Octavia the Younger (; 69 BC – 11 BC) was the elder sister of the first Roman emperor,

Augustus Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian (), was the founder of the Roman Empire, who reigned as the first Roman emperor from 27 BC until his death in A ...

(known also as Octavian), the half-sister of

Octavia the Elder Octavia the Elder (before 69 BC – after 29 BC) was the daughter of the Roman governor and senator Gaius Octavius by his first wife, Ancharia. She was the elder half-sister to Octavia the Younger and Roman Emperor Augustus. Biography Early ...

, and the fourth wife of

Mark Antony Marcus Antonius (14 January 1 August 30 BC), commonly known in English as Mark Antony, was a Roman people, Roman politician and general who played a critical role in the Crisis of the Roman Republic, transformation of the Roman Republic ...

. She was also the great-grandmother of the Emperor

Caligula Gaius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (31 August 12 – 24 January 41), also called Gaius and Caligula (), was Roman emperor from AD 37 until his assassination in 41. He was the son of the Roman general Germanicus and Augustus' granddaughter Ag ...

and Empress

Agrippina the Younger Julia Agrippina (6 November AD 15 – 23 March AD 59), also referred to as Agrippina the Younger, was Roman empress from AD 49 to 54, the fourth wife and niece of emperor Claudius, and the mother of Nero. Agrippina was one of the most prominent ...

, maternal grandmother of the Emperor

Claudius Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus ( ; ; 1 August 10 BC – 13 October AD 54), or Claudius, was a Roman emperor, ruling from AD 41 to 54. A member of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, Claudius was born to Nero Claudius Drusus, Drusus and Ant ...

, and paternal great-grandmother and maternal great-great-grandmother of the Emperor

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

. One of the most prominent women in Roman history, Octavia was respected and admired by contemporaries for her loyalty, nobility and humanity, as well as for maintaining traditional Roman feminine virtues.

Life

Childhood

Octavia was born around 69 BC. Full sister to

, Octavia was the only daughter born of Gaius Octavius' second marriage to Atia, niece of

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (12 or 13 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC) was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in Caesar's civil wa ...

. Octavia was born in

Nola Nola is a town and a municipality in the Metropolitan City of Naples, Campania, southern Italy. It lies on the plain between Mount Vesuvius and the Apennines. It is traditionally credited as the diocese that introduced bells to Christian worship. ...

, present-day

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

; her father, a Roman governor and senator, died in 59 BC from natural causes. Her mother later remarried, to the consul Lucius Marcius Philippus. Octavia spent much of her childhood travelling with her parents. Marcius was in charge of educating Octavia and her brother Octavian, later known as Augustus.

First marriage

Some time before 54 BC, her stepfather arranged for her to marry Gaius Claudius Marcellus. He was a member of the influential plebeian branch of the

Claudian Claudius Claudianus, known in English as Claudian (Greek: Κλαυδιανός; ), was a Latin poet associated with the court of the Roman emperor Honorius at Mediolanum (Milan), and particularly with the general Stilicho. His work, written almo ...

family and descended from

Marcus Claudius Marcellus Marcus Claudius Marcellus (; 270 – 208 BC) was a Roman general and politician during the 3rd century BC. Five times elected as Roman consul, consul of the Roman Republic (222, 215, 214, 210, and 208 BC). Marcellus gained the most prestigious a ...

, a famous general in the

Second Punic War The Second Punic War (218 to 201 BC) was the second of Punic Wars, three wars fought between Ancient Carthage, Carthage and Roman Republic, Rome, the two main powers of the western Mediterranean Basin, Mediterranean in the 3rd century BC. For ...

. In 54 BC, Octavia's great-uncle Julius Caesar is said to have been anxious for her to divorce her husband so that she could marry

Pompey Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus (; 29 September 106 BC – 28 September 48 BC), known in English as Pompey ( ) or Pompey the Great, was a Roman general and statesman who was prominent in the last decades of the Roman Republic. ...

