Gaius Julius Fabia Sampsiceramus III Silas

Who is Gaius Julius Fabia Sampsiceramus III Silas?

Gaius Julius Fabia Sampsiceramus III Silas was a Syrian Prince and Roman Client Priest King of Emesa.

Silas was a monarch of Assyrian, Greek, Armenian, Medes, Berber and Roman ancestry. He was the son of Gaius Julius Alexio, also known as Alexio II by an unnamed wife. His paternal grandparents were the previous Emesene Monarchs Sohaemus of Emesa and Drusilla of Mauretania, through whom he was a descendant of the Ptolemaic Greek Queen Cleopatra VII and Roman Triumvir Mark Antony.

Silas was born and raised in Emesa. After his father died in 78, Silas succeeded his father as Priest King of Emesa. Silas ruled as a Priest King from 79 until his death in 120. He was the priest of the Syrian Sun God, known in Aramaic as El-Gebal. Little is known on his life and his reign as Emesene Priest King. What is known about Silas is from surviving inscriptions from Emesa.

There is a noted sepulchral Greek inscription on a monument dated 78/79 at Emesa, dedicated by Silas to his family:

The generations after Silas, are not recorded sufficiently to accurately present a pedigree. Silas was the father of Gaius Julius Longinus Soaemus, also known as Soaemus by an unnamed wife. Soaemus would succeed Silas as the Emesene Priest King. A descendant of Silas’ is the Emesene high priest Gaius Julius Bassianus, who was the father of the Roman Empress Julia Domna and another possible descendant was the Syrian Queen of the 3rd century, Zenobia of Palmyra.