Julia Cornelia Paula

Julia Cornelia Paula or Julia Paula was a distinguished Roman noblewoman who became Empress of Rome as the first wife of the Roman emperor Elagabalus.

Bust of Julia Cornelia Paula

Life

Julia Cornelia Paula was a member of the gens Cornelia through her maternal line. Her father, Julius Paulus, was an important jurist active throughout the Severan Dynasty, who subsequently became praetorian prefect between 228 and 235.

In early 219, Julia Maesa, eldest sister of powerful Roman Empress Julia Domna, arranged for Cornelia Paula to marry her grandson, the new emperor Elagabalus. Their wedding was lavishly celebrated in Rome. Cornelia Paula became Elagabalus' first wife and was given the honorific title of Augusta.

In late 220, Elagabalus divorced her to marry the Vestal Virgin Aquilia Severa in a union that was considered scandalous because she was still a Vestal. Apart from falling in love with Severa, Elagabalus married Severa as a part of the religious process of worshiping the Syrian Sun God El-Gabal and integrating El-Gabal into Roman religion.

After the divorce, Elagabalus removed Paula's Augusta title. They had no children and her subsequent fate is unknown.

Severan dynasty family tree

Septimius Macer

Gaius Claudius Septimius Aper

Fulvius Pius

Lucius Septimius Severus

Publius Septimius Aper

Gaius Septimius Aper

Fulvia Pia

Publius Septimius Geta

Septimia Polla

Julius Bassianus

Septimius

Publius Septimius Geta

Septimia Octavilla

Paccia Marciana (1)

Septimius Severus
(r. 193–211)[lower-roman 1]

Julia Domna (2)

Julia Maesa

Gaius Julius Avitus Alexianus

Gaius Septimius Severus Aper

Fulvia Plautilla

Caracalla
(r. 197–217)[lower-roman 2]

Geta
(r. 209–211)[lower-roman 3]

Julia Soaemias

Sextus Varius Marcellus

Julia Avita Mamaea

Marcus Julius Gessius Marcianus[lower-roman 4] (2)

Julia Cornelia Paula (1)

Aquilia Severa (2 and 4)

Elagabalus
(r. 218–222)[lower-roman 5]

Annia Faustina (3)

Sallustia Orbiana

Severus Alexander
(r. 222–235)[lower-roman 6]

(1) = 1st spouse
(2) = 2nd spouse
(3) = 3rd spouse
(4) = 4th spouse
Dark green indicates an emperor of the Severan dynasty

Notes:

Except where otherwise noted, the notes below indicate that an individual's parentage is as shown in the above family tree.

Birley, Anthony R. (1999). Septimius Severus: The African Emperor. London: Routledge. p. i.
Burrell, Barbara (2004). Neokoroi: Greek Cities and Roman Emperors. p. 216.
Burrell, Barbara (2004). Neokoroi: Greek Cities and Roman Emperors. p. 247.
Birley, Anthony R. (1999). Septimius Severus: The African Emperor. London: Routledge. p. 217.
Gibbon, Edward; Smith, William (1889). The Student's Gibbon: The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. p. 45.
Gibbon, Edward; Smith, William (1889). The Student's Gibbon: The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. p. 47.

Bibliography:

Birley, Anthony R. (1999). Septimius Severus: The African Emperor. London: Routledge. ISBN 0415165911.
Gibbon, Edward; Smith, William (1889). The Student's Gibbon: The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. London: Murray. OCLC 993285639.

Sources

[1][2][3]

"NumisWiki - The Collaborative Numismatics Project - Thousands Of Online Numismatic Books, Articles And Pages. Julia Paula". Forum Ancient Coins. Retrieved 2021-12-05.
"Elagabalus". web.archive.org. 2017-10-12. Retrieved 2021-12-05.
"Roman Emperors - DIR Elagabalus". www.roman-emperors.org. Retrieved 2021-12-05.

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[1] Birley, Anthony R. (1999). Septimius Severus: The African Emperor. London: Routledge. p. i.

[2] Burrell, Barbara (2004). Neokoroi: Greek Cities and Roman Emperors. p. 216.

[3] Burrell, Barbara (2004). Neokoroi: Greek Cities and Roman Emperors. p. 247.

[4] Birley, Anthony R. (1999). Septimius Severus: The African Emperor. London: Routledge. p. 217.

[5] Gibbon, Edward; Smith, William (1889). The Student's Gibbon: The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. p. 45.

[6] Gibbon, Edward; Smith, William (1889). The Student's Gibbon: The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. p. 47.

[7] "NumisWiki - The Collaborative Numismatics Project - Thousands Of Online Numismatic Books, Articles And Pages. Julia Paula". Forum Ancient Coins. Retrieved 2021-12-05.

[8] "Elagabalus". web.archive.org. 2017-10-12. Retrieved 2021-12-05.

[9] "Roman Emperors - DIR Elagabalus". www.roman-emperors.org. Retrieved 2021-12-05.