Cassia Lepida (abt. 80)

Born about 0080 in Roman Empire

Descendants

Died [date unknown] in Roman Empire

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Biography

Birth and Parents

Cassia Lepida was born about 80 of the Common Era. She was the daughter of Cassius Lepidus (son of Cassius Longinus and Junia Lepida). Through her father and paternal grandmother, Cassia was a direct descendant of the Emperor Augustus. ^[1]

Marriage to Gaius Julius Alexander Berenicianus

She married Gaius Julius Alexander Berenicianus who was born about the year 75 of the Common Era. ^[1]

He was a member of the Herodian dynasty. His father was Gaius Julius Alexander and his mother was Julia Iotapa (daughter of Antiochus IV) ^[1]

He was a Cilician Prince and second-born son to King Gaius Julius Alexander and Queen Julia Iotapa of Cetis. His eldest brother was Gaius Julius Agrippa and his younger sister was Julia Iotapa.^[1]

Surviving inscriptions on Berenicianus reveals that his family were related to important members of Asian, non-Jewish and Jewish aristocracy. Berenicianus was of Jewish, Nabataean, Edomite, Greek, Armenian, Median and Persian origins. ^[1]

His paternal grandparents were King Tigranes VI of Armenia and his wife Opgalli. Through Tigranes, he was a descendant of King Archelaus of Cappadocia, as well as the King of Judea, Herod the Great, and his wife Mariamne. ^[1]

Agrippa along with his family and paternal relatives were among the last known descendants of the Herodian Dynasty. He was an apostate to Judaism. His name indicates that the family connections from the Herodian Dynasty were not wholly broken. His maternal grandparents were King Antiochus IV of Commagene and Queen Julia Iotapa.^[1]

The Kingdom of Cetis was a small client state in the Roman Empire, in Cilicia, that was previously ruled by his Cappadocian royal ancestors and Antiochus IV. The city of Elaiussa Sebaste was a part of the Kingdom. When his parents married in Rome in 58, the Emperor Nero crowned his parents as monarchs and gave them that region to rule. He was born, raised and educated in Cetis.^[1]

Issue

Berenicianus and Cassia had a daughter named Julia Cassia Alexandra (born ca. AD 105), who married Gaius Avidius Heliodorus (born ca. AD 100). Heliodorus was ab epistulis under the emperor Hadrian and praefectus Aegypti between AD 138 and 140. Heliodorus and Alexandra had children, including the usurper Avidius Cassius. A possible descendant of Berenicianus was the 3rd-century usurper Jotapianus. ^[1]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8} Wikipedia: Gaius Julius Alexander Berenicianus Accessed 20 April 2020 jhd