Aquilia Severa Second Wife of Elagabalus 220-221AD Julia Aquilia Severa was one of the Vestal Virgins to whom Emperor Elagabalus became very attracted at the time. Such a relationship was not without its risks. The punishment for a Vestal Virgin who broke her vows was death by means of being buried alive for she was […]

Annia Faustina Wife of Elagabalus 221-222 AD Aurelia Faustina was Emperor Elagabalus’s third wife. Annia was a distant descendant of the nephew of former Emperor Marcus Aurelius, who was a Roman Consul Marcus Ummidius Quadratus Annianus. Consequently, Annia was of noble descent as the only child of the wealthy heiress Annia Faustina, who had been married […]

Julia Cornelia Paula First Wife of Elagabalus in 219-220 AD Julia Cornelia Paula was the first wife of Emperor Elagabalus. They were married in 219 AD, but due to her husband’s sexual prowess, she was divorced the following year for him to marry Aquilia Severa. Nonetheless, Herodian tells us that Paula was a lady of […]

Elagabalus 218-222 AD The emperor known to history as Elagabalus takes his name from the sun god of Emesa, for which he was made a high priest on May 16th, 218 AD. Elagabalus was actually born about 205 AD as Varius Avitus Bassianus and later became known as “Marcus Aurelius Antoninus,” the formal name found […]

Diadumenian Son of Macrinus 217-218 AD Marcus Opelius Diadumenianus was the son of Macrinus who was the Prefect of the Praetorian Guard and played a master role in the assassination of Caracalla in 217 AD. Diadumenian was born in 208 AD and was given the rank of Caesar at the same time his father was proclaimed Emperor by […]

Macrinus 217-218 AD M. Opelius Macrinus was born to very humble parents in Caesarea in Mauretania in 164 AD. After holding various appointments in the imperial household, he became prefect of the Praetorian guards under Caracalla and was party to the latter’s murder. On April 11th, 217AD, he was saluted Augustus by his troops, and […]

GETA 209-212 AD Son of Septimus Severus Co-emperor & Brother Caracalla Publius Lucius Septimius Geta was the younger son of Emperor Septimius Severus and Julia Domna and the brother of Caracalla. Geta was younger than his brother by only one year. He traveled with his family during the Parthian War in 197 AD and was […]

Plautilla Wife of Caracalla Plautilla was the daughter of the powerful Praetorian Prefect Plautianus, who had been a close friend of Septimus Severus. Plautilla was married to Caracalla in 202 AD against his will. Caracalla literally hated his wife and vowed to have her killed when he became Emperor, a promise which he would most certainly keep. On […]

Caracalla 198-217 AD Son of Septimus Severus Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, originally named Julius Bassianus, was born at Lugdunum, Gaul, on April 6th, 188 AD. He was the elder son of Septimius Severus and Julia Domna. His original name, Bassianus, came from the Syrian side of his family. Following the Civil War in the aftermath of […]

Julia Domna Wife of Septimus Severus Died 217 AD Julia Domna was born at Emesa in Syria but traveled to Rome as a young woman in 173 AD. In Rome, Julia met General Septimius Severus who was a fanatic about astrology. Upon learning that her astrological chart foretold that she would marry a great king, Septimius […]