ITEM: Modern pendant with Julia Domna denarius MATERIAL: Silver CULTURE: Roman PERIOD: 3rd Century A.D DIMENSIONS: 20 mm diameter CONDITION: Good condition. Original coin within a modern handmade circular silver setting. PROVENANCE: Ex Belgian private collection, acquired in the 1990s (Coin) Comes with Certificate of Authenticity. Julia Domna was a prominent Roman empress of Syrian origin, best known as the wife of Emperor Septimius Severus and mother of emperors Caracalla and Geta. Born around 160 CE in Emesa (modern Homs, Syria), she came from a powerful priestly family associated with the cult of the sun god Elagabal. Her marriage to Severus was both politically strategic and personally enduring, and she played a significant role in the Severan dynasty’s rise to power at the end of the 2nd century CE. Her intelligence, political acumen, and visibility in imperial affairs distinguished her from many earlier empresses. As Augusta, Julia Domna held extraordinary influence at court, particularly after the death of her husband in 211 CE. During her sons’ joint rule, she acted as a mediator—although Caracalla would later murder Geta and seize full control. Julia remained a central figure during Caracalla’s reign, accompanying him on military campaigns and maintaining an imperial presence in governance, patronage, and religious life. She was a key supporter of philosophy and literature, fostering a circle of intellectuals in what became known as a brief “Second Sophistic” renaissance. Her title Mater Senatus et Patriae ("Mother of the Senate and the Fatherland") emphasized her exceptional status. Julia Domna’s life ended in 217 CE under tragic circumstances after Caracalla was assassinated. Refusing to eat while under political pressure from his successor Macrinus, she reportedly died by starvation or illness. Her legacy endured, and she was deified by later emperors of the Severan line. Through her political engagement, cultural patronage, and symbolic power, Julia Domna left a lasting mark on Roman imperial history, embodying the potential of women at the heart of Roman political life in a time of dynastic turbulence.