Gaius Julius Avitus Alexianus

Gaius Julius Avitus Alexianus (died 217) was a Roman nobleman of Syria who had an impressive military and political career.

Background and career

Although Alexianus was a Roman citizen who was born and raised in Emesa (modern Homs, Syria), little is known on his origins. It has been assumed that Alexianus was born in c. 155. What is known about him is from surviving inscriptional and Roman historical evidence. Through marriage he was a relation to the Royal family of Emesa and the ruling Severan dynasty of the Roman Empire.

He was an Equestrian officer serving as a praefectus and tribune in the Roman military, and then as a procurator of the food supply in Rome, being stationed in Ostia.

Later he was promoted to the Senate by the Emperor Septimius Severus, his brother-in-law. Having entered the Senate with the rank of Praetor in 194, Alexianus was made Legatus in the Legio IV Flavia Felix and later served as governor of Raetia, which may be dated to 196/197. During his proconsulship of Raetia, he dedicated an altar to the Emesene God Elagabalus. The altar and its inscription, still intact, mentions him as a priest of the deified Emperor Titus.

Alexianus served as consul in 200, even perhaps as early as 198 or 199. After his consulship, Alexianus was not appointed to further military or political positions, probably due to the enmity of the Praetorian prefect Gaius Fulvius Plautianus. After the death of Plautianus in 205, Alexianus took part in Septimius Severus’ expedition in Britain where he acted as a Comes (Companion) to the emperor from 208 until 211.

Under Septimius Severus’ successor Caracalla, for two years Alexianus served as a Prefect of the Italian orphanages. He served as a Legatus in Dalmatia in c. 214 and later as a Proconsul in Asia and in Mesopotamia. In 216–217, Alexianus became a comes to Caracalla on his campaign against the Parthian Empire. He died from old age on his way to Cyprus, sent there by Caracalla in early 217 to act as an advisor to the Governor.

Marriage and issue

Alexianus married the powerful, influential and rich Syrian noblewoman Julia Maesa, the first daughter of Julius Bassianus, a high priest of the Temple of the Sun. The temple was dedicated to the Syrian Aramaic Sun God El-Gebal (counterpart to the Phoenician Baal) in Emesa. The younger sister of Maesa was Septimius Severus' empress Julia Domna, who was the mother of the emperors Caracalla and Geta.

Maesa bore two distinguished daughters to Alexianus who were born and raised in Syria:

• Julia Soaemias Bassiana (c. 180–222)
• Julia Avita Mamaea (after 180–235)

Among his grandchildren were the emperors Elagabalus and Severus Alexander.

Severan dynasty family tree

Severan family tree
Septimius Macer Gaius Claudius Septimius Aper Fulvius Pius Lucius Septimius Severus Publius Septimius Aper Gaius Septimius Aper Fulvia Pia Publius Septimius Geta Septimia Polla Julius Bassianus Septimius Publius Septimius Geta Septimia Octavilla Paccia Marciana (1) Septimius Severus (r.  193–211) Julia Domna (2) Julia Maesa Gaius Julius Avitus Alexianus Gaius Septimius Severus Aper Fulvia Plautilla Caracalla (r.  197–217) Geta (r.  209–211) Julia Soaemias Sextus Varius Marcellus Julia Avita Mamaea Unknown (2) Julia Cornelia Paula (1) Aquilia Severa (2 and 4) Elagabalus (r.  218–222) Annia Faustina (3) Sallustia Orbiana Severus Alexander (r.  222–235)
(1) = 1st spouse (2) = 2nd spouse (3) = 3rd spouse (4) = 4th spouse Dark green indicates an emperor of the Severan dynasty Notes: Except where otherwise noted, the notes below indicate that an individual's parentage is as shown in the above family tree. Bibliography: Birley, Anthony R. (1999). Septimius Severus: The African Emperor. London: Routledge. ISBN 0415165911. Gibbon, Edward; Smith, William (1889). The Student's Gibbon: The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. London: Murray. OCLC 993285639.

Sources

• A.R. Birley, Septimius Severus: The African Emperor, Routledge, 2002
• J. Hazel, Who's who in the Roman World, Psychology Press, 2002
• Julius Avitus’ article at ancient library
• Gaius Julius Avitus Alexianus’ article at Livius.org Archived 2012-10-14 at the Wayback Machine
• Julia Maesa’s article at Livius.org Archived 2014-11-22 at the Wayback Machine