JULIA DOMNA wife of Septimius Severus

• Julia Domna was the daughter of Julius Bassianus, a priest of Sol, and Soaemias, and was born at Emesa in Syria.
• She was married to Septimius Septimius, after the death of his first wife, in about A.D. 173.
• In 188 she bore him his first son who was named Bassianus, later changed to Antoninus, and nicknamed Caracalla. A year later another son, Geta, was born.
• In 193, Severus became Emperor.
• While he was away, fighting battles and crushing revolts, Julia Domna administered the Roman Empire.
• After the death of Severus in 211, Caracalla and Geta succeeded to the throne.
• Caracalla murdered Geta in their mother's private apartments and Geta died in her arms.
• After the murder of her son Caracalla in 217, Julia Domna starved herself to death rather than face exile or worse.