0 AD , ▁in ▁the ▁town ▁of ▁C yr r hus , ▁Sy ria . ▁He ▁was ▁born ▁to ▁G ai us ▁Av id ius ▁Hel iod orus ▁and ▁Julia ▁Cass ia ▁Alex andra . ▁His ▁father , ▁Hel iod orus , ▁was ▁of ▁e quest rian ▁status , ▁and ▁served ▁as ▁Ab ▁ep ist ul is ▁for ▁Had rian . ▁Hel iod orus ▁later ▁served ▁as ▁Pra ef ect us ▁august alis , ▁the ▁pre fect ▁of ▁Roman ▁Egypt , ▁from ▁ 1 3 7 ▁to ▁ 1 4 2 AD . ▁According ▁to ▁Cass ius ▁D io , ▁he ▁received ▁this ▁post , ▁which ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁highest ▁posts ▁that ▁an ▁e quest rian ▁could ▁hold , ▁due ▁to ▁his ▁or atory ▁skills ▁alone . ▁His ▁mother , ▁Julia ▁Cass ia , ▁was ▁the ▁great - grand d augh ter ▁of ▁Jun ia ▁Le p ida , ▁who ▁was ▁herself ▁a ▁great - gre at - grand d augh ter ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁Roman ▁em peror , ▁August us . ▁She ▁was ▁also ▁a ▁desc endant ▁of ▁Her od ▁the ▁Great ▁through ▁her ▁father , ▁G ai us ▁Julius ▁Alexander ▁Ber en ician us . ▁Cass ius ▁was ▁also ▁a ▁distant ▁desc endant ▁of ▁the ▁Roman ▁client - king ▁Ant io chus ▁IV ▁E pi phan es ▁of ▁Comm ag ene , ▁who ▁had ▁been ▁d eth ron ed ▁half ▁a ▁century ▁before . ▁ ▁Early ▁career ▁It ▁is ▁thought ▁that ▁Cass ius ▁began ▁his ▁career ▁during ▁the ▁reign ▁of