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This article is about the Emesene Aristocrat and King of Armenia in the 2nd century. For the Emesene Priest King in the 1st century, see Sohaemus of Emesa.
Sohaemus of Armenia - King of Armenia
Gaius Julius Sohaemus,[1] also known as Sohaemus of Armenia and Sohaemo[2](Armenian: Սոհեմոս, Greek: Γάϊος Ἰούλιος Σόαιμος, Sohaemus is Arabic for little dagger, flourished 2nd century) was an Emesene Prince and Aristocrat from Syria who served as a Roman Client King of Armenia.
Sohaemus was a prominent person in the Roman Empire in the 2nd century from theSyrian Roman Client Emesene Dynasty.[3] He was a monarch of Assyrian, Greek, Armenian, Medes, Berber and Roman ancestry. The novelist of the 2nd century, his contemporary Iamblichus[3] claims Sohaemus as his fellow-countryman.[1] Iamblichus calls Sohaemus as an Arsacid and Achaemenid, in his lineage and was a descendant of the Median Princess Iotapa, who was once betrothed to the Ptolemaic Prince Alexander Helios.[4] Little is known on Sohaemus’ family and early life prior to becoming King of Armenia.[5] Before becoming King, Sohaemus had been a Roman Senator and served as a Consul in Rome at an unknown date.[4]
In the year 144, Sohaemus succeeded Vologases I as King of Armenia. The circumstances leading to his appointment to the Armenian throne is unknown. Sohaemus was a contemporary to the rule of the Roman emperors: Antoninus Pius, Marcus Aurelius, Lucius Verusand Commodus of the Nerva–Antonine dynasty. In the first reign, he ruled from the years from 144 until 161. Not much is known of about his first reign. The novelist Iamblichus living in Armenia at the time of his rule describes his reign as ‘in succession to his ancestors’.[3]This statement can also refer to his former ancestor Sohaemus of Emesa who lived in the 1st century.[3]
In 161 Vologases IV of Parthia, son of the legitimate King Mithridates IV of Parthia, dispatched his troops to seize Armenia and eradicated the Roman legions stationed in the country under the legatus Gaius Severianus. Encouraged by the Spahbod Osroes, Parthian troops marched further West into Roman Syria.[6] After Armenia was seized by the Parthians, Sohaemus became a former ruling monarch living in political exile, possibly living in Rome.[7] Sohaemus was well known in Rome and there were rumors in some quarters that he was not the right man in the right place.[2]
On Roman terms, Parthia had made peace with Rome, Sohaemus was installed as King of Armenia by Lucius Verus in either 163 or 164.[2] The ceremony for Sohaemus in becoming Armenian King for the second time, may have taken place in Antioch or Ephesus.[8] In 164, Latin coinage were struck in Armenia with the inscription L. Verus. Aug. Armeniacus and on the reverse Rex Armen(ii)s datus.[2] The time of his second reign is unknown.[9] Sohaemus reigned from 163 perhaps up to 186. Sometime during his reign, Sohaemus was expelled by elements favorable to Parthia.[10] Sohaemus was expelled because a man called Tiridates stirred up trouble in Armenia who had murdered the King of the Osroenes and had thrust his sword in the face of Publius Martius Verus, the Roman Governor ofCappadocia when he rebuked for it.[10] Tiridates only punishment for his crimes was to be exiled to Roman Britain, by Marcus Aurelius.[10]
As a result of Sohaemus’ second expulsion from Armenia; Roman forces went to war with Parthian soldiers. Parthia retook most of their lost territory in 166, as Sohaemus from his expulsion retreated to Syria.[11] After Marcus Aurelius, Lucius Verus and the Parthian rulers intervened in the conflict, the son of Vologases IV of Parthia, Vologases II assumed the Armenian throne in 186.
It has been suggested that the Garni Temple in Armenia, may have been the tomb probably belonging to Sohaemus, based on the construction date as the temple was probably built in 175.[12] The Emesene prince, Julius Alexander may have been the possible son of Sohaemus.[13] Sohaemus is played by Omar Sharif in the 1964 film The Fall of the Roman Empire.
References[edit]
1. ^ Jump up to:a b Birley, Septimius Severus: the African emperor, p.224
2. ^ Jump up to:a b c d van den Hout, A commentary on the Letters of M. Cornelius Fronto, pp. 301-2
3. ^ Jump up to:a b c d Birley, Septimius Severus: the African emperor, p.71
4. ^ Jump up to:a b Birley, Septimius Severus: the African emperor, pp. 71&224
5. Jump up^ According to Christian Settipani, Sohaemus was the son of Avitus (Gaius Julius Avitus), son of Sohaemus (Gaius Julius Longinus Sohaemus), son of Sampsiceramus, son of Alexio, son ofSohaemus
6. Jump up^ Sellwood Coinage of Parthia 257-260, 268-277; Debevoise History of Parthia 245; Dio Cass.71.2.1.
7. Jump up^ Birley, Marcus Aurelius, p. 131
8. Jump up^ Bowman, The Cambridge ancient history: The High Empire, A.D. 70-192, p.163
9. Jump up^ Birley, Septimius Severus: the African emperor, p.72
10. ^ Jump up to:a b c Birley, Marcus Aurelius, pp.174-5
11. Jump up^ HA Verus 8.1-4; Dio Cass. 71.2.
12. Jump up^ Redgate, The Armenians, pp. 221-244
13. Jump up^ Birley, Septimius Severus: The African Emperor, p.217
Sources[edit]
· Royal Ancient Egyptian Genealogy: Ptolemaic Dynasty
· A.R. Birley, Septimius Severus: the African emperor, Routledge, 1999
· A.R. Birley, Marcus Aurelius, Routledge, 2000
· A.K. Bowman, P. Garnsey & D. Rathbone, The High Empire, A.D. 70-192, Cambridge University Press, 2000
· A.E. Redgate, The Armenians, Blackwell Publishing, 2000
· C. Settipani, Continuité gentilice et continuité familiale dans les familles sénatoriales romaines à l’époque imperial, Oxford, 2000
External links[edit]
· Coinage of Lucius Verus & Sohaemus at acsearch.info ancient coin search engine
See also[edit]
Sohaemus of Emesa
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the Emesene Priest King in the 1st century. For the Emesene Aristocrat and King of Armenia in the 2nd century, see Sohaemus of Armenia.
