Marcia Otacilia Severa: Difference between revisions

Names
	Marcia Otacilia Severa
Regnal name
	Marcia Otacilia Severa Augusta

Marcia Otacilia Severa
Marcia Otacilia Severa
Augusta
	Possible bust of Otacilia Severa, Walters Art Museum, Baltimore.
Empress of the Roman Empire
Tenure	244–249
Spouse	Emperor Philippus I the Arab
Issue	Philippus II; Iulia Severa (or Severina); Quintus Philippus Severus;
Names
Names
	Marcia Otacilia Severa
Regnal name
	Marcia Otacilia Severa Augusta
Father	Governor Otacilius Severus
Religion	Uncertain, possibly Christian

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Marcia Otacilia Severa was the Roman empress and wife of Emperor Philip the Arab, who reigned over the Roman Empire from 244 to 249. She was the mother of Emperor Philip II.^[1]

Biography

Early life

She was a member of the ancient gens Otacilia, of consular and senatorial rank. Her father was Otacilius Severus or Severianus, who served as Roman Governor of Macedonia and Moesia, while her mother was either a member of or related to the gens Marcia. According to sources she had a brother called Severianus, who served as Roman Governor of Lower Moesia in 246–247.^[2]

Marriage

On a tetradrachm of Antioch, Syria, struck AD 247.

In 234 Severa married Philip, who was probably serving at the time in the Praetorian Guard under Emperor Alexander Severus. They had at least one child, Marcus Iulius Philippus Severus or Philippus II (born in 238), who later became co-emperor with his father.^[3]

In February 244, the emperor Gordianus died in Mesopotamia; it is suspected in the sources that he was murdered, and there is a possibility that Severa was involved in the conspiracy. Her husband Philip became the new emperor, giving Gordian a proper funeral and returning his ashes to Rome for burial.^[4] Philip gave Severa the honorific title of Augusta and had their son made heir of the purple.

Severa and Philip are sometimes considered as the first Christian imperial couple, because during their reign persecutions of Christians were replaced by a policy of tolerance, but this belief has not been proven. It was through her intervention, for instance, that Bishop and Saint Babylas of Antioch was saved from persecution.

In August 249, Philip was killed near Verona in battle against Decius, who had been proclaimed Augustus by the Danubian armies. Severa was in Rome; when the news of her husband's death arrived, their son was murdered by the Praetorian Guard still in her arms. Severa survived her husband and son and lived later in obscurity.^{[citation needed]}

References

^ Ramsay, William (1870). "Philippus II., M. Julius". In Smith, William (ed.). Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. Vol. 3. p. 273.
^ "Otacilia Severa". Antoninianus Presentation. Et Tu Antiquities. 24 February 2010. Archived from the original on 12 May 2013. Retrieved 14 July 2007.
^ Meckler, Michael L. (1999-06-07). "Philip the Arab (244–249 A.D.)". De Imperatoribus Romanis: An Online Encyclopedia of Roman Emperors.
^ Kienast, Dietmar; Werner Eck & Matthäus Heil (2017) [1990]. Römische Kaisertabelle: Grundzüge einer römischen Kaiserchronologie [Roman imperial table: Basics of the Roman imperial chronology] (in German) (6th ed.). Darmstadt: WBG. p. 192. ISBN 978-3-5342-6724-8.

