Sources

• D. C. O'Driscoll, Emesa
• Wikipedia, Royal Family of Emesa

Iamblichus (phylarch)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Iamblichus I (flourished 1st century BC - died 31 BC) was one of the phylarchs, or petty princes of the Arab tribe of the Emesenes[1] in Emesa (now Homs, Syria). He was the son of Sampsiceramus I and is first mentioned by Marcus Tullius Cicero in a despatch, which he sent from Rome to Cilicia in 51 BC, and in which he states that lamblichus had sent him intelligence respecting the movements of the Parthians, and he speaks of him as well disposed to the republic.[2]

In the war between Octavianus and Mark Antony in 31 BC, lamblichus supported the cause of the latter; but after Gnaeus Domitius had gone over to Octavianus, Antony became suspicious of treachery, and accord­ingly put lamblichus to death by torture, along with several others.[3]

Antony's suspicions were apparently excited against lamblichus by his own brother Alexio I, who obtained the sovereignty after his brother's execution, but was shortly afterwards taken by Octavianus to Rome to grace his triumph, and then put to death.[4] At a later period (20 BC) his son, Iamblichus II, obtained from Augustus the restoration of his father's dominions.[5]

Footnotes & Reference[edit]

1.Jump up ^ Strab. xvi. p. 753 2.Jump up ^ Cic. ad Fam. xv. 1. 3.Jump up ^ Dion Cass. 1.13. 4.Jump up ^ Ibid. Ii. 2. 5.Jump up ^ Ibid. liv. 9.

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: WS (1867). "Iamblichus". In Smith, William. Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology 2. p. 548.

Iamblichus

Iamblichus I (flourished 1st century BC - died 31 BC) was one of the phylarchs, or petty princes of the Arab tribe of the Emesenes in Emesa (now Homs, Syria). He was the son of Sampsiceramus I and is first mentioned by Marcus Tullius Cicero in a despatch, which he sent from Rome to Cilicia in 51 BC, and in which he states that lamblichus had sent him intelligence respecting the movements of the Parthians, and he speaks of him as well disposed to the republic.

In the war between Octavianus and Mark Antony in 31 BC, lamblichus supported the cause of the latter; but after Gnaeus Domitius had gone over to Octavianus, Antony became suspicious of treachery, and accordingly put lamblichus to death by torture, along with several others.

Antony's suspicions were apparently excited against lamblichus by his own brother Alexio I, who obtained the sovereignty after his brother's execution, but was shortly afterwards taken by Octavianus to Rome to grace his triumph, and then put to death. At a later period (20 BC) his son, Iamblichus II, obtained from Augustus the restoration of his father's dominions.

Source :

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iamblichus_(phylarch)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emesan_dynasty

When Sampsiceramus I died in 48 BC, he was succeeded by son, Iamblichus I. In his reign, the prominence of Emesa grew after Iamblichus I established it as the new capital of the Emesene dynasty.[17] The economy of the Emesene Kingdom was based on agriculture. With fertile volcanic soil in the Orontes Valley and a great lake, as well as a dam across the Orontes south of Emesa, which provided ample water, Emesa’s soil was ideal for cultivation.[1] Farms in Emesa provided wheat, vines and olives.[1] Emesa in antiquity was a very wealthy city. The city was a part of a trade route from the East, heading via Palmyra that passed through Emesa on its way to the coast.[1] An example on how wealthy Emesa was, ancient pieces of jewellery have been found at the necropolis of Tell Abu Sabun, suggests that the engineering work demanded to be constructed along the lake.[18] ]Apart from Antioch a very important city for the Romans, this port city, prospered under its Roman vassal rulers.

Each year neighbourhood princes and rulers sent generous gifts honoring and celebrating Emesa’s cult and its Temple of the Sun. The priesthood of the cult of El-Gebal in Emesa was held by a family that may be assumed to be descended from Sampsiceramus I or the later Priest-King Sohaemus, either by the Priest-King or another member of the dynasty.[19] The priest that served in the cult of El-Gebal wore a clad costume. The dress of an Emesene Priest was very similar to the dress of a Parthian Priest.[19] An Emesene priest wore a long-sleeved and gold-embroidered purple tunic reaching to his feet, gold and purple trousers and a jewelled diadem on his head.[19]

Prior to succeeding his father, Iamblichus I was considered by Cicero in 51 BC (then Roman Governor of Cilicia), as a possible ally against Parthia.[16] Shortly after Iamblichus I became priest-king, he had become prudent and supported the Roman politician Julius Caesar in his Alexandrian war against Pompey. Iamblichus I sent troops to aid Caesar. Pompey was the patron for the family of Iamblichus I, who was later defeated and killed.[16] The Emesene dynasty had proven from the late Republic into the Imperial era that the dynasty were loyal to the Roman state.[20]

After the death of Julius Caesar, for a brief period Iamblichus I supported the Roman Governor of Syria who was one of Julius Caesar’s assassins.[16] In the period of the Roman civil wars, Iamblichus I supported the Roman triumvir Octavian. Iamblichus I became suspect to Roman Triumvir Mark Antony. Antony encouraged Iamblichus I’s brother Alexio I, to usurp his brother’s throne and had Iamblichus I executed. Octavian, after defeating Antony and reorganising the Eastern Roman provinces, had Alexio I executed for treason in 31 BC.[16] From 30 BC until 20 BC, the Emesene Kingdom was dissolved and became an autonomous community free of dynastic rule though under the supervision of the Roman governor of Syria.[16]

Later in 20 BC, Octavian, now as the Roman emperor Augustus, restored the Emesene Kingdom to Iamblichus II, the son of Iamblichus I.[20] It was either Iamblichus I or his son, Iamblichus II, that received Roman citizenship from Julius Caesar or Augustus, as the Emesene dynasty took the Roman gentilicium Julius[21] to be added to their Aramaic, Arabic, Greek and later Latin names.