Gaius Julius Sohaemus Philocaesar Philorhomaeus,[1][2] also known as Sohaemus of Emesa and Sohaemus of Sophene (Greek:Γαίος Ιούλιος Σόαιμος Φιλόκαισαρ Φιλορώμαίος, Sohaemus is Arabic for little dagger, Philocaesar Philoromaios, means in Greek lover of Caesar, lover of Rome) was a prince and a Roman Client Priest King from Syria who lived in the 1st century.
Sohaemus was a member of the Royal family of Emesa. He was the second born son and a child to Priest King Sampsiceramus II who ruled the Emesene Kingdom from 14 until 42 and Queen Iotapa. He had an elder brother called Gaius Julius Azizus, who was the first husband of the Herodian Princess Drusilla and had two sisters: Iotapa who married the Herodian Prince Aristobulus Minor andMamaea.[3] Sohaemus was born, raised in Emesa and was of Assyrian, Armenian, Greek and Median ancestry. His paternal grandfather was the former Emesene Priest King Iamblichus II,[3] while his maternal grandparents were the former Commagenean MonarchsMithridates III of Commagene and his cousin-wife Iotapa.
Azizus had died in 54 and Sohaemus succeeded his brother as Priest King. He ruled from 54 until his death in 73 and was the priest of the Syrian Sun God, known in Aramaic as El-Gebal. At an unknown date in his reign, Sohaemus became the patron of the Roman colony of Heliopolis[4] (modern Baalbek, Lebanon). In honor of his patronage to Heliopolis, a statue of him with an accompanied honorific inscription was dedicated to him in the city.[2] The honorary Latin inscription reads:
Regi magno C(aio) Iulio Sohaemo regis magni Sam- sigerami f(ilio), philo- caesari et philo- [r]okmaeo, honora- t[o ornamentis] consulari- b[us-------------------------------]. patrono coloniae (duum)viro quinquenn(ali) L(ucius) Vitellius L(uci) f(ilius) Fab(ia tribu) Soss[i]a[nus].[1]
The inscription dedicates and honors, Sampsiceramus II with his son Sohaemus each as a Great King [Regis Magni].[1] In the inscription, Sohaemus is honored as a duumveir quinquennalis; a Patron of the colony at Heliopolis and has been granted the ornamenta consularia[honorary consular status].[4][2]
In the first year of his reign, under either Roman emperor Claudius or Nero, Sohaemus received the Roman province of Sophene to rule. As Sophene was near the source of the Tigris river, he would have been able to mount his archers to ward off the Parthians.[4] In 56, Sohaemus married his relative who was the Princess Drusilla of Mauretania. She was the child of the late Roman Client MonarchsPtolemy of Mauretania and Julia Urania. Drusilla was the great grandchild of Ptolemaic Greek Queen Cleopatra VII of Egypt and Roman Triumvir Mark Antony.[5]
In Sohaemus’ reign, Emesene’s relations with the Roman government grew closer. When Vespasian in 69 became Roman emperor, Sohaemus was among the first to swear allegiance to him.[4] Under him, Emesa sent the Roman military a regular levy of archers and assisted them in their siege of Jerusalem in 70. In 72, Sohaemus supplied troops to the Roman General Lucius Caesennius Paetus who was the head of the Legio VI Ferrata, in the annexation of the Kingdom of Commagene.
Drusilla was a Queen consort to Sohaemus.[5] Drusilla bore him a son called Gaius Julius Alexio,[5] who is also known as Alexio II. When Sohaemus died, he was buried in the tomb of his ancestors at Emesa and was succeeded by his son. Through his son, Sohaemus would have various descendants ruling on the Emesene throne and among those who claimed from his family’s ancestry was Queen ofPalmyra, Zenobia.
References[edit]
1. ^ Jump up to:a b c Temporini. 2, Principat: 9, 2. Volume 8. p. 213.
2. ^ Jump up to:a b c Birley. Septimius Severus: The African Emperor. p. 224.
3. ^ Jump up to:a b Levick. Julia Domna, Syrian Empress. p. xx.
4. ^ Jump up to:a b c d Birley. Septimius Severus: The African Emperor. p. 70.
5. ^ Jump up to:a b c Ciccone, Karl Leon (April 9, 2010). "Cleopatra’s Children and Descendants". Suite101.
Sources[edit]
· H. Temporini & W. Haase, 2, Principat: 9, 2, Volume 8, Walter de Gruyter, 1978
· S. Swain, Hellenism and Empire: Language, Classicism, and Power in the Greek World, Ad 50-250, Oxford University Press, 1996
· J.P. Brown, Israel and Hellas, Volume 3, Walter de Gruyter, 2001
· A.R. Birley, Septimius Severus: The African Emperor, Routledge, 2002
· B. Levick, Julia Domna, Syrian Empress, Taylor & Francis, 2007
· Royal Egyptian Genealogy, Ptolemaic Dynasty: Cleopatra Selene
· Cleopatra’s Children and Descendants at Ancient History by Suite101
· 1st-century monarchs in the Middle East
· Iulii
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