Julia Avita Mamaea

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Julia Mamaea and her mother Maesa played an instrumental role in the imperial accession of Alexander, then 13 years old, by securing the Praetorians' loyalty to him. They remained influential figures during his reign. Julia Mamaea attained the title [[List of Augustae|''Augusta'']] immediately following his acquisition of the throne.Cassius Dio ''Epitome of Book LXXX'' Fragment When Maesa died in 224, Mamaea took over the state affairs alongside an advisory board.{{Cite journal |last=Kosmetatou |first=Elizabeth |date=2002 |title=The Public Image of Julia Mamaea. An Epigraphic and Numismatic Inquiry |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/41539794 |journal=Latomus |volume=61 |issue=2 |pages=398–414 |jstor=41539794 |issn=0023-8856}}

Julia Mamaea and her mother Maesa played an instrumental role in the imperial accession of Alexander, then 13 years old, by securing the Praetorians' loyalty to him. Tanhey remained influential figures during his reign. Julia Mamaea attained the title [[List of Augustae|''Augusta'']] immediately following his acquisition of the throne.Cassius Dio ''Epitome of Book LXXX'' Fragment When Maesa died in 224, Mamaea took over the state affairs alongside an advisory board.{{Cite journal |last=Kosmetatou |first=Elizabeth |date=2002 |title=The Public Image of Julia Mamaea. An Epigraphic and Numismatic Inquiry |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/41539794 |journal=Latomus |volume=61 |issue=2 |pages=398–414 |jstor=41539794 |issn=0023-8856}}

[[File:Julia mammea02 pushkin.jpg|thumb|left|170px|Bust of Julia Mamaea, [[Pushkin Museum]]]]

[[File:Julia mammea02 pushkin.jpg|thumb|left|170px|Bust of Julia Mamaea, [[Pushkin Museum]]]]

The two women had collaborated in choosing 16 distinguished senators to form this advisory board and relied heavily on the lawyer [[Ulpian]], who was also from Syria. This created a court environment in which the advisory board ran the Roman Empire with Alexander as the mere figurehead. The new regime garnered the approval of surviving historical sources for overturning Elagabalus' measures and reinstating a more traditional form of government.Herodian 6.1.1-4Cassius Dio ''Epitome of Book LXXX'' Fragment [[Ulpian]], who held influence during Alexander's early reign, was made head of the [[Praetorian Guard]]. However, he was unable to control the Praetorians, who eventually rebelled. Despite the swift flight to the palace under the protection of Julia Mamaea and Severus Alexander, Ulpian was murderedCassius Dio 80.4.2 around 223 or 228.

The two women had collaborated in choosing 16 distinguished senators to form this advisory board, and relied heavily on the lawyer [[Ulpian]], who was also from Syria. This created a court environment in which the advisory board ran the Roman Empire with Alexander as the mere figurehead. The new regime garnered the approval of surviving historical sources for overturning Elagabalus' measures and reinstating a more traditional form of government.Herodian 6.1.1-4Cassius Dio ''Epitome of Book LXXX'' Fragment [[Ulpian]], who held influence during Alexander's early reign, was made head of the [[Praetorian Guard]]. However, he was unable to control the Praetorians, who eventually rebelled. Despite the swift flight to the palace under the protection of Julia Mamaea and Severus Alexander, Ulpian was murderedCassius Dio 80.4.2 around 223 or 228.

Upon reaching adulthood, Alexander confirmed his esteem for his mother and listened to her advice. She accompanied her son in his campaigns, and like her aunt Julia Domna, she too held many titles in addition to ''Augusta'': ''mater augusti nostri et castrorum et senatus et patriae'' ("mother of the emperor, the camp, the senate and the country") and ''mater universi generis humani'' ("mother of all the humanity"). The historian [[Herodian]] and text ''[[Historia Augusta]]'' characterize Alexander as a mama's boy who never managed to escape her maternal domination but that he resented her love of money.Herodian 6.1.8 Mamaea's influence over him led some sources to call him Alexander Mamaeae.Kosmetatou, Elizabeth, ''The Public Image of Julia Mamaea. An Epigraphic and Numismatic Inquiry,'' in ''Latomus'' 61, 2002, pp. 398-399 Though she was credited with her son's principled upbringing and the stability during his early reign,Herodian 6.1.5 the army and ancient historians attributed Alexander's military shortcomings to Mamaea. By preventing his exposure to battles as a protective measure, Mamaea may have contributed to her son's deteriorating relationship with the army.Herodian 6.5.8

Upon reaching adulthood, Alexander confirmed his esteem for his mother and listened to her advice. She accompanied her son in his campaigns, and like her aunt Julia Domna, she too held many titles in addition to ''Augusta'': ''mater augusti nostri et castrorum et senatus et patriae'' ("mother of the emperor, the camp, the senate and the country") and ''mater universi generis humani'' ("mother of all the humanity"). The historian [[Herodian]] and text ''[[Historia Augusta]]'' characterize Alexander as a mama's boy who never managed to escape her maternal domination but that he resented her love of money.Herodian 6.1.8 Mamaea's influence over him led some sources to call him Alexander Mamaeae.Kosmetatou, Elizabeth, ''The Public Image of Julia Mamaea. An Epigraphic and Numismatic Inquiry,'' in ''Latomus'' 61, 2002, pp. 398-399 Though she was credited with her son's principled upbringing and the stability during his early reign,Herodian 6.1.5 the army and ancient historians attributed Alexander's military shortcomings to Mamaea. By preventing his exposure to battles as a protective measure, Mamaea may have contributed to her son's deteriorating relationship with the army.Herodian 6.5.8