commagene and Queen Iotapa of Commagene. His parents were full-blooded siblings. His parents were Roman Client Monarchs of Commagene that lived...
in planning to revolt against
RomeRome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated municipality , with over 2.7 million residents in , while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat to be 3.46 million. The metropolitan area of Rome is estimated by OECD to have a population of 3.7 million...
and allying themselves with the King of
ParthiaParthia is a region of north-eastern Iran, best known for having been the political and cultural base of the Arsacid dynasts, after which the Arsacid Empire is then also known as the 'Parthian Empire'....
.
Paetus accused in these letters that Antiochus IV, Epiphanes and Callinicus of disloyalty to the Emperor. It is not known whether if these accusations were true or false. After reading the letters, Vespasian felt that he could longer trust the family of Antiochus IV and couldn’t trust them to protect the strategic crossing at the
EuphratesThe Euphrates is the longest and historically one of the most important rivers of Southwest Asia. Together with the Tigris, the Euphrates is one of the two defining rivers of Mesopotamia...
River at Samosata. Vespasian gave orders to Antiochus IV to terminate his rule in Commagene.
Paetus invaded the Kingdom of Commagene, as head of the
Legio VI FerrataLegio sexta Ferrata , was a Roman Legion formed in 65 BC, and in existence up to at least 215 AD. It served under Julius Caesar in the Gallic Wars , and in the various Civil Wars of the Roman Republic in the years before and after Caesar's assassination...
. The client Kings
Aristobulus of ChalcisAristobulus of Chalcis was a son of Herod of Chalcis and his first wife Mariamne, hence a great-grandson of Herod the Great.In 55 AD, he was appointed by Nero as King of Armenia Minor, and participated with his forces in the Roman-Parthian War of 58–63, where he received a small portion of Armenia...
and
Sohaemus of EmesaSohaemus of Emesa, sometimes known as Sohaemus of Sophene or to give his full name Gaius Julius Sohaemus was a prince and a Roman Client King from Syria who lived in the 1st century.Sohaemus was a prince and a member of the Royal Family of Emesa from Emesa...
also supplied troops to Paetus. They all arrived the night before the Battle. As Epiphanes and Callinicus prepared themselves that night for war, Antiochus IV was preparing to flee to
CiliciaIn antiquity, Cilicia now known as Çukurova, was a commonly used name of the south coastal region of Asia Minor south of the central Anatolian plateau. It existed as a political entity from Hittite times into the Byzantine empire...
.
The next morning that the war was supposed to occur Epiphanes with his family and Callinicus out of fear of the Romans fled to the King of Parthia, while Antiochus IV also out of fear of the Romans fled to Cilicia. There is a possibility that Epiphanes and Callinicus had a short-lived attempt to resist invasion, before they fled to
ParthiaParthia is a region of north-eastern Iran, best known for having been the political and cultural base of the Arsacid dynasts, after which the Arsacid Empire is then also known as the 'Parthian Empire'....
.
The family of Antiochus IV had let their own army and the citizens of Commagene down. Antiochus IV and his family never considered to cause a war with
RomeRome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated municipality , with over 2.7 million residents in , while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat to be 3.46 million. The metropolitan area of Rome is estimated by OECD to have a population of 3.7 million...
and they wanted to clear themselves of these accusations. Vespasian brought peacefully back to Rome, Epiphanes with his family and Callinicus in a honourable Roman Military Escort. Epiphanes with his family and Callinicus lived in Rome with Antiochus IV for the remainder of his life. Vespasian had given Antiochus IV and his family sufficient revenue to live on. Antiochus IV and his family had a glamorous life and were treated with great respect.
Philopappos and his family never returned to Commagene. Commagene was reinstated again as apart of the Roman Province of
SyriaSyria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south and Israel to the southwest....
and there the citizens of Commagene still proved to be loyal subjects of the Roman Empire.
