Gaius Julius Avitus Alexianus

Gaius Julius Avitus Alexianus^[1][2] (died 217^[2]) was a Roman nobleman of Syria who had an impressive military and political 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.^[3] 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^[4][2] 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.^[3]

Later he was promoted to the Senate by the Emperor Septimius Severus, his brother-in-law.^[2] Having entered the Senate with the rank of Praetor in 194,^[3] Alexianus was made Legatus in the Legio IV Flavia Felix^[4] and later served as governor of Raetia,^[2] which may be dated to 196/197.^[3] During his proconsulship of Raetia, he dedicated an altar to the Emesene God Elagabalus.^[4] The altar and its inscription, still intact, mentions him as a priest of the deified Emperor Titus.^[3]

Alexianus served as consul in 200,^[4] even perhaps as early as 198 or 199.^[3] 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.^[4] 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^[2] from 208 until 211.^[4]

Under Septimius Severus’ successor Caracalla, for two years Alexianus served as a Prefect of the Italian orphanages.^[3] He served as a Legatus in Dalmatia in c. 214^[4] and later as a Proconsul in Asia^[2] and in Mesopotamia.^[5] In 216–217, Alexianus became a comes to Caracalla on his campaign against the Parthian Empire.^[4] 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.^[3]

Alexianus married the powerful, influential and rich Syrian noblewoman Julia Maesa,^[4] 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,^[2] who was the mother of the emperors Caracalla and Geta.

Maesa bore two distinguished daughters^[2] 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.^[5]

• 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