Julia Domna (born around 160 AD – died 217 AD) was a powerful Roman empress. She was the wife of Emperor Septimius Severus and ruled alongside him from 193 to 211 AD. She was the very first empress of the Severan dynasty, a new ruling family in Rome.

Julia Domna was born in a city called Emesa (which is now Homs) in Roman Syria. Her family was Arab and had a special role: they were priests for a god named Elagabalus. In 187 AD, she married Septimius Severus. At that time, he was a governor in a Roman province called Gallia Lugdunensis. They had two sons, Caracalla and Geta.

In 193 AD, a big civil war broke out in Rome. Many people wanted to be emperor. Soon after, Severus declared himself the new emperor. The war finally ended in 197 AD when Severus defeated his last enemies.

As empress, Julia Domna was very important. She had a lot of influence in politics, society, and even philosophy. People gave her special titles, like "Mother of the Invincible Camps." After her older son, Caracalla, started ruling with his father, Julia Domna was briefly a co-empress with Caracalla's wife, Fulvia Plautilla.

When Emperor Severus died in 211 AD, Julia Domna became the first empress mother to receive the title "Pia Felix Augusta". This title might have meant she had more power than other empress mothers usually did. Her sons became the new emperors. However, they did not get along well. Julia Domna tried to help them, but Caracalla had his brother Geta killed later that same year.

Julia Domna died in 217 AD. This happened after Caracalla was also killed during a war against Parthia. She had gone with him to Antioch (which is now Antakya, Turkey). After Julia Domna's death, her older sister, Julia Maesa, worked hard to gain political power. The Severan dynasty was brought back to power in 218 AD by Maesa's grandson, Elagabalus. The dynasty ruled until 235 AD, when Emperor Severus Alexander's rule ended. This marked the beginning of a difficult time for Rome called the Crisis of the Third Century.

Julia Domna's Family and Early Life
- Her Marriage to Septimius Severus
The Roman Civil War
Her Power and Influence
Changes in Power and Her Death
- Julia Domna's Death
Her Lasting Legacy
Severan dynasty family tree
Images for kids
See also

Julia Domna's Family and Early Life

Julia Domna was born in Emesa (modern-day Homs) in Syria around 160 AD. She came from an Arab family that was part of the Emesan dynasty. Her name, Domna, means "black" in an old Arabic language. This word referred to the black stone that represented the god Elagabalus.

Julia Domna was the youngest daughter of Julius Bassianus, who was a high priest of the god Baal. She also had an older sister named Julia Maesa. Through her sister Maesa and Maesa's husband, Julius Avitus, Julia Domna had two nieces: Julia Soaemias and Julia Mamaea. These nieces later became the mothers of future Roman emperors, Elagabalus (who ruled from 218 to 222 AD) and Severus Alexander (who ruled from 222 to 235 AD).

Julia Domna's family were like priest-kings of the famous temple of Elagabalus. They were very rich and became part of Rome's important noble families. Before she got married, Julia Domna inherited land and money from her great-uncle, Julius Agrippa. He was an important Roman soldier.

Her Marriage to Septimius Severus

An old Roman book, the Augustan History, tells an interesting story about Julia Domna's marriage. This book is not always completely accurate. It says that after Septimius Severus lost his first wife around 186 AD, he heard a prediction. The prediction said that a woman in Syria would marry a king. So, Severus went looking for this woman, and she turned out to be Julia Domna.

Julia Domna's father, Bassianus, agreed to Severus's marriage proposal in early 187 AD. In the summer of that year, they got married in Lugdunum (which is now Lyon, France). Severus was the governor of Lugdunum at the time. Their marriage was a happy one. Severus truly valued Julia Domna and her ideas about politics.

Julia Domna became very well-known for her love of books and philosophy. She gave birth to their two sons. Lucius Septimius Bassianus (Caracalla) was born in 188 AD in Lugdunum. Publius Septimius Geta was born the next year in Rome.

The Roman Civil War

After the Roman emperor Commodus was killed in 192 AD without anyone to take his place, many people tried to become the new emperor. Julia Domna's husband, Severus, was one of them. An older senator named Pertinax was chosen by the Praetorian Guard (the emperor's bodyguards) to be the new emperor. But Pertinax did not give the Guard what they wanted, so they killed him too.

Another politician, Didius Julianus, was then called to Rome and made emperor. But Severus marched his army from the north into Rome. He overthrew Julianus and had him executed.

Severus claimed the title of emperor in 193 AD. To deal with his rivals, Severus offered Clodius Albinus, a powerful governor from Britannia, the title of Caesar. This meant Albinus would be Severus's successor. This allowed Severus to focus on his other rival, Pescennius Niger. Severus defeated Niger in a battle in 194 AD.

After this, Severus openly said that his son Caracalla would be his successor. Because of this, Clodius Albinus's soldiers declared him emperor. In 197 AD, Severus defeated and killed Albinus in a battle. This made Severus the undisputed Emperor. And so, Julia Domna officially became the Empress.