Life after Commagene
In 72, Philopappos’s sister
Julia BalbillaJulia Balbilla was a noble Roman woman and a poet who lived between the 1st century and 2nd century in the Roman Empire.-Family and Life:...
was born in Rome. After the deaths of both of his grandfathers, Epiphanes, his mother, himself with his sister moved and finally settled in
AthensAthens , the capital and largest city of Greece, dominates the Attica periphery; as one of the world's oldest cities, its recorded history spans around 3,400 years....
GreeceGreece , officially the Hellenic Republic , is a country in southeastern Europe, situated on the southern end of the Balkan Peninsula....
. His father died in 92 of unknown causes. After the death of Epiphanes, Claudia Capitolina returned to her birth city of
AlexandriaAlexandria , with a population of 4.1 million, is the second-largest city in Egypt, and is the country's largest seaport, serving about 80% of Egypt's imports and exports...
,
EgyptEgypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Western Asia...
where she married for the second time to the Roman Politician
Marcus Junius RufusMarcus Junius Rufus was a Roman Politician of the Roman Empire, who lived in the 1st century. Rufus was a member of the ancient, noble and politician influential Junius ....
. Capitolina spent her remaining years in her birth city and for a period of time Balbilla was with her mother and later returned to Philopappos in Athens.
Throughout his life, Philopappos always considered himself as having the status of a monarch. He spent the remainder of his life in
AthensAthens , the capital and largest city of Greece, dominates the Attica periphery; as one of the world's oldest cities, its recorded history spans around 3,400 years....
and became a prominent and respected benefactor of the city. Philopappos assumed civic, political and religious duties in
AthensAthens , the capital and largest city of Greece, dominates the Attica periphery; as one of the world's oldest cities, its recorded history spans around 3,400 years....
and
RomeRome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated municipality , with over 2.7 million residents in , while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat to be 3.46 million. The metropolitan area of Rome is estimated by OECD to have a population of 3.7 million...
. He belonged to the Roman elite and became friends with the
Roman EmperorThe Roman emperor was the ruler of the Roman State during the imperial period . The Romans had no single term for the office: Latin titles such as imperator , augustus, caesar and princeps were all associated with it...
TrajanMarcus Ulpius Nerva Traianus, commonly known as Trajan , was a Roman Emperor who reigned from A. D. 98 until his death in A. D. 117...
and Trajan’s heir and second paternal cousin
HadrianPublius Aelius Hadrianus was emperor of Rome from AD 117 to 138, as well as a Stoic and Epicurean philosopher...
. Through Trajan and Hadrian, Philopappos also met their families.
Philopappos had
RomanCitizenship in ancient Rome was a privileged social status afforded to certain individuals with respect to laws, property, and governance.It is hard to offer meaningful generalities across the entire Roman period, as the nature and availability of citizenship was affected by legislation, for...
and Athenian citizenship. He served as an
ArchonArchon is a Greek word that means "ruler", frequently used as the title of a specific public office. It is the masculine present participle of the verb stem ἀρχ-, meaning "to rule", derived from the same root as monarch, hierarchy and anarchy.- Ancient Greece :In the early literary period of...
in Athens and had become friends to Greek philosophers. Through his friendship with the philosophers, he became an acquaintance to the Greek historian
PlutarchPlutarch, born Plutarchos then, on his becoming a Roman citizen, Lucius Mestrius Plutarchus , c. AD 46 – 120, was a Greek historian, biographer, essayist, and Middle Platonist known primarily for his Parallel Lives and Moralia...
. Plutarch in his writings describes Philopappos as ‘very generous and magnificent in his rewards’ and describes his character as ‘good-humored and eager for instruction’.
Philopappos served as a Choregos (producer for a chorus) twice; as an
AgonothetesIn ancient Greece, an agonothetes was the president or superintendent of the sacred games. At first the person who instituted the games and defrayed the expenses was the Agonothetes; but in the great public games, such as the Olympic Games and Pythian Games, these presidents were the...