, who had just lost his wife

Julia Julia may refer to: People *Julia (given name), including a list of people with the name *Julia (surname), including a list of people with the name *Julia gens, a patrician family of Ancient Rome *Julia (clairvoyant) (fl. 1689), lady's maid of Qu ...

(Caesar's daughter, and thus Octavia's cousin once removed). The couple did not want to get a divorce, so instead Pompey declined the proposal and married

Cornelia Metella Cornelia Metella ( 73 BCRonald Syme points out that in 74 BC, Cornelia's father was the romantic rival of Cato for Aemilia, Cornelia's mother; their marriage followed soon after and provides the earliest possible date for their daughter's bi ...

. Thus, Octavia's husband continued to oppose Julius Caesar, including in the crucial year of his consulship, 50 BC. Civil war broke out when Caesar invaded Italy from Gaul in 49 BC. Marcellus, a friend of

Cicero Marcus Tullius Cicero ( ; ; 3 January 106 BC – 7 December 43 BC) was a Roman statesman, lawyer, scholar, philosopher, orator, writer and Academic skeptic, who tried to uphold optimate principles during the political crises tha ...

, was an initial opponent of Julius Caesar when Caesar invaded Italy, but did not take up arms against his wife's great uncle at the

Battle of Pharsalus The Battle of Pharsalus was the decisive battle of Caesar's Civil War fought on 9 August 48 BC near Pharsalus in Central Greece. Julius Caesar and his allies formed up opposite the army of the Roman Republic under the command of Pompey. ...

, and was eventually pardoned by him. In 47 BC he was able to intercede with Caesar for his cousin and namesake, also a former consul, then living in exile. Presumably, Octavia continued to live with her husband from the time of their marriage (she would have been between 12 and 15 when they married) to her husband's death. They had three surviving children:

Claudia Marcella Major Claudia Marcella Major ('' PIR2'' C 1102; born some time before 40 BC) was the senior niece of Roman emperor Augustus, being the eldest daughter of his sister Octavia the Younger and her first husband Gaius Claudius Marcellus. She became the se ...

Claudia Marcella Minor Claudia Marcella Minor (''PIR2'' C 1103, born some time before 39 BC) was a niece of the first Roman emperor Augustus. She was the second surviving daughter of the emperor's sister Octavia the Younger and her first husband Gaius Claudius Marcellu ...

and

. All three were born in Italy. However, according to the anonymous ''Περὶ τοῦ καισαρείου γένους'' Octavia bore Marcellus four sons and four daughters. Her husband Marcellus died in May 40 BC.

Second marriage

By a Senatorial decree, Octavia married

in October 40 BC, as his fourth wife (his third wife

Fulvia Fulvia (; d. 40 BC) was an aristocratic Roman woman who lived during the late Roman Republic. Fulvia's birth into an important political dynasty facilitated her relationships and, later on, marriages to Publius Clodius Pulcher, Gaius Scribo ...

having died shortly before). This marriage had to be approved by the Senate, as she was pregnant with her first husband's child, and was a politically motivated attempt to cement the uneasy alliance between her brother Octavian and

; however, Octavia does appear to have been a loyal and faithful wife to Antony. Between 40 and 36 BC, she travelled with Antony to various provinces and lived with him in his

Athenian Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...

mansion. There she raised her children by Marcellus as well as Antony's two sons; Antyllus and Iullus, as well as the two daughters of her marriage to Antony,

Antonia Major Antonia the Elder (born August/September 39 BC) was a niece of the first Roman emperor, Augustus, being the eldest daughter of Octavia the Younger and her second husband, the Triumvir Mark Antony. She married Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus and be ...

and

Antonia Minor Antonia Minor (31 January 36 BC – 1 May 37 AD) was the younger of two surviving daughters of Mark Antony and Octavia Minor. She was a niece of the Emperor Augustus, sister-in-law of the Emperor Tiberius, paternal grandmother of ...

who were born there. During this period, she became the first (or second) Roman woman to have coins minted bearing her image; only Antony's previous wife Fulvia may have pre-empted her.

