Aemilia Tertia ( 162 or 163 BC), properly Aemilia, was the wife of

Scipio Africanus Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus (, , ; 236/235–) was a Roman general and statesman who was one of the main architects of Rome's victory against Ancient Carthage, Carthage in the Second Punic War. Often regarded as one of the greatest milit ...

Life

She was a member of the gens Aemilia, one of the ancient Roman patrician families, and the daughter of Lucius Aemilius Paullus who was consul in 219 and 216 BC. Paullus died in 216 at the

Battle of Cannae The Battle of Cannae (; ) was a key engagement of the Second Punic War between the Roman Republic and Ancient Carthage, Carthage, fought on 2 August 216 BC near the ancient village of Cannae in Apulia, southeast Italy. The Carthaginians and ...

and she married Africanus, then known only as Publius Cornelius Scipio, some time around the battle. In life she was known for her ostentatious displays of wealth.

Polybius Polybius (; , ; ) was a Greek historian of the middle Hellenistic period. He is noted for his work , a universal history documenting the rise of Rome in the Mediterranean in the third and second centuries BC. It covered the period of 264–146 ...

, for example, noted in his narrative how Aemilia "display dgreat magnificence whenever she left her house to take part in the ceremonies that women attend, having participated in the fortune of Scipio when he was at the height of his prosperity" before describing the large size of her retinue, gold and silver adorned carriage, and expensive sacrificial instruments. These ostentatious displays of wealth reflected high levels of status competition among the female members of the middle republican elite, especially in public religious rites – especially to Juno and Magna Mater – and in advertising politically for her family by organising prestigious marriages and public gatherings. She also assisted in suppressing news of Africanus' affair with one of their slave girls to protect his reputation; after Africanus' death, the girl was manumitted and married to one of their freedmen. She was provided some 300,000 denarii in Africanus' will as a usufructuary dower; she also arranged for Africanus' funeral mask to be installed at the

Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus The Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus, also known as the Temple of Jupiter Capitolinus (; ; ), was the most important temple in Ancient Rome, located on the Capitoline Hill. It was surrounded by the ''Area Capitolina'', a precinct where numer ...

on the

Capitoline Hill The Capitolium or Capitoline Hill ( ; ; ), between the Roman Forum, Forum and the Campus Martius, is one of the Seven Hills of Rome. The hill was earlier known as ''Mons Saturnius'', dedicated to the god Saturn (mythology), Saturn. The wo ...

. Aemilia died in 162 or 163 BC. The funeral was likely organised by

Scipio Aemilianus Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus Aemilianus (185 BC – 129 BC), known as Scipio Aemilianus or Scipio Africanus the Younger, was a Roman general and statesman noted for his military exploits in the Third Punic War against Carthage and durin ...

, her main heir and adoptive son of her son Publius. Many of the precious instruments she had used for public religious rites were passed down in the Cornelian family, "memorial

sing Singing is the art of creating music with the voice. It is the oldest form of musical expression, and the human voice can be considered the first musical instrument. The definition of singing varies across sources. Some sources define singi ...

her and adorn ngher female relatives".

Family

She is known to have had two brothers:

Lucius Aemilius Paullus Macedonicus Lucius Aemilius Paullus Macedonicus (c. 229 – 160 BC) was a Roman consul, consul of the Roman Republic, as well as a general, who conquered the kingdom of Macedon, Macedonia during the Third Macedonian War. Family Paullus' father was Luc ...

and Marcus Livius Aemilianus. Aemilia bore four children with Africanus. There were two sons, Publius and Lucius: Publius was made augur in 180 BC; Lucius was praetor in 174 BC. They also had two daughters named Cornelia: the elder married Publius Cornelius Scipio Nasica Corculum and the younger married the consul of 177 BC, Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus., citing Val. Max. 6.7.1.

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