(magistrate of games) once and was a member of the
DemeIn Ancient Greece, a deme was a subdivision of Attica, the region of Greece surrounding Athens. Demes as simple subdivisions of land in the countryside seem to have existed in the 6th century BC and earlier, but did not acquire particular significance until the reforms of Cleisthenes in 508 BC...
Besa. Between 105-116, Philopappos was made a member of the
Arval BrethrenArval Brethren or Arval brothers were a body of priests in ancient Rome who offered annual sacrifices to lares and gods to guarantee good harvests. The term can be translated as "Brothers of the fields"...
. The Arval Brethren was an ancient group of priests that offered annual sacrifices to Lares and the gods to guarantee good harvests.
Through his friendship and influence from Trajan, Trajan promoted him as a member of the
Praetorian GuardThe Praetorian Guard was a force of bodyguards used by Roman Emperors. Before being appropriated for the use of the Emperors' personal guards, the title was used for the guards of Roman generals, at least since the rise to prominence of the Scipio family around 275 BC...
in
RomeRome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated municipality , with over 2.7 million residents in , while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat to be 3.46 million. The metropolitan area of Rome is estimated by OECD to have a population of 3.7 million...
. Trajan and Hadrian through his praetorian rank, promoted him to the
Roman SenateThe Senate of the Roman Republic was a political institution in the ancient Roman Republic. According to the Greek historian Polybius, our principal source on the Constitution of the Roman Republic, the Roman Senate was the predominant branch of government...
. He became a Roman Senator, although his father nor paternal grandfather was not of senatorial rank. Philopappos rose through the ranks and served as a suffect consul in 109.
There is a possibility that Philopappos married an unnamed woman. From this marriage he probably had children and possibly had further descendants, however there are no surviving records of this.
Philopappos Monument
Philopappos died in 116. When he died, his death caused great sadness to his sister
Julia BalbillaJulia Balbilla was a noble Roman woman and a poet who lived between the 1st century and 2nd century in the Roman Empire.-Family and Life:...
, citizens of Athens and possibly to the imperial family. As a dedication to honor the memory of Philopappos, Balbilla with the citizens of Athens erected a tomb structure on Mouseion Hill, located southwest of the
Acropolis of AthensThe Acropolis of Athens is the best known acropolis in the world. Although there are many other acropoleis in Greece, the significance of the Acropolis of Athens is such that it is commonly known as The Acropolis without qualification...
. His marble tomb monument is known as the “
Philopappos MonumentThe Philopappos Monument is an ancient Greek mausoleum and monument dedicated to Gaius Julius Antiochus Epiphanes Philopappos or Philopappus, , a prince from the Kingdom of Commagene...
”, and from it, the hill became known as “Philopappos Hill”.
Sources
- Kleiner, D.E.E. “The Monument of Philopappos.” Archaeologica 30 (1983), Athenaeus Deipnosophistae VIII.350c
- Josephus
Josephus , also known as Yosef Ben Matityahu and, after he became a Roman citizen, as Titus Flavius Josephus, was a first-century Jewish historian and apologist of priestly and royal ancestry who survived and recorded the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70...
Bellum Judaeum 238-243
- Pausanias (geographer)
Pausanias was a Greek traveller and geographer of the 2nd century AD, who lived in the times of Hadrian, Antoninus Pius and Marcus Aurelius. He is famous for his Description of Greece , a lengthy work that describes ancient Greece from firsthand observations, and is a crucial link between...
I.25.8
- Plutarch
Plutarch, born Plutarchos then, on his becoming a Roman citizen, Lucius Mestrius Plutarchus , c. AD 46 – 120, was a Greek historian, biographer, essayist, and Middle Platonist known primarily for his Parallel Lives and Moralia...
Quaestiones Convivales 628a & Quomodo ab adulatore discernatur amicus 48e & 66c, IG II² 1759, 3112, 3450, 3451, & 4511; IG V.2.524; Inscriptions du Colosse de Memnon nos. 28-31, & OGIS 408
External links