Her Power and Influence

A coin showing Julia Domna (IVLIA AVGVSTA).

Unlike most wives of emperors, Julia Domna often went with her husband on his military trips. She even stayed in the army camps with him. She was given many special titles, more than almost any other empress. These titles were similar to those given to other important empresses, like "Mother of the Invincible Camps" and Mater Augustus (Mother of Augustus).

People generally respected Julia Domna during her time as empress. Coins were made with her picture on them, often mentioning her titles or simply calling her "Julia Augusta." After her husband Severus died, she received the title Pia Felix Augusta. This title might have meant that she was seen as continuing her husband's important qualities and power after his death.

Severus also had special medallions made for Julia Domna as early as 207 AD. On the back of these medallions was "Vesta Mater" (Mother Vesta). This might have been a prayer to the goddess Vesta. The Vestal Virgins (priestesses of Vesta) would pray to Vesta publicly.

Changes in Power and Her Death

A carving of Caracalla with Julia Domna shown as Victoria, the goddess of victory. This is at the National Museum, Warsaw.

When Emperor Severus died in 211 AD in Eboracum (York), Julia Domna had a difficult job. She had to try and keep the peace between her two sons, Caracalla and Geta. Their father wanted them to rule together as co-emperors. However, the two brothers did not get along at all. In December of the same year, Caracalla's soldiers murdered Geta. After Geta's death, his name was removed from inscriptions and his image was erased. This was a practice called damnatio memoriae, meaning "condemnation of memory."

Caracalla spent most of his time as emperor outside of Rome. He left the city in late 212 or early 213 AD for a military campaign. Julia Domna went with her son on his travels. She was definitely with him in a city called Nicomedia and later lived in Antioch in 216 AD.

Julia Domna's Death

In 217 AD, Caracalla started a new war against Parthia. Julia Domna traveled with Caracalla as far as Antioch. She stayed there, helping him with his letters and other important tasks, while he went to the war front. During this campaign, a Roman soldier assassinated Caracalla.

Julia Domna died shortly after Caracalla's assassination. Her sister, Julia Maesa, then worked to bring the Severan dynasty back to power in 218 AD. The dynasty ruled again until 235 AD.

Julia Domna's body was brought to Rome. Her bones, and those of her son Geta, were later moved by her sister Maesa to the Mausoleum of Hadrian.

Her Lasting Legacy

Julia Domna is remembered for encouraging a writer named Philostratus to write a book called Life of Apollonius of Tyana. It is believed that Julia Domna died before Philostratus could finish all eight volumes of his work.

She also had an impact on Roman fashion. The hairstyle she wore became popular and was later copied by other Roman empresses, like Cornelia Salonina, and even by Palmyran queen Zenobia. Julia Domna seems to have helped make wearing wigs popular among Romans, a custom that came from the Assyrians.

Severan dynasty family tree

Septimius Macer

Gaius Claudius Septimius Aper

Fulvius Pius

Lucius Septimius Severus

Publius Septimius Aper

Gaius Septimius Aper

Fulvia Pia

Publius Septimius Geta

Septimia Polla

Julius Bassianus

Septimius

Publius Septimius Geta

Septimia Octavilla

Paccia Marciana (1)

Septimius Severus
(r. 193 – 211)

Julia Domna (2)

Julia Maesa

Gaius Julius Avitus Alexianus

Gaius Septimius Severus Aper

Fulvia Plautilla

Caracalla
(r. 197 – 217)

Geta
(r. 209 – 211)

Julia Soaemias

Sextus Varius Marcellus

Julia Avita Mamaea

Marcus Julius Gessius Marcianus (2)

Julia Cornelia Paula (1)

Aquilia Severa (2 and 4)

Elagabalus
(r. 218 – 222)

Annia Faustina (3)

Sallustia Orbiana

Severus Alexander
(r. 222 – 235)

(1) = 1st spouse
(2) = 2nd spouse
(3) = 3rd spouse
(4) = 4th spouse
Dark green indicates an emperor of the Severan dynasty

Notes:

Except where otherwise noted, the notes below indicate that an individual's parentage is as shown in the above family tree.

Bibliography:

Birley, Anthony R. (1999). Septimius Severus: The African Emperor. London: Routledge. ISBN 0415165911.
Gibbon, Edward; Smith, William (1889). The Student's Gibbon: The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. London: Murray. OCLC 993285639. https://books.google.com/books?id=pXMtAQAAMAAJ&lpg=PA45&ots=Pntnp4PHLM&dq=elagabalus%20218%20to%20222%20edward%20gibbon&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q&f=false.

Images for kids

The Severan Tondo (c. 200) depicting Julia Domna, Septimius Severus, and their sons Geta (face erased) and Caracalla

Julia Domna facts for kids

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