Dates: about 180 - 235
Known for: one of the four Severan Julias or Roman Julias; niece of Julia Domna, daughter of Julia Maesa and sister of Julia Soaemias; mother of Roman emperor Alexander Severus
Occupation: regent
Also known as: Julia Avita Mamaea, Julia Mammaea, mater universi generis humani (mother of the human race)
Background, Family:
- Mother: Julia Maesa
- Father: Julia Avitus
- Sibling: Julia Soaemias
Marriage, Children:
- first husband: unknown name
- husband: Marcus Julius Gessius Marcianus, a magistrate in Syria
- son: Marcus Julius Gessius Bassianus Alexianus, known as Alexander Severus
About Julia Mamaea:
Julia Mamaea was born and raised in Emesa, Syria, where her grandfather Bassianus was the high priest of Emesa's patron god, the sun god Heliogabalus or Elagabal. She lived in Rome when her maternal aunt's husband, Septimius Severus, and then his sons, ruled as emperors, and moved to Syria when Macrinus was emperor, and then lived in Rome again when her sister Julia Soaemias's son Elagabalus was emperor. Her mother, Julia Maesa, arranged for Elagabalus to adopt Julia Mamaea's son Alexander as his successor.
When Elagabalus and her sister Julia Soaemias were murdered in 22, Julia Mamaea joined her mother, Julia Maesa, as regents for Alexander, then 13 years old. She traveled with her son on his military campaigns.
Julia Mamaea saw her son married to a respectable wife, Sallustia Orbiana, and Alexander gave her father-in-law the title of caesar. But Julia Mamaea grew to resent Orbiana and her father, and they fled Rome. Julia Mamaea charged them with rebellion, and had Orbiana's father executed and Orbiana banished.
Alexander fought attempts of the Parthian ruler to take back territory that Rome had annexed, but alexander failed, and was seen in Rome as a coward. He no sooner returned to Rome than he had to be off to fight Germans along the Rhine. Instead of fighting, he preferred to bribe the enemy, which was also seen as cowardice.
The Roman legions declared a Thracian soldier, Julius Maximinus, emperor, and Alexander's response was to seek shelter with his mother back at camp. There, soldiers murdered both of them in their tent in 235. With Julia Mamaea's death came the end of the "Roman Julias."
