Editing Sextus Varius Marcellus

{{short description|Syrian-born Roman nobleman and politician (c. 165 – c. 215)}}

'''Sextus Varius Marcellus'''<ref>Hazel, ''Who's Who in the Roman World'', p.153</ref> (c. 165 &ndash; c. 215<ref name=livius>[https://www.livius.org/articles/person/varius-marcellus/ Sextus Varius Marcellus’ article at Livius.org]</ref>) was a Roman aristocrat and politician from the [[Roman Syria|province of Syria]].<ref name=livius/> He was father of the emperor [[Elagabalus]].

==Family and career==
Little is known about the origins of Marcellus, other than he was born and raised in the city of [[Apamea, Syria|Apamea]] in [[Syria (Roman province)|Syria]].<ref>Levick, ''Julia Domna: Syrian Empress'', p.147</ref> Marcellus was a Roman citizen from the [[Roman equestrian order|Equestrian order]].<ref name=Bunson-346>Bunson, ''Encyclopedia of the Roman Empire'', p. 346</ref>

Marcellus had a long and distinguished political career.<ref name=Bunson-346/> He was present at the [[Secular Games]] in [[Ancient Rome|Rome]] in 204.<ref name=livius/> From 200 to 205, like Gaius [[Julius Avitus]] Alexianus,<ref name=livius/><ref name=Birley-223>Birley, ''Septimius Severus: The African Emperor'', p. 223</ref> Marcellus did not serve in a significant Roman military or political position, probably due to [[Roman emperor]] Lucius [[Septimius Severus]] views about him being influenced by the [[Praetorian prefect]] [[Gaius Fulvius Plautianus]].<ref name=Birley-223/><ref name=livius/> When Plautianus was killed in 205, Marcellus' career was able to move ahead.<ref name=livius/>

From 205 to about 207, Marcellus was a [[Procurator (Roman)|Procurator]] for the [[Roman aqueduct]]s<ref name=livius/> in Rome, a position usually given to Romans of [[Roman Senate|Senatorial]] rank, not from the Equestrian class. Marcellus was paid about 100,000 sesterces per year.<ref name=livius/>

Marcellus proved his worth and capabilities in his position to Emperor Severus and his family. In 208 the emperor promoted him to Procurator of [[Roman Britain]] and in this position he was responsible for gathering taxes for Rome. He earned 200,000 sesterces in this role.<ref name=livius/> Later he was promoted by the emperor to managing the finances of Roman Britain earning 300,000 sesterces.<ref name=livius/>

In 211 after the death of Lucius Septimius Severus, his sons [[Caracalla]] and [[Publius Septimius Geta]] succeeded their father on the Roman throne. Caracalla recalled Marcellus from Roman Britain to Rome and briefly placed him in the roles of [[Praefectus urbi]] and Praetorian prefect.<ref name=livius/> He was later admitted into the Senate and, soon after, became ''[[praefectus]]'' of the [[Aerarium militare|military treasury]].<ref name=livius/> He later became [[Roman governor|governor]] of [[Numidia]] and held this post until his death.<ref name=livius/>

==Marriage and children==
Marcellus married the Syrian Roman noblewoman [[Julia Soaemias]] Bassiana who was the first daughter of the powerful Syrian nobles [[Julia Maesa]] and Gaius [[Julius Avitus]] Alexianus.<ref>Bunson, ''Encyclopedia of the Roman Empire'', p. 153</ref> The maternal aunt of Soaemias was the Roman empress [[Julia Domna]]; her maternal uncle-in-marriage was the Roman emperor Lucius [[Septimius Severus]]; her maternal cousins were the Roman emperors [[Caracalla]] and [[Publius Septimius Geta]] and she was the maternal aunt of the Roman emperor [[Alexander Severus]].<ref name=livius/> Through marriage, Marcellus was related both to the [[Severan dynasty]] of the [[Roman Empire]] and the [[royal family of Emesa]], Syria.