Breakdown

The alliance was severely tested by Antony's abandonment of Octavia and their children in favor of his former lover Queen

Cleopatra VII Cleopatra VII Thea Philopator (; The name Cleopatra is pronounced , or sometimes in both British and American English, see and respectively. Her name was pronounced in the Greek dialect of Egypt (see Koine Greek phonology). She was ...

of Egypt (Antony and Cleopatra had met in 41 BC, an interaction that resulted in Cleopatra bearing twins,

Alexander Helios Alexander Helios (; late 40 BC – unknown, but possibly between 29 and 25 BC) was a Ptolemaic prince and son of Pharaoh Cleopatra VII of the Ptolemaic dynasty and Roman triumvir Mark Antony. Alexander's fraternal twin sister was Cleopatra ...

, a boy, and Cleopatra Selene, a girl). After 36 BC, Octavia returned to Rome with the daughters of her second marriage. On several occasions she acted as a political advisor and negotiator between her husband and brother. For example, in the spring of 37 BC, while pregnant with her daughter Antonia Minor, she was considered essential to an arms deal held at Tarentum, in which Antony and Augustus agreed to aid each other in their Parthian and Sicilian campaigns. She had won over her brother's advisers Agrippa and Maecenas and convinced him to renew their alliance. She was hailed as a "marvel of womankind". In 35 BC, after Antony suffered a disastrous campaign in Parthia, she brought fresh troops, provisions, and funds to Athens. There Antony had left a letter for her, instructing her to go no further. Mark Antony divorced Octavia in late 33 BC. In 33, Antony sent men to eject her from his house in Rome. She became sole caretaker of their children, except for Antyllus who was already with his father in the East. After Antony's suicide in 30 BC, her brother executed Antyllus but allowed Octavia to raise Antony's younger son Iullus by Fulvia as well as his children by Cleopatra (the two sons Alexander Helios and

Ptolemy Philadelphus Ptolemy II Philadelphus (, ''Ptolemaîos Philádelphos'', "Ptolemy, sibling-lover"; 309 – 28 January 246 BC) was the pharaoh of Ptolemaic Egypt from 284 to 246 BC. He was the son of Ptolemy I, the Ancient Macedonians, Macedonian Greek general ...

, and one daughter, Cleopatra Selene II).

Later life

In 35 BC, Augustus accorded a number of honours and privileges to Octavia, and also to his wife,

Livia Livia Drusilla (30 January 59 BC AD 29) was List of Roman and Byzantine empresses, Roman empress from 27 BC to AD 14 as the wife of Augustus, the first Roman emperor. She was known as Julia Augusta after her formal Adoption ...

previously unheard of for women in Rome. They were granted ''sacrosanctitas'', meaning it was illegal to verbally insult them. Previously, this had only been granted to tribunes. Livia and Octavia were made immune from ''tutela'', the male guardianship which all women in Rome except for the

Vestal Virgin In ancient Rome, the Vestal Virgins or Vestals (, singular ) were priestesses of Vesta, virgin goddess of Rome's sacred hearth and its flame. The Vestals were unlike any other public priesthood. They were chosen before puberty from several s ...

s were required to have. This meant they could freely manage their own finances. Finally, they were the first women in Rome to have statues and portraits displayed en masse in public places. Previously, only one woman, Cornelia, mother of the Gracchi, had been part of the public statues displayed in Rome. In Augustus' rebuilding of Rome as a city of marble, Octavia was featured. In all her representations, she wore the "nodus" hairstyle, which at the time was considered conservative and dignified, and worn by women from many classes. Augustus adored, but never adopted, her son Marcellus. When Marcellus died of illness in 23 BC unexpectedly, Augustus was thunderstruck and Octavia disconsolate almost beyond recovery.

Aelius Donatus Aelius Donatus (; fl. mid-fourth century AD) was a Roman grammarian and teacher of rhetoric. He once taught Jerome, an early Christian Church father who is most known for his translation of the Bible into Latin, known as the Latin Vulgate. N ...

