Julia Maesa Denarius (218-224/5 AD) - Grandmother of Elagabalus and Severus Alexander

In the tumultuous world of early Severan Rome, Julia Maesa stands out as one of the most powerful and politically astute women of her era. As the grandmother of emperors Elagabalus and Severus Alexander, Maesa wielded remarkable influence behind the scenes, restoring her family to the throne and shaping imperial policy across decades. Her authority is immortalized in silver on the denarius RIC 271, struck during AD 220–222, whose imagery and legend celebrate prosperity, divine favor, and the enduring strength of the Severan line.

Julia Maesa: The Matriarch of a Dynasty

Born in Emesa (modern-day Homs, Syria) sometime before AD 160, Julia Maesa was a member of the wealthy and influential Emesene priestly dynasty. She was the elder sister of Julia Domna, wife of Emperor Septimius Severus, and the mother of Julia Soaemias and Julia Mamaea, making her the grandmother of both Elagabalus and Severus Alexander. Her lineage connected Roman imperial authority with Eastern religious traditions and Syrian elite networks, lending her exceptional stature in the Roman world. After the death of Emperor Caracalla and the brief rule of Macrinus, Maesa orchestrated the rise of her teenage grandson Elagabalus to the throne in AD 218, leveraging family loyalty, political alliances, and even troop support to reclaim Severan power. Her influence continued throughout Elagabalus’s reign, and later with Severus Alexander, who succeeded his cousin following Elagabalus’s fall. As Augusta, one of the highest honors a woman could hold in Rome, Maesa embodied both familial authority and political clout during a volatile period.

The Coin: AR Denarius

The denarius struck in Julia Maesa’s name combines elegant portraiture with rich symbolic messaging, a hallmark of Severan coinage.

Obverse

• Legend: IVLIA MAESA AVG (“Julia Maesa Augusta”)
• Portrait: A draped right-facing bust of Julia Maesa, her hair styled in the formal fashion of Severan aristocratic women.
• The bust conveys dignity, gravitas, and institutional authority — appropriate for a matriarch whose influence extended across two imperial reigns.

Reverse

• Legend: SAECVLI FELICITAS (“Happiness/Felicity of the Age”)
• Imagery: Felicitas, the personification of prosperity and good fortune, stands left. She holds a long caduceus in one hand and in the other performs a sacrifice with a patera over a lighted altar a visual invocation of divine favor and public blessing. A star appears in the right field, likely symbolizing celestial sanction or a good omen for the age.

The reverse type reinforces a central message: that of prosperity, peace, and cosmic harmony under Severan leadership. Felicitas was a powerful emblem in Roman propaganda, representing productivity, collective fortune, and the well‑being of the saeculum the era of the empire itself.

Artistic and Political Messaging

The artistry of the RIC 271 denarius balances realism with symbolic depth:

• Maesa’s Portrait reflects status and authority, signaling her role as the enduring backbone of the Severan regime.
• Felicitas as a reverse motif reinforces the public good a reassurance of stability and prosperity at a time when the empire faced political turbulence.
• The star element may allude to celestial events or divine favor for the dynasty, a recurring theme in Severan numismatics.

Because Roman coins reached all corners of the empire, these visual cues broadcast the message of continuity, divine approval, and dynastic legitimacy to diverse audiences.

Legacy of the Denarius

The Julia Maesa denarius is more than a medium of exchange: it is a testament to the political agency of a woman who wielded extraordinary influence in a male‑dominated imperial system. Its celebration of Saeculi Felicitas captures a moment when her authority helped define the era’s fortunes and project confidence in her family’s rule. Collectors and historians prize this type for its artistic quality and the insight it offers into how power, gender, and divinity were communicated through Roman coinage.