External links

Sermarini, Joseph T. (15 February 2006). "Otacilia Severa". NumisWiki, The Collaborative Numismatics Project. Forum Ancient Coins.
"Otacilia Severa". Forum Ancient Coins. Forum Ancient Coins.
Lendering, Jona (24 April 2007). "Otacilia Severa". Livius.Org.
"Roman Imperial Coinage of Otacilia Severa". Wildwinds.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Short description|Roman empress from 244 to 249}}
-{{no footnotes|date=October 2012}}
+{{Infobox royalty
-[[File:Otacilia Severa Musei Capitolini MC2765.jpg|thumb|upright|Otacilia Severa, wife of Philip I the Arab. Lunense marble, 244–249. From the Via dei Fori Imperiali, 1933. ([[Centrale Montemartini]], Rome)]]
+| embed          =
-'''Marcia Otacilia Severa''' or '''Otacilia Severa''' was the Empress of [[Rome]] and wife of [[Roman Emperor|Emperor]] Marcus Julius Philippus or [[Philip the Arab]], who reigned over the [[Roman Empire]] from 244 to 249.
+| name           = Marcia Otacilia Severa
+| title          = [[Augusta (honorific)|Augusta]]
+| titletext      =
+| more           =
+| type           =
+| image          = File:Portrait head possibly of Empress Otacilia Severa, wife of Emperor Philip the Arab 250-300 CE MH.jpg
+| image_size     =
+| alt            =
+| caption        = Possible bust of Otacilia Severa, [[Walters Art Museum]], [[Baltimore]].
+| succession     = [[List of Roman empresses|Empress of the Roman Empire]]
+| moretext       =
+| reign          = 244–249
+| coronation     =
+| cor-type       =
+| birth_name     =
+| birth_date     = <!-- For Gregorian dates: {{birth date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|df=y}} -->
+| birth_place    =
+| death_date     = <!-- {{death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD|df=y}} -->
+| death_place    =
+| burial_date    =
+| burial_place   =
+| spouse         = Emperor [[Philip the Arab|Philippus I the Arab]]
+| consort        = yes
+| issue          = {{unbulleted list|[[Philip II (Roman emperor)|Philippus II]] |Iulia Severa <small>(or Severina)</small> |Quintus Philippus Severus}}
+| issue-link     =
+| issue-pipe     =
+| issue-type     =
+| full name      =Marcia Otacilia Severa
+| era name       =
+| era dates      =
+| regnal name    =Marcia Otacilia Severa Augusta
+| posthumous name=
+| temple name    =
+| house          =
+| house-type     =
+| father         = Governor Otacilius Severus
+| mother         =
+| religion       = Uncertain, possibly [[Christianity|Christian]]
+}}
+'''Marcia Otacilia Severa''' was the [[Roman empress]] and wife of [[Roman Emperor|Emperor]] [[Philip the Arab]], who reigned over the [[Roman Empire]] from 244 to 249. She was the mother of Emperor [[Philip II (Roman emperor)|Philip II]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite DGRBM|author=WR|title=Philippus II., M. Julius|volume=3|page=273|url=https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/moa/acl3129.0003.001/281}}</ref>
-Severa was a member of the ancient ''[[gens]] [[Otacilia (gens)|Otacilia]]'' who were people of consular and senatorial rank. Severa’s father was Otacilius Severus or Severianus, who served as Roman Governor of [[Macedonia (Roman province)|Macedonia]] and [[Moesia]], while her mother was a member of gens [[Marcius (family)|Marcius]] or was related to the gens. According to sources she had a brother called Severianus, who served as Roman Governor of Lower [[Moesia]] between 246–247.
+== Biography ==
-Little is known on her life before marrying Philip. In 234, Severa married Philip who served in the [[Praetorian Guard]] under Emperor [[Alexander Severus]]. Severa had three children with Philip: a son named Marcus Julius Philippus Severus or [[Philippus II]] (born in 238) and – according to numismatic evidence – a daughter called Julia Severa or Severina, who is never mentioned by the ancient Roman sources - a son  named Quaitis Phillipus severus or [[Philippus III]] (born in 247).
+=== Early life ===