, in his Life of Vergil, states that

Virgil Publius Vergilius Maro (; 15 October 70 BC21 September 19 BC), usually called Virgil or Vergil ( ) in English, was an ancient Rome, ancient Roman poet of the Augustan literature (ancient Rome), Augustan period. He composed three of the most fa ...

recited three whole books f his Aeneid">Aeneid.html" ;"title="f his Aeneid">f his Aeneidfor Augustus: the second, fourth, and sixth—this last out of his well-known affection for Octavia, who (being present at the recitation) is said to have fainted at the lines about her son, "... You shall be Marcellus" [''Aen''. 6.884]. Revived only with difficulty, she sent Virgil ten thousand sesterces for each of the verses."

She may have never fully recovered from the death of her son, and retired from public life, except on important occasions. The major source that Octavia never recovered is Seneca ('' De Consolatione ad Marciam'', II.) but Seneca may wish to show off his rhetorical skill with hyperbole, rather than adhere to fact. Some dispute Seneca's version, as Octavia publicly opened the Library of Marcellus, dedicated in his memory, while her brother completed the building of Marcellus's theatre in his honor. Undoubtedly Octavia attended both ceremonies, as well as the Ara Pacis ceremony to welcome her brother's return in 13BC from the provinces. She was also consulted in regard to, and in some versions advised, that Augustus's daughter

marry

Agrippa Agrippa may refer to: People Antiquity * Agrippa (mythology), semi-mythological king of Alba Longa * Agrippa (astronomer), Greek astronomer from the late 1st century * Agrippa the Skeptic, Skeptic philosopher at the end of the 1st century * Ag ...

after her mourning for Marcellus ended. Agrippa had to divorce Octavia's daughter

in order to marry Julia, so Augustus wanted Octavia's endorsement very much.

Death

Octavia died of natural causes. Suetonius says she died in Augustus' 54th year, thus 11 BC with Roman inclusive counting. Her funeral was a public one, with her sons-in-law (Drusus, Ahenobarbus, Iullus Antonius, and possibly Paullus Aemillius Lepidus) carrying her to the grave in the Mausoleum of Augustus. Drusus delivered one funeral oration from the rostra and Augustus gave her the highest posthumous honors (building the Gate of Octavia and

Porticus Octaviae The Porticus Octaviae (Latin language, Latin for the 'Portico of Octavia'; ) is an ancient structure in Rome. The colonnaded walks of the portico enclosed the Temple of Juno Regina (Campus Martius), Temples of Juno Regina (north) and Temple of J ...

in her memory).Dio 54.35.5 Augustus also had the Roman senate declare his sister to be a goddess. Augustus declined some other honors decreed to her by the senate, for reasons unknown.

Issue

;Children with Marcellus Octavia and her first husband had one son and two daughters who survived to adulthood. #

;Children with Mark Antony Octavia and Mark Antony had two surviving daughters by their marriage (her second, his fourth), and both were the ancestors of later Roman emperors. #

: grandmother to Emperor

. #

: mother to Emperor

, grandmother to Emperor

, and great-grandmother to Emperor Nero.

Descendants

Three

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...

emperor The word ''emperor'' (from , via ) can mean the male ruler of an empire. ''Empress'', the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), mother/grandmother (empress dowager/grand empress dowager), or a woman who rules ...

and

, were amongst the most famous of her descendants. *Octavia the Younger **

(42 BC – 23 BC), no issue **

(born 41 BC) *** Vipsania Marcella Major *** Vipsania Marcella Minor ***Iullus Antonius (? – ?), issue unknown *** Lucius Antonius (20 BC – AD 25), issue unknown ***

Iulla Antonia Iulla Antonia or Antonia Iulla is thought to be a daughter of Roman consul of 10 BCE Iullus Antonius (son of Mark Antony) and Claudia Marcella Major (niece of emperor Augustus). The only direct evidence of her existence that has been found is a ...

