JULIA MAMAEA Severus Alexander Wife Pella Macedonia Ancient Roman Coin i55546

– 

Severus Alexander
222-235 A.D. –

Bronze 25mm (11.86 grams) of

Macedonia
Reference: SNG Copenhagen 232; SNG ANS -.
IVLIA MAMAEA AVG, Diademed and raped bust 
right.
COL IVL AVS PЄLLA, Pan seated left on rock, the right arm around 
his head and holding lagobolon in his left arm; in left field, large syrinx.

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In
Greek religion
and
mythology
,
Pan is the god of the 
wild, shepherds and flocks, nature of mountain wilds, hunting, and
rustic music
, and companion of the
nymphs
. His name originates within the
Ancient Greek
language, from the word paein 
(πάειν), meaning “to pasture.” He has the hindquarters, legs, and horns of a 
goat, in the same manner as a

faun or satyr
. With his homeland in rustic
Arcadia
, he is also recognized as the god of 
fields, groves, and wooded glens; because of this, Pan is connected to fertility 
and the season of spring. The ancient Greeks also considered Pan to be the god 
of theatrical criticism.

In
Roman religion and myth
, Pan’s counterpart was
Faunus
, a nature god who was the father of
Bona Dea
, sometimes identified as
Fauna
; he was also closely associated with
Sylvanus
, due to their similar relationships 
with woodlands. In the 18th and 19th centuries, Pan became a significant figure 
in the Romantic movement
of western Europe and 
also in the 20th-century
Neopagan movement
.

An area in the
Golan Heights
known as the Panion or Panium is 
associated with Pan. The city of
Caesarea Philippi
, the site of the
Battle of Panium
and the
Banias
natural spring, grotto or cave, and 
related shrines dedicated to Pan, may be found there.

Pella, 
an ancient city located in
Pella Prefecture
of
Macedonia
in
Greece
, was the
capital
of the
ancient

kingdom
of
Macedon
. A common
folk etymology
is traditionally given for the 
name Pella, ascribing it to a form akin to the
Doric

Apella
, originally meaning a ceremonial 
location where decisions were made. 

However, the local form of Greek was not 
Doric, and the word exactly matches standard Greek pélla “stone”, 
undoubtedly referring to a famous landmark from the time of its foundation.

The 
city was founded by Archelaus I of Macedon (413–399 BC) as the capital of his 
kingdom, replacing the older palace-city of Aigai (Vergina). After this, it was 
the seat of King Philip II of Macedon and of Alexander the Great, his son. In 
168 BC, it was sacked by the Romans, and its treasury transported to Rome. 
Later, the city was destroyed by an earthquake and eventually was rebuilt over 
its ruins. By 180 AD, Lucian could describe it in passing as “now insignificant, 
with very few inhabitants”.

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.

In the
material culture
of
classical antiquity
, a phiale or
patera (Latin pronunciation: [ˈpatera]) 
is a shallow ceramic or metal
libation
bowl. It often has a bulbous 
indentation (omphalos, 
“bellybutton”) in the center underside to facilitate holding it, in which case 
it is sometimes called a mesomphalic phiale. It typically has no handles, 
and no feet. (A drinking cup with handles is a
kylix
. A circular platter with a pair of 
C-handles is not a patera, but a few paterae have a single long straight 
handle.) Although the two terms may be used interchangeably, particularly in the 
context of
Etruscan culture
, phiale is more common 
in reference to Greek forms, and patera in a Roman setting.

• 
  

  Silver phiale (620-590 BC, from
  Bayindir
  village,
  Elmali
  , present-day Turkey

• 
  

  Octopus and dolphin motifs on a ceramic phiale (510–500 BC, from
  Eretria
  ,
  Euboea
  )

• 
  

  Golden phiale (4th–3rd century BC)

• 
  

  Silver patera from
  Hispania
  (Roman 
  Spain), 2nd–1st century BC)

Use

A youth pours a libation to the deceased within a
naiskos
, a scene that may also 
represent
Ganymede
serving
Zeus
(Apulian
red-figure

krater
, 340–320 BC)

Libation was a central and vital aspect of
ancient Greek religion
, and one of the simplest 
and most common forms of religious practice. It is one of the basic religious 
acts that define piety in ancient Greece, dating back to the
Bronze Age
and even
prehistoric Greece
. Libations were a part of 
daily life, and the pious might perform them every day in the morning and 
evening, as well as to begin meals. A libation most often consisted of mixed 
wine and water, but could also be unmixed wine, honey, oil, water, or milk.

The form of libation called spondē is typically the ritualized pouring 
of wine from a jug or bowl held in the hand. The most common ritual was to pour 
the liquid from an
oinochoē
(wine jug) into a phiale. Libation 
generally accompanied prayer. The Greeks stood when they prayed, either with 
their arms uplifted, or in the act of libation with the right arm extended to 
hold the phiale. After the wine offering was poured from the phiale, the 
remainder of the contents was drunk by the celebrant.

In Roman art
, the libation is shown performed at 
an
altar, mensa (sacrificial meal table)
, 
or
tripod
. It was the simplest form of sacrifice, 
and could be a sufficient offering by itself. The introductory rite
(praefatio) to an animal sacrifice included an incense and wine libation 
onto a burning altar. Both
emperors
and divinities are frequently 
depicted, especially on coins, pouring libations from a patera. Scenes of 
libation and the patera itself commonly signify the quality of
pietas
, religious duty or reverence.

• 
  

  Libation at a
  symposium
  (Attic 
  red-figure cup, ca. 480 BC)

• 
  

  Apollo pouring a libation (Attic
  white-ground

  kylix
  , ca. 460 BC)

• 
  

  Etruscan priest with phiale (2nd century BC)

• 
  

  Roman priest,
  capite velato
  (2nd–3rd century 
  AD)