+She was a member of the ancient [[gens]] [[Otacilia gens|Otacilia]], of consular and senatorial rank. Her father was Otacilius Severus or Severianus, who served as Roman Governor of [[Macedonia (Roman province)|Macedonia]] and [[Moesia]], while her mother was either a member of or related to the gens [[Marcia gens|Marcia]]. According to sources she had a brother called Severianus, who served as Roman Governor of Lower [[Moesia]] in 246–247.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ettuantiquities.com/Philip_1/Otacilia-index.htm |title=Otacilia Severa |work=Antoninianus Presentation |publisher=Et Tu Antiquities |date=24 February 2010 |access-date=14 July 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130512085548/http://ettuantiquities.com/Philip_1/Otacilia-index.htm |archive-date=12 May 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
+===Marriage===
-In February 244, [[Gordian III]] was killed in Mesopotamia. There is a possibility that Severa was involved in a conspiracy to murder Gordian. Philip became the new emperor who gave his young predecessor a proper funeral and his ashes were returned to [[Rome]] for burial.
+[[File:Octalia Severa Antoninianus Concordia 1.jpg|alt=silver antoninianus of Octalia Severa|thumb|Silver [[Antoninianus]] of Otacilia Severa. Inscription: OTACILIA SEVERA AVG / CONCORDIA AVGG; 247 AD.]]
+[[File:Otacilie-Sevère.jpg|thumb|On a tetradrachm of Antioch, Syria, struck AD 247.]]
+In 234 Severa married Philip, who was probably serving at the time in the [[Praetorian Guard]] under Emperor [[Alexander Severus]]. They had at least one child, Marcus Iulius Philippus Severus or [[Philippus II]] (born in 238), who later became co-emperor with his father.<ref>{{cite web |last=Meckler |first=Michael L. |title=Philip the Arab (244–249 A.D.) |website=De Imperatoribus Romanis: An Online Encyclopedia of Roman Emperors  |date=1999-06-07 |url=https://www.roman-emperors.org/philarab.htm}}</ref>
+In February 244, the emperor [[Gordian III|Gordianus]] died in [[Mesopotamia]]; it is suspected in the sources that he was murdered, and there is a possibility that Severa was involved in the conspiracy. Her husband Philip became the new emperor, giving Gordian a proper funeral and returning his ashes to [[Rome]] for burial.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Kienast |first=Dietmar |url=https://archive.org/details/romische-kaisertabelle |title=Römische Kaisertabelle: Grundzüge einer römischen Kaiserchronologie |last2=Werner Eck |author-link2=Werner Eck |last3=Matthäus Heil |publisher=[[Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft|WBG]] |date=2017 |isbn=978-3-5342-6724-8 |edition=6th |location=Darmstadt |language=de |trans-title=Roman imperial table: Basics of the Roman imperial chronology |ref={{SfnRef|Kienast|Eck|Heil}} |orig-date=1990 |name-list-style=amp |page=192}}</ref> Philip gave Severa the honorific title of [[Augusta (honorific)|Augusta]] and had their son made heir of the purple.
-Philip gave Severa the honorific title of Augusta. Their son was made heir of the purple. Sometimes Severa and Philip are considered as the first Christian imperial couple, because during their reign the persecutions of Christians had ceased and the couple had become tolerant towards the faith of the Christians. Through her intervention, she saved Bishop and Saint [[Babylas of Antioch]] from persecution.
+Severa and Philip are sometimes considered as the first [[Christianity|Christian]] imperial couple, because during their reign [[Persecution of Christians|persecutions of Christians]] were replaced by a policy of tolerance,  but this belief has not been proven. It was through her intervention, for instance, that Bishop and Saint [[Babylas of Antioch]] was saved from persecution.
-In August 249, Philip had died in battle in Verona and [[Decius]] became the new emperor. Severa was in Rome that time. When the news of Philip’s death had reached Rome, Severa’s son was murdered by the [[Praetorian Guard]]. The child died in her arms.