(? – ?), issue unknown **

(born 40 BC) *** Paullus Aemilius Regulus (? – ?), issue unknown ***

Claudia Pulchra Claudia Pulchra (14 BCAD 26) (''PIR2'' C 1116) was a Patrician woman of Ancient Rome who lived during the reigns of the Roman emperors Augustus and Tiberius. Biography Early life She was a daughter of Claudia Marcella Minor and the Roman consu ...

(14 BC–26) *** Marcus Valerius Messala Barbatus (11 BC – 20/21) ****

Marcus Valerius Messalla Corvinus Marcus Valerius Messalla Corvinus (64 BC – AD 8 or c. 12) was a Roman general, author, and patron of literature and art. Family Corvinus was the son of a consul in 61 BC, Marcus Valerius Messalla Niger,Syme, R., ''Augustan Aristocracy'', p. ...

(? – ?), possibly son of Aurelius Messalinus ****

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 reputation ...

(17 AD or 20 AD – 48 AD) *****

Claudia Octavia Claudia Octavia (late 39 or early 40 – June 9, AD 62) was a Roman empress. She was the daughter of the Emperor Claudius and Valeria Messalina. After her mother's death and father's remarriage to her cousin Agrippina the Younger, she became ...

(39 AD or 40 AD – 62 AD), no issue ***** Tiberius Claudius Caesar ''Britannicus'' (41 AD – 55 AD), no issue *** Valeria Messallia (c. 10 BC – ?) **** Lucius Vipstanus Poplicola (c. 10 – after 59) ***** Gaius Valerius Poplicola (? – ?), issue unknown **** Gaius Vipstanus Messalla Gallus Syme, Ronald. ''The Augustan Aristocracy'' (1986), pg. 242 (c. 10 BC – after 60) ***** Lucius Vipstanus Messalla (c. 45 – c. 80) ****** Lucius Vipstanus Messalla (c. 75 – after 115), according to some authors, this man may be one of Saint Melania's ancestors.Mennen, Inge. ''Power and Status in the Roman Empire, AD 193-284'' (2011), pg. 123-124-125-127.Settipani, Christian. ''Continuité gentilice et continuité sénatoriale dans les familles sénatoriales romaines à l'époque impériale'' (2000), pgs. 227-228-229. **

(39 BC – before 25 AD) ***

Domitia Lepida the Elder Domitia (–June 59) was the oldest child of Antonia Major and Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus, and the oldest granddaughter to triumvir Mark Antony by Octavia Minor, a great-niece of the Roman Emperor Augustus, first cousin once removed to the Em ...

(c. 19 BC – 59 AD) ****

Quintus Haterius Antoninus Quintus Haterius Antoninus or known as Antoninus was a Roman senator, who was active during the reign of Claudius and Nero. Life He was suffect consul in the year AD 53 as the colleague of Decimus Junius Silanus Torquatus. Antoninus was the only ...

(? – ?) *** Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus (17 BC – 40 AD) **** Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus) (37 AD – 68 AD) *****

Claudia Augusta Claudia Augusta (; January 63 – May 63) was the only daughter of the Roman Emperor Nero. She was born to the emperor's second wife, the Empress Poppaea Sabina. Claudia and her mother were honored with the title of Augusta by Nero. She was bor ...

(January 63 AD – April 63 AD), died young ***

Domitia Lepida the Younger 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 ...

(10 BC – 54 AD) **** Marcus Valerius Messalla Corvinus (same man as

above Above may refer to: *Above (artist) Tavar Zawacki (b. 1981, California) is a Polish, Portuguese - American abstract artist and internationally recognized visual artist based in Berlin, Germany. From 1996 to 2016, he created work under the ...

), possibly son of Aurelius Messalinus or Valerius Barbatus (same man as

) **** Valeria Messalina (same woman as

) ***** ''See her line

'' ****

Faustus Cornelius Sulla Felix Faustus Cornelius Sulla Felix (22 – 62 AD) was one of the lesser known figures of the Julio-Claudian dynasty of ancient Rome. Life Felix was the son of Domitia Lepida the Younger and the suffect consul of 31, Faustus Cornelius Sulla Lucullus, ...

