Emesa and Rome

The first king of Emesa, Azizus, was crowned by Seleucid king Philip II Barypous, son of Philip I Philadelphus (Sullivan, “Dynasty of Emesa,” 200–201). Azizus seems to have conspired with Sampsigeramus I to free Syria from Seleucid rule, but the sources are less clear about the exact nature of the relationship—familial or otherwise—between Azizus and Sampsigeramus I (Sullivan, “Dynasty of Emesa,” 200–201).

Sampsigeramus I assumed the throne around 69 bc and seems to have ruled, to varying degrees with his son Iamblichus I, into the mid-40s bc (Strabo, Geography 16.2.10; Sullivan, “Dynasty of Emesa,” 204–05). No explicit mention of Emesa survives in connection with the Roman general Pompey’s move through Palestine in the mid-60s bc, but the kingdom’s integrity seems to have been confirmed and to have continued reasonably amicably under a broader Roman umbrella (Sullivan, “Dynasty of Emesa,” 205–06).

Iamblichus I was prominent at least by the early 50s bc, even if he had not attained to a formal coregency with his father by that point (Sullivan, “Emesa,” 205–06). In 47 bc, Iamblichus I supported Julius Caesar against Cleopatra’s brother but eventually joined Caecilius Bassus in opposing the emperor (Josephus, Jewish War 1.187–88; Strabo, Geography 16.2.10; Sullivan, “Dynasty of Emesa,” 207–08). Both Iamblichus I and his successor, Alexander, were executed—Iamblichus I by Mark Antony and Alexander by Octavian (Dio Cassius, History, 51.2.1–3; Sullivan, “Dynasty of Emesa,” 210–11). Around 20 bc, however, Iamblichus I’s son Iamblichus II regained power in Emesa by Augustus’s benefaction and seems possibly to have become a Roman citizen himself (Dio Cassius, History, 54.9.2; Jones, Cities, 260–62; Sullivan, “Dynasty of Emesa,” 211–12; see also D. Kennedy, “Syria,” 728–29; Sartre, “Syria and Arabia,” 652–53).

There is some difficulty in identifying the line of descent, but it is probable that Iamblichus II fathered Sampsigeramus II, who succeeded his father and was commemorated as the “Great King” (regnis magni) in an inscription from Baalbek (Sullivan, “Dynasty of Emesa,” 212–13). His son Azizus succeeded him at least by the early 50s ad (Sullivan, Near Eastern Royalty, 215; this Azizus shares his name with the earlier figure but is not normally designated Azizus II). Azizus’s brother, Sohaemus, succeeded Azizus on his death (ca. ad 54) and reigned through at least ad 72 as the last Emesene king of which contemporary scholarship can be certain (Sullivan, “Dynasty of Emesa,” 218–19; see also Sartre, “Syria and Arabia,” 639).

Even so, Emesa regained some autonomy under the Flavian dynasty (ad 69–96) and produced coinage under Antoninus Pius (Sullivan, “Dynasty of Emesa,” 218; compare Jones, Cities, 266–67). The Emesene Julia Domna married Emperor Septimus Severus (reigned ad 193–211; Sullivan, “Dynasty of Emesa,” 219). Caracalla (Marcus Aurelius Antoninus), one of Domna’s sons, later became emperor himself and granted Emesa colonial status but did not remit its tribute requirement (Campbell, “Severan Dynasty,” 5–6; Jones, Cities, 267; see also D. Kennedy, “Syria,” 731; Magie, “Roman Rule,” 688–89).