-Severa survived her husband and son and lived later in obscurity.
-[[File:Roman - Coin with a Hippopotamus and Portrait of Otacilia Severa - Walters 59751 - Back.jpg|thumb|upright|left|Silver coin of Otacilia Severa]]
-==Death==
-It is mentioned in the Roan scripts of Malta V.118 of the museum of Valetta that she had set sail to the land of Aliya Shamsan to live in the birthplace of  Phillip.
+In August 249, Philip was killed near [[Verona]] in battle against [[Decius]], who had been proclaimed Augustus by the Danubian armies. Severa was in Rome; when the news of her husband's death arrived, their son was murdered by the [[Praetorian Guard]] still in her arms. Severa survived her husband and son and lived later in obscurity.{{cn|date=August 2024}}
-==Further reading==
+== References ==
-* {{fr}} Minaud, Gérard, ''Les vies de 12 femmes d’empereur romain - Devoirs, Intrigues & Voluptés '', Paris, L’Harmattan, 2012, ch. 10, '' La vie de Marcia Otacilia Sévéra, femme de Philippe l’Arabe'', p. 243-262
+{{Reflist}}
-==See also==
+== External links ==
-* [[Otacilia (gens)]]
-== Sources ==
-* {{de icon}} [[:de:Marcia Otacilia Severa|Marcia Otacilia Severa]]
-* {{cite web |url=http://ettuantiquities.com/Philip_1/Otacilia-index.htm |title=Otacilia Severa |work=Antoninianus Presentation |publisher=Et Tu Antiquities |date=24 February 2010}}
 * {{cite web |url=http://www.forumancientcoins.com/NumisWiki/view.asp?key=Otacilia%20Severa |title=Otacilia Severa |work=NumisWiki, The Collaborative Numismatics Project |date=15 February 2006 |first=Joseph T. |last=Sermarini |publisher=Forum Ancient Coins}}
-* {{cite web |url=http://www.forumancientcoins.com/catalog/roman-and-greek-coins.asp?vpar=718 |title=Otacilia Severa |work=Forum Ancient Coins |publisher=Forum Ancient Coins}} <!--http://www.forumancientcoins.com/historia/coins/r5/r1641.htm {{dead link}}-->
+* {{cite web |url=http://www.forumancientcoins.com/catalog/roman-and-greek-coins.asp?vpar=718 |title=Otacilia Severa |work=Forum Ancient Coins |publisher=Forum Ancient Coins}} <!--http://web.archive.org/web/20070707195032/http://www.forumancientcoins.com:80/historia/coins/r5/r1641.htm -->
-* {{cite web |url=http://www.livius.org/on-oz/otacilia/otacilia.html |title=Otacilia Severa |first=Jona |last=Lendering |work=Livius.Org |date=24 April 2007}}
+* {{cite web |url=https://www.livius.org/on-oz/otacilia/otacilia.html |title=Otacilia Severa |first=Jona |last=Lendering |work=Livius.Org |date=24 April 2007}}
 * {{cite web |url=http://www.wildwinds.com/coins/ric/otacilia_severa/t.html |title=Roman Imperial Coinage of Otacilia Severa |work=Wildwinds}}
+==Further reading==
+* {{in lang|fr}} Minaud, Gérard, ''Les vies de 12 femmes d’empereur romain - Devoirs, Intrigues & Voluptés '', Paris, L’Harmattan, 2012, ch. 10, '' La vie de Marcia Otacilia Sévéra, femme de Philippe l’Arabe'', p.&nbsp;243-262
 {{s-start}}
 {{s-roy}}
-{{succession box | title=[[Empress of Rome]] | before=[[Tranquillina]] | after=[[Herennia Etruscilla]] |years = 244–249}}
+{{s-bef|before=[[Tranquillina]]}}
+{{s-ttl|title=[[Empress of Rome]]|years=244&ndash;249}}
+{{s-aft|after=[[Herennia Etruscilla]]}}
 {{s-end}}
+{{Roman empresses|state=collapsed}}
-{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]]. -->
-| NAME              = Severa, Marcia Otacilia
+[[Category:3rd-century Roman empresses]]
-| ALTERNATIVE NAMES = Severa , Marcia Otacilia; Severa, Otacilia
-| SHORT DESCRIPTION = Empress
-| DATE OF BIRTH     =
-| PLACE OF BIRTH    =
-| DATE OF DEATH     =
-| PLACE OF DEATH    =
-}}
-[[Category:Roman empresses]]
-[[Category:3rd-century Romans]]
 [[Category:Year of birth unknown]]
 [[Category:Year of death unknown]]
+[[Category:Crisis of the Third Century]]
+[[Category:Augustae]]
+[[Category:Marcii]]
+[[Category:Otacilii]]
+[[Category:Philip the Arab]]
+[[Category:Mothers of Roman emperors]]