Aemilia Lepida (5 BC – c. 43 AD) was a noble Roman woman and matron. She was the first great-grandchild of the Emperor

Augustus Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian, was the first Roman emperor; he reigned from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. He is known for being the founder of the Roman Pr ...

Biography

Early life

She was the first great-grandchild of Emperor Augustus and the noblewoman Scribonia, being the firstborn child of Julia the Younger, who was their only daughter

Julia the Elder Julia the Elder (30 October 39 BC – AD 14), known to her contemporaries as Julia Caesaris filia or Julia Augusti filia (Classical Latin: IVLIA•CAESARIS•FILIA or IVLIA•AVGVSTI•FILIA), was the daughter and only biological child of August ...

's first daughter. Her father was Lucius Aemilius Paullus, who was the son of

Paullus Aemilius Lepidus Paullus Aemilius LepidusLightman, ''A to Z of Ancient Greek and Roman Women'', p. 205 (c. 77 BC – after 11 BC) was a Roman senator. Biography He was a grandson of Marcus Aemilius Lepidus and Appuleia through their son Lucius Aemilius Pa ...

, and grandson of

Lucius Aemilius Lepidus Paullus Lucius Aemilius Paullus (flourished 1st century BC) was a Roman politician. He was the brother of triumvir Marcus Aemilius Lepidus and son to Marcus Aemilius Lepidus the consul of 78 BC. His mother may have been a daughter of Lucius Appuleius S ...

, and therefore a great-nephew of the triumvir Lepidus, and of a distinguished and ancient patrician family, the Aemilii Lepidi. She may possibly have a brother named Marcus Aemilius Lepidus (6-39) who was married to Caligula's favorite sister Julia Drusilla.

Marriage

In her younger years, Lepida was betrothed to Claudius, but her parents fell out of favour with Augustus so the emperor broke off the engagement. In AD 8, her mother Julia the Younger (otherwise called Vipsania Julia) was exiled for adultery, like her own mother Julia. Her father Lucius was executed in 14 for participating in a conspiracy against Augustus. By AD 13, Lepida had married

Marcus Junius Silanus Torquatus Marcus Junius Silanus Torquatus was a Roman senator. He was consul in AD 19, with Lucius Norbanus Balbus as his colleague. Biography Silanus was a descendant of the noble Roman house of the Junii Silani. His grandfather was Marcus Junius Silanu ...

, a member of the patrician branch of the ancient gens Junia. Their children were: * Marcus Junius Silanus (AD 14–54), consul in 46, put to death in order to ensure the succession of

Nero Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus ( ; born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus; 15 December AD 37 – 9 June AD 68), was the fifth Roman emperor and final emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, reigning from AD 54 unti ...

, and to prevent him from avenging the death of his brother, Lucius. *

Junia Calvina Junia Calvina was a Roman noblewoman who lived in the 1st century AD. Biography The daughter of Aemilia Lepida and Marcus Junius Silanus Torquatus, consul in 19, Calvina belonged to two patrician houses: the ''gens Aemilia'' and ''gens Junia'' ...

( fl. AD 79), married

Lucius Vitellius Lucius Vitellius (before 7 BC – AD 51) was the youngest of four sons of procurator Publius Vitellius and the only one who did not die through politics. He was consul three times, which was unusual during the Roman empire for someone who was ...

, a brother of the future emperor

Vitellius Aulus Vitellius (; ; 24 September 1520 December 69) was Roman emperor for eight months, from 19 April to 20 December AD 69. Vitellius was proclaimed emperor following the quick succession of the previous emperors Galba and Otho, in a year of ci ...

. Accused of incest with her youngest brother, she was exiled by Claudius, only to be recalled ten years later by the emperor

. *

Decimus Junius Silanus Torquatus Decimus Junius Silanus Torquatus (16 AD64 AD) was a Roman senator who lived during the 1st century. Life He served as an ordinary consul in 53 with Quintus Haterius Antoninus as his colleague. Decimus was the second son born to Aemilia Lepida an ...

(d. AD 64), consul in 53, forced by Nero to commit suicide after being accused of boasting of his descent from Augustus. *

Lucius Junius Silanus Torquatus Two noblemen, an uncle and nephew, who shared the name Lucius Junius Silanus Torquatus and were descendants of the Roman Emperor Augustus, lived during the 1st century AD. Elder Silanus Silanus (died 49), was the third born son to Aemilia Lepid ...

(d. AD 49), praetor in 48, he was engaged to Octavia, daughter of Claudius. Agrippina spread a rumour that he had committed incest with his sister, as a result of which he was expelled from the Senate and deprived of his office. He committed suicide on the day that Claudius and Agrippina were married. *

Junia Lepida Junia Lepida (c. AD 18 - 65) was a Roman noblewoman who lived in the first century. Life She was the second daughter of Aemilia Lepida and Marcus Junius Silanus Torquatus, one of the Junii Silani. Her maternal grandparents were Julia the Youn ...

, who married Gaius Cassius Longinus, and raised her nephew

the younger (50-66) after his father, Marcus, was murdered.Barrett, Anthony, 'Caligula: The Corruption of Power' (Touchstone, 1989), p.viii-ix. Junia Lepida was the grandmother of Empress Domitia Longina The time of her death is not known. She is sometimes said to have been poisoned on the orders of Agrippina the Younger during the reign of

, but this Lepida was evidently

Domitia Lepida Minor Domitia Lepida (c. 5 BC – AD 54) was a Roman aristocrat, related to the imperial family. She was mother of Valeria Messalina, wife of the Emperor Claudius. Lepida was a beautiful and influential figure. Like her sister, she was also very wealt ...

, the mother of

Valeria Messalina Valeria Messalina (; ) was the third wife of Roman emperor Claudius. She was a paternal cousin of Emperor Nero, a second cousin of Emperor Caligula, and a great-grandniece of Emperor Augustus. A powerful and influential woman with a reputatio ...

and the ''second'' wife of Appius Junius Silanus.

References

Sources

* Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus, '' De Vita Caesarum, Claudius'', 26. *

Publius Cornelius Tacitus Publius Cornelius Tacitus, known simply as Tacitus ( , ; – ), was a Roman historian and politician. Tacitus is widely regarded as one of the greatest Roman historians by modern scholars. The surviving portions of his two major works—the ...

, ''Annales''. {{DEFAULTSORT:Aemilia Lepida 1st-century BC Roman women 1st-century BC Romans Julio-Claudian dynasty Lepida, wife of Ap. Junius Silanus 5 BC births Place of birth unknown 43 deaths Place of death unknown Roman patricians Women of Claudius

Biography

Early life

Marriage

See also

References

Sources