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Julia Mamaea
– Roman Empress wife of Emperor Severus
Alexander 222-235 A.D. –
Bronze 23mm (6.86 grams) of
Alexandria Troas
in Troas
Reference: Bellinger, Troy A 355 var.
IOVLIA MAMAEA, Draped bust of Julia Mamaea right.
COL ALE TROA,
Horse
grazing right.
You are bidding on the exact item pictured,
provided with a Certificate of Authenticity and Lifetime Guarantee of
Authenticity.
Alexandria Troas (“Alexandria of the
Troad
“, mod. Eski Stambul) is an ancient
Greek
city situated on the
Aegean Sea
near the northern tip of
Turkey
‘s western coast, a little south of
Tenedos
(modern
Bozcaada
). It is located in the modern Turkish
province of
Çanakkale
.
According to the
Catholic Encyclopedia
, this site was first
called Sigia; perhaps about 310 BC
Antigonus
refounded the city as Antigonia
Troas. In its early years, Troas was a port city that supplied the
Dorians
with resources and trade. The city was
conquered by the
Helladic
people and was nearly destroyed. It
was rebuilt early in the next century and the name was changed by
Lysimachus
to Alexandria Troas, in memory of
Alexander III
of Macedon
(Pliny,
N.H. 5.124 merely states that the name changed from Antigonia to Alexandria). As
the chief port of north-west Asia Minor, the place prospered greatly in Roman
times, and the existing remains sufficiently attest its former importance.
Strabo
mentions that a
Roman
colony was created at the location in the
reign of Augustus
, named Colonia Alexandria Augusta
Troas (called simply Troas during this period). Augustus,
Hadrian
and the rich grammarian
Herodes Atticus
contributed greatly to its
embellishment; the aqueduct still preserved is due to the latter.
Constantine
considered making Troas the capital
of the Roman Empire
.
In Roman times, it was a significant port for travelling between
Anatolia
and Europe.
Paul
of Tarsus
sailed for Europe for the first time
from Alexandria Troas (Acts,
16:8-11) and returned there from Europe (and there occurred later the episode of
the raising of Eutychus
(Acts
20:5-12).
Ignatius
of Antioch
also paused at this city before
continuing to his martyrdom at Rome (Ad Philad. 11.2; Ad Smyrn.
12.1).
Several of its later
bishops
are known: Marinus in 325; Niconius in
344; Sylvanus at the beginning of the fifth century; Pionius in 451; Leo in 787;
Peter, friend of the
Patriarch Ignatius
, and adversary to Michael,
in the ninth century. In the tenth century Troas is given as a suffragan of
Cyzicus
and distinct from the famous
Troy (Heinrich
Gelzer, Ungedruckte … Texte der Notitiae episcopatuum, 552;
Georgii Cyprii descriptio orbis romani
,
64); it is not known when the city was destroyed and the diocese disappeared.
The city remains a
titular see
of the
Roman Catholic Church
, Troadensis; the
seat is vacant following the resignation of the last bishop in 1971. Troas
is also a titular see of the
Orthodox Church
under the
Ecumenical Patriarchate
; the current hierarch
is His Grace Bishop Savas (Zembillas) of Troas.
The site as of 1911 was covered with
vallonea oaks
, and has been much plundered (for
example Mehmed IV
took columns to adorn his new Valideh
mosque in Istanbul
), but the circuit of the old walls can
be traced, and in several places they are fairly well preserved. They had a
circumference of about ten kilometres, and were fortified with towers at regular
intervals. Remains of some ancient buildings, including a bath and gymnasium,
can be found within this area.
Trajan
built an aqueduct which can still be
traced. The harbour had two large basins, now almost choked with sand. It is the
subject of a recent study by German archaeologists who are digging and surveying
at the site.
Julia
Avita Mamaea (14 or 29 August after 180–235) was the second daughter of
Julia
Maesa
, a powerful
 Roman woman of Syrian
Arab
origin and Syrian noble
Julius Avitus
. She was a niece of empress
Julia
Domna
and
emperor
Septimius Severus
and sister of
Julia Soaemias
. She was born and raised in
Emesa
(modern
Homs
, Syria
).
Julia’s first husband was a former consul (whose name is unknown) who died.
Julia married as her second husband Syrian
Promagistrate
Marcus Julius Gessius Marcianus
. Julia bore Marcianus two children, a
daughter called Theoclia (little is known of her) and a son, Marcus Julius
Gessius Bassianus Alexianus, later emperor
Alexander Severus
. Unlike her sister, Julia Mamaea was reported to be a
virtuous woman, never involved in scandals.
As a member of the Imperial Roman family, she watched closely the death of
her cousin Caracalla
and the ascent to power of her nephew
Elagabalus
,
the oldest grandson of Julia Maesa and her choice to the throne. Eventually
Elagabalus and his mother Julia Soaemias proved incompetent rulers and favour
fell on Alexander, Julia’s son. He became emperor in 222, following Elagabalus’
murder by the
Praetorian Guard
. Julia and her mother became regents in the name of
Alexander, then 14 years old. Upon adulthood, Alexander confirmed his esteem for
his mother and named her consors imperii (imperial consort). It was in
this condition that she accompanied her son in his campaigns: a custom started
with Julia Domna
. Thus she travelled to the East, for the campaign against
Parthia
and
to the Germania provinces. Julia Mamaea was with Alexander in Moguntiacum
(modern Mainz
),
capital of
Germania Superior
, when he was assassinated by his troops. She suffered the
same fate.
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