Royal Family of Emesa

The Royal Family of Emesa was a native Syrian Arab [Shahid, Irfan (1984). Rome and The Arabs: A Prolegomenon to the Study of Byzantium and the Arabs] dynasty of Priest Kings in Emesa (modern Homs, Syria). There is a possibility that members of the Royal Family may have some ancestry from the local Greek population in Syria.

Emesa was renowned for the "Temple of the Sun" adored in a shape of a black stone. The Syrian sun god in Aramaic, was known as "El-Gebal". The local priests, formed a powerful and influential aristocracy.

They were a leading kingdom in the Roman East. From this dynasty, various coins have survived. However, not much is known on this Royal Family. The Priest King dynasty ruled from Emesa from 64 BC until at least 254. After 73, the priest kings had ceremonial authority. Between 211-217, Roman Emperor Caracalla, made Emesa a Roman Colony.

Apart from Antioch, Emesa was a very important city for the Romans, in the Empire’s East. This port city, prospered well under Roman vassals. Around 64 BC, the Roman General Pompey the Great had reorganised Syria and the surrounding countries into Roman Provinces. Pompey had installed client kings, who would be allies to Rome. One of those client kings, would be Sampsiceramus, the founding member of the Priest King dynasty of Emesa.

Sampsiceramus was an Aramaic chieftain who was an ally to the last Greek Seleucid Monarchs of Syria. By that time, the Seleucid Empire had become a very weak state and always appealed to Rome to assist them to solve the kingdom’s crisis. At the request of Pompey, Sampsiceramus captured and killed the second last Seleucid King Antiochus XIII Asiaticus in 64 BC. From Sampsiceramus, the founding member they are also known as The Sampsiceramids.

Various members were given names from the Aramaic, Roman and Greek culture. Women as their first name had the Latin name "Julia" and would end in a name in Aramaic or sometimes a Latin or Greek name(s). Men would either have a name(s) in Aramaic, Latin or Greek or a name from the combination of the three cultures.

List of Priest Kings of Emesa

Below lists monarchs of Emesa.
* Sampsiceramus reigned 64 BC-43 BC
* Imblichus reigned 64 BC-31 BC
* Alexander reigned 31 BC-29 BC
* Unknown person reigned 29 BC-20 BC
* Imblichus II reigned 20 BC-11 BC
* Sampsiceramus II reigned 11 BC-42
* Gaius Julius Azizus or Asisus reigned 42-54
* Gaius Julius Sohaemus (brother to Azizus) reigned 54-73
* Gaius Julius Alexio (son to Sohaemus) reigned 73-78
* Gaius Julius Sampsiceramus III Silas (son to Alexio) reigned 79-120
* Gaius Julius Longinus Soaemus died 160
* Gaius Julius Sulpicius died ca. 210
* Uranius Antoninus reigned 210-235
* Lucius Julius Aurelius Sulpicius Severus Uranius Antoninus reigned 235-254

Other members of the Royal Family

* Julia Urania, Queen of Mauretania who married King Ptolemy of Mauretania.
* Princess Drusilla of Mauretania, child to the above. Drusilla married Gaius Julius Sohaemus. They had at least two children, a son Gaius Julius Alexio and a daughter, Iotapa. Queen of Palmyra, Zenobia, is descended from Drusilla.
* Roman Empress Julia Domna and her sister Julia Maesa, daughters of Julius Bassianus, through them had descendants who would become Roman Emperors and relatives to Roman Emperors. Domna and Maesa were daughters of a high-priest Gaius Julius Bassianus. Their descendants included the Roman Emperors Caracalla, his brother Publius Septimius Geta, Elagabalus and Alexander Severus.

References

ources:

* http://www.loebtree.com/emesa.html
* http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05402a.htm
* http://www.sfagn.info/information/michael_burgess.html
* http://www.sfagn.info/information/kritt.html
* http://www.ccel.org/g/gibbon/decline/volume.1/nt23/098htm
* http://www.hostkingdom.net/Syria.html#Homs
* http://www.ancientlibrary.com/smith-bio/3035.html
* Microsoft Encarta Encyclopaedia 2002 Edition.
* Morkot.R., The Penguin Historical Altas of Ancient Greece, Penguin Group, 1996.