JVLIA PAVLA
First wife of Elagabalus
Augusta: A.D. 219-220
| |
IVLIA CORNELIA PAVLA
was married to Elagabalus upon his ascendance to the throne in the
summer of 219 A.D., and simultaneously raised to the position of
Augusta. With the marriage, Elagabalus ' grandmother, Julia Maesa,
intended to have her young protégé gain
acceptance from the
Roman aristocracy. After all, Julia Paula was the daughter of the
praetorian prefect Julius Paulus, and as such a well respected member
of the Roman nobility. But the marriage was doomed from the start,
allegedly because the
empress did not share her husband's desires and extravagant behavior.
Elagabalus divorced her in late 220 or early 221 A.D. to marry
the
Vestal Virgin Julia Aquilia Severa. After the divorce Julia Paula was
allowed to retire into private life, and disappeared from the limelight. (Contributed by Jan de Veen) |
