Philopappos

His younger sister and only sibling was Julia Balbilla, the poet and personal friend to Emperor Hadrian and the Empress Vibia Sabina.

[citation needed] Philopappos was born in Samosata, the capital of the Kingdom of Commagene, in the court of the palace of Antiochus IV.

[citation needed] In 72 AD, Lucius Caesennius Paetus, the Roman Governor of Syria, sent letters addressed to Vespasian accusing Antiochus IV, Philopappos's father Epiphanes, and his paternal uncle Callinicus of planning to revolt against Rome and of allying themselves with the King of Parthia.

The client Kings Aristobulus of Chalcis and Sohaemus of Emesa also supplied troops to Paetus, all of which arrived the night before the battle.

Vespasian gave Antiochus IV and his family sufficient revenue to live on, and so they had a glamorous life and were treated with great respect.

His father died in 92 of unknown causes, after which, Claudia Capitolina returned to her birth city of Alexandria, where she married for the second time to Marcus Junius Rufus, a politician.

Capitolina spent her remaining years in her birth city; for a period of time Balbilla was with her mother, but later returned to Philopappos in Athens.

Philopappos served as a Choregos (producer for a chorus) twice; as an Agonothetes (magistrate of games) once and was a member of the Deme Besa.

Between 105 and 116, Philopappos was made a member of the Arval Brethren, an ancient group of Roman priests who offered annual sacrifices to the Lares and the gods to guarantee good harvests.

Philopappos' death in 116 caused great sadness to his sister Julia Balbilla, the citizens of Athens, and possibly to the imperial family.

To honor his memory, Balbilla, along with the citizens of Athens, erected a tomb structure on the Mouseion Hill, southwest of the Acropolis.