(22 AD – 62 AD) ***** A son, died young **

(36 BC – 37 AD) *** ''Germanicus'' Julius Caesar (15 BC – 19 AD) **** Nero Julius Caesar Germanicus (6 AD – 30 AD), no issue **** Drusus Julius Caesar Germanicus (8 AD – 33 AD), no issue **** Tiberius Julius Caesar Germanicus (born between 7 and 12 AD), died as an infant **** ''Ignotus'' (born between 7 and 12 AD), died as an infant **** Gaius Julius Caesar Germanicus Major (born between 7 and 12 AD), died in childhood **** Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (''Caligula'') (12 AD – 41 AD) *****

Julia Drusilla Julia Drusilla (16 September 16 – 10 June 38 AD) was a member of the Roman imperial family, the second daughter and fifth child of Germanicus and Agrippina the Elder to survive infancy. She was the favorite sister of Emperor Caligula, who ...

(39 AD – 41 AD), died young **** Julia ''Agrippina'' (Agrippina Minor) (15 AD – 59) ***** Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus) (same man as

) ****** ''See his line

'' ****

(16 AD – 38 AD), no issue ****

Julia Livilla Julia Livilla ( – ) was the youngest child of Germanicus and Agrippina the Elder and the youngest sister of the Emperor Caligula. Life Julia Livilla was the youngest great-granddaughter of Emperor Augustus, great-niece and adoptive grandda ...

(18 AD – 42 AD), no issue *** Claudia Livia Julia (Livilla) (13 BC – 31 AD) ****

Julia Livia Julia Livia (AD 7–43) was the daughter of Drusus Julius Caesar and Livilla, and granddaughter of the Roman Emperor Tiberius. She was also a first cousin of the emperor Caligula, and niece of the emperor Claudius. Biography Early life Julia wa ...

(7 AD – 43 AD) *****

Gaius Rubellius Plautus Rubellius Plautus (33–62 AD) was a Roman noble and a political rival of Emperor Nero. Through his mother Julia, he was a relative of the Julio-Claudian dynasty. He was the grandson of Drusus (only son of Tiberius Caesar), and the great-grandson ...

(33 AD – 62 AD), had several childrenTheir names are unknown, but it is known that all of them were killed by Nero, thus descent from this line is extinct. ***** Gaius Rubellius Blandus (? – ?), issue unknown ***** Rubellius Drusus (? – ?), issue unknown **** Tiberius Julius Caesar Nero Gemellus (19AD – 37 AD or 38 AD), no issue **** Tiberius Claudius Caesar Germanicus II Gemellus (19 AD – 23 AD), died young *** Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (10 BC – 54 AD) **** Tiberius Claudius Drusus, died young ****

Claudia Antonia Claudia Antonia (Classical Latin: ANTONIA•CLAUDII•CAESARIS•FILIA (edd), ''Prosopographia Imperii Romani saeculi I, II et III'', Berlin, 1933 - A 886) (c. AD 30–AD 66) was the daughter and oldest surviving child of the Roman Emperor C ...

(c. 30 AD – 66 AD) ***** A son (same individual as

) **** Claudia Octavia (same woman as

) **** Tiberius Claudius Caesar ''Britannicus'' (same man as

)

Cultural depictions

A famous anecdote, recorded in the late fourth-century '' vita'' of

, in which the poet read the passage in Book VI in praise of Octavia's late son Marcellus and Octavia fainted with grief, has inspired several works of art. The most famous example is

Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres ( ; ; 29 August 1780 – 14 January 1867) was a French Neoclassicism, Neoclassical Painting, painter. Ingres was profoundly influenced by past artistic traditions and aspired to become the guardian of academic ...

's 1812 painting '' Virgil reading The Aeneid before Augustus, Livia and Octavia'' but other artists, including

Jean-Joseph Taillasson Jean-Joseph Taillasson (; 6 July 1745 – 11 November 1809) was a French history painter, portraitist, draftsman, and art critic. Biography Taillasson was born at Blaye, near Bordeaux. His poem ''Le Danger des règles dans les Arts'' was noted wi ...

