Gaius Julius Alexion

Gaius Julius Alexion (Greek: Γάϊος Ἰούλιος Άλεξίων, after 56 - 78) was a Syrian Prince and Roman Client Priest King of Emesa. He was the son of Syrian king Sohaemus and may have been a descendant of Egyptian queen Cleopatra VII from his maternal side.

Gaius Julius Alexion
Priest King of Emesa
Priest King of Emesa
Reign	73 - 78
Predecessor	Sohaemus of Emesa
Born	After 56 Arethusa, Roman Syria (possibly)
Died	78 Emesa, Roman Syria
Issue	Gaius Julius Sampsigeramus (debated)
Dynasty	Emesene dynasty
Father	Sohaemus of Emesa
Mother	Drusilla of Mauretania (possibly)

Family

Alexion was born to Sohaemus of Emesa, an Emesene Prince who ruled as Priest King from 54 until his death in 73. He was the second son of the previous ruling Emesene Monarchs Sampsiceramus II and his wife Iotapa. Alexion's late paternal uncle was the childless Emesene King Gaius Julius Azizus who was the first husband of the Herodian Princess Drusilla, while he had two paternal aunts, Iotapa who married the Herodian Prince Aristobulus Minor and Mamaea.^[1]

Alexion's mother could be a princess from Mauretania, North Africa, Drusilla, a descendant of hellenistic pharaoh Cleopatra VII of Ptolemaic Egypt and Roman triumvir Mark Antony. Drusilla's parents are presumed to be Cleopatra's and Antony's grandson, Ptolemy of Mauretania, and his wife Julia Urania, herself a possible member of Emesan royal family.^[2]

The name Alexion is a variant of the ancient Greek name Alexander.^[3] The name Alexander was a dynastic name in the Emesani Royal Family;^[4] the Seleucid dynasty; the Ptolemaic dynasty^[5] and perhaps Alexion's parents named him an intent to recover their heritage and connections to Alexander the Great. Alexion was a descendant of the Seleucid dynasty; the Ptolemaic dynasty and a distant relative of Alexander the Great through his paternal grandmother and maternal grandfather.

Life

Alexion was born and raised in Emesa. After his father died, Alexion succeeded his father as Priest King of Emesa. Alexion ruled as a Priest King from 73 until his death in 78, thus he was a contemporary of the ruling Roman emperor Vespasian. He was the priest of the Emesene Sun God Elagabalus. Little is known on him. What is known about Alexion is from surviving inscriptions from Emesa.^[6]

There was a noted sepulchral Greek inscription on the mausoleum of Emesa dated 78/79^[7][8] at Emesa, dedicated by Gaius Julius Sampsigeramus Seilas, who may have been related to the Sampsigeramid dynasty:^[9]

ΓΑΙΟϹΙΟΥΛΙΟϹ
ΦΑΒΙΑϹΑΜϹΙΓΕ
ΡΑΜΟϹΟΚΑΙϹΕΙΛ
ΑϹΓΑΙΟΥΙΟΥΛΙΟΥ
ΑΛΕΞΙΩΝΟϹΥΙΟϹ
ΖΩΝΕΠΟΙΗϹΕΝ
ΑΥΤΩΚΑΙΤΟΙϹΙΛ
 ΟΙϹΕΤΟΥϹϞΤ^[10]

Γάϊος Ἰούλιος, Φαβίᾳ, Σαμσιγέραμος ὁ καὶ Σεί[λ]ας, Γαΐου Ἰουλίου Ἀλεξίωνος υἱός, ζῶν ἐποίησεν [ἑ]αυτῷ καὶ τοῖς ἰ[δί]οις, ἔτους ϟτʹ^[11]

Gaius Julius, Fabia, Sampsigeramus, also called Seilas, son of Gaius Julius Alexion, while still living made this for himself and his family, year 390

After the death of Alexion, the generations after him are not recorded sufficiently to accurately present a pedigree. A descendant of Alexion's is the Emesene high priest Gaius Julius Bassianus, who was the father of the Roman Empress Julia Domna and another possible descendant was the Palmyrene Queen of the 3rd century Zenobia.^[7]

Ancestors of Gaius Julius Alexion
4. Sampsiceramus II of Emesa 2. Gaius Julius Sohaemus 20. Mithridates II of Commagene 10. Mithridates III of Commagene 5. Iotapa of Emesa 22. Artavasdes I of Media Atropatene 11. Iotapa 1. Gaius Julius Alexion 24. Juba I of Numidia 12. Juba II 6. Ptolemy of Mauretania 26. Mark Antony 13. Cleopatra Selene II 27. Cleopatra VII of Egypt 3. Drusilla 7. Julia Urania