Their marriage may have taken place in 192 or 194,<ref name=livius/> or even perhaps around 200.<ref>Millar, ''The Roman Near East: 31 BC-AD 337'', p. 119</ref> Marcellus and Soaemias' marriage may have been arranged to strengthen Lucius Septimius Severus' position in the Roman East.<ref name=livius/>

Soaemias and Marcellus bore the following children who were born and raised in Rome:
* A child whose name is unknown,<ref>Birley, ''Septimius Severus: The African Emperor'', pp. 217, 222–223</ref> who was their first son and child. The first son was named after the father of Marcellus, whose name is likewise unknown<ref name=livius/>
* Sextus Varius Avitus Bassianus,<ref>Prado, ''The Emperor Elagabalus: Fact or Fiction?'', p. 231</ref> who became the Severan Roman emperor [[Elagabalus]]<ref name=Bunson-346/> from 218 until 222.<ref>Birley, ''Septimius Severus: The African Emperor''</ref>

==Epigraphic evidence==
Inscriptional evidence has survived on Marcellus. After his death in c. 215, his wife [[Julia Soaemias]] Bassiana and their two sons, dedicated to him a tombstone which was found in [[Velletri]], not far from Rome.<ref name=livius/> The tombstone has two preserved bilingual inscriptions in Latin and [[Greek language|Greek]], which were first published at Rome in 1765.<ref name=livius/> The inscriptions reveal his political career, his various titles, designations and distinctions he received.<ref name=livius/> The tombstone of Marcellus is known to scholars as {{CIL|10|6569}} which can be found in the Octagonal Court in the [[Vatican Museums]] and reads:

:To Sextus Varius Marcellus
:procurator centenarius of the water supply, procurator ducenarius of Britain, procurator 
:trecenarius of the private purse, acting as praetorian prefect and praefectus urbi,
:senator, prefect of the military treasury, commander of the Third legion Augusta, 
:governor of Numidia,
:has Julia Soaemias Bassiana, daughter of Gaius, with her children, 
:[dedicated this] to her husband and dearest father.

Marcellus was known in dedicating an inscription to [[Bel (mythology)|Bel]] in [[Vaison-la-Romaine|Vasio (Vaison)]] in [[Gaul]].<ref name=Boiv-307>Boiy, ''Late Achaemenid and Hellenistic Babylon'', p. 307</ref> The bilingual inscription which is in Greek and Latin on an altar, dedicated by him is honoring Bel in remembrance of the oracles given to him in Apamea.<ref name=Boiv-307/>

==Posthumous honour==
The [[Thermae|Baths]] of Varius (''Thermae Varianae'') in Rome were named in honor of Marcellus and his second son by the [[Legio XIII Gemina]].<!--What?--><ref>{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20051026220438/http://www.ancientlibrary.com/smith-bio/2047.html Sextus Varius Marcellus’ article at ancient library]}}</ref>

The [[Circus Varianus]] was also named after his family.

==Severan dynasty family tree==
{{Severan dynasty family tree}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Sources==
* F. Millar, ''The Roman Near East: 31 BC-AD 337'', Harvard University Press, 1993 
* J. Hazel, ''Who's Who in the Roman World'', Psychology Press, 2002
* A.R. Birley, ''Septimius Severus: The African Emperor'', Routledge, 2002
* T. Bioy, ''Late Achaemenid and Hellenistic Babylon'', Peeters Publishers, 2004
* B. Levick, ''Julia Domna: Syrian Empress'', Routledge, 2007
* M. Bunsen, ''Encyclopedia of the Roman Empire'', Infobase Printing, 2009
* L. de Arrizabalaga y Prado, ''The Emperor Elagabalus: Fact or Fiction?'', Cambridge University Press, 2010

{{DEFAULTSORT:Varius Marcellus, Sextus}}
[[Category:2nd-century Romans]]
[[Category:3rd-century Romans]]
[[Category:160s births]]
[[Category:210s deaths]]
[[Category:Year of birth uncertain]]
[[Category:Year of death uncertain]]
[[Category:Ancient Roman equites]]

[[Category:Ancient Romans in Britain]]
[[Category:Emesene dynasty]]
[[Category:People from Roman Syria]]
[[Category:Senators of the Roman Empire]]
[[Category:Varii|Marcellus, Sextus]]