Antonio Zucchi Antonio Pietro Francesco Zucchi (1 May 1726 – 1 December 1795) was an Italian painter and printmaker of the Neoclassic period. Life Zucchi was born in Venice, he studied under his uncle Carlo Zucchi and later Francesco Fontebasso and Jacopo ...

, Jean-Baptiste Wicar, Jean-Bruno Gassies and

Angelica Kaufmann Maria Anna Angelika Kauffmann ( ; 30 October 1741 – 5 November 1807), usually known in English as Angelica Kauffman, was a Swiss Neoclassical painter who had a successful career in London and Rome. Remembered primarily as a history painter, K ...

, have also been inspired to depict this scene. In Rojas Zorilla's 17th century Spanish play, ''Cleopatra's Asps'' (''Los Aspides de Cleopatra'' in Spanish) '','' wherein she is given the name Irene, Octavia is depicted as the slighted and vengeful wife of Marc Antony. In

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

's play, ''

Antony and Cleopatra ''Antony and Cleopatra'' is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. The play was first performed around 1607, by the King's Men at either the Blackfriars Theatre or the Globe Theatre. Its first appearance in print was in the First Folio published ...

'', Octavia is described as a homely and frumpish woman. Octavia's later life, around the time of the death of Marcellus, is depicted in the 1976 television adaptation of

Robert Graves Captain Robert von Ranke Graves (24 July 1895 – 7 December 1985) was an English poet, soldier, historical novelist and critic. His father was Alfred Perceval Graves, a celebrated Irish poet and figure in the Gaelic revival; they were b ...

's novel '' I, Claudius''. The role was played by Angela Morant, and should not be confused with her great-granddaughter

(also referred to as "Octavia" in the series),

's daughter and wife of the future emperor

, who was played by Cheryl Johnson. In the 1963 film ''Cleopatra'', she is played by

Jean Marsh Jean Lyndsey Torren Marsh (1 July 1934 – 13 April 2025) was an English actress and writer. She co-created and starred in the ITV series '' Upstairs, Downstairs'' (1971–1975), for which she won the 1975 Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actr ...

in an uncredited role. A highly fictionalized version of Octavia's early life is depicted in the 2005 television series ''

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

'', in which Octavia of the Julii (

Kerry Condon Kerry Condon (born 9 January 1983) is an Irish actress. She was the youngest actress to play Ophelia in a Royal Shakespeare Company production of ''Hamlet'' (2001–2002). She played Octavia of the Julii in ''Rome (TV series), Rome'' (2005–200 ...

) seduces and sleeps with her younger brother, Gaius Octavian, has a lesbian affair with

Servilia of the Junii This is a list of characters from the HBO series ''Rome''. The historical figures upon which certain characters are based are noted where appropriate. Main cast The following are credited in the opening credits when they appear, with only Kevin ...

(the series' version of Servilia) and a romantic relationship with

Marcus Agrippa Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa (; BC – 12 BC) was a Roman general, statesman and architect who was a close friend, son-in-law and lieutenant to the Roman emperor Augustus. Agrippa is well known for his important military victories, notably the Ba ...

(based on the historical

Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa (; BC – 12 BC) was a Roman general, statesman and architect who was a close friend, son-in-law and lieutenant to the Roman emperor Augustus. Agrippa is well known for his important military victories, notably the B ...

), none of which has any historical basis. In the TV series '' Domina'' (2021), Octavia was played by Alexandra Moloney and

Claire Forlani Claire Antonia Forlani (born December 1971) is an English actress. She became known in the mid-1990s for her leading role in the film '' Mallrats'', and in the Jean-Michel Basquiat 1996 biopic '' Basquiat''. In 1998, she achieved wide recogniti ...

Notes

References

;Sources *

External links

''Octavia Minor''
on livius.org

entry in historical sourcebook by Mahlon H. Smith {{authority control 60s BC births 11 BC deaths 1st-century BC Roman women Octavii Rufi Family of Augustus Julio-Claudian dynasty Wives of Mark Antony