Sextilia (c. 5 BC – 69) was the mother of Lucius Vitellius the Younger and

Aulus Vitellius The gens Vitellia was a family of ancient Rome, which rose from obscurity in imperial times, and briefly held the Empire itself in AD 69. The first of this gens to obtain the consulship was Aulus Vitellius, uncle of the emperor Vitellius, in AD ...

Family

Sextilia came from a distinguished family and lived intimately with imperial intrigue, daughter of Marcus Sextilius,

Triumvir Monetalis The ''triumvir monetalis'' ( ''tresviri'' or ''triumviri monetales'', also called the , abbreviated IIIVIR A. A. A. F. F.) was a moneyer during the Roman Republic and the Empire, who oversaw the minting of coins. In that role, he would be respo ...

around 15, and Fabia, daughter of Publius Fabius, and paternal granddaughter of Quintus Sextilius, himself the son of

Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the e ...

Publius Sextilius, mentioned in 39 BC and 35 BC, paternal grandson of another Publius Sextilius and great-grandson of yet another

Publius Sextilius Publius Sextilius was a Roman praetor (92 BC?) and governor of Africa during the civil wars between Sulla and Marius. As governor in 88 BC, he refused Marius and his followers asylum in Africa. Marius in Africa Plutarch presents a highly colore ...

. Sextilia married the successful

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...

and friend of the emperor Claudius, Lucius Vitellius. Placed in charge of

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus ( legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

while Claudius traveled to

Britain Britain most often refers to: * The United Kingdom, a sovereign state in Europe comprising the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands * Great Britain, the largest island in the United King ...

, Vitellius died in 52 CE leaving Sextilia with two sons,

and the younger Lucius Vitellius.

Aulus becomes emperor

Sextilia and

Galeria Fundana Galeria Fundana (c. 40 – aft. 69) was a Roman empress, the second wife of Roman emperor Vitellius. Biography Early life Suetonius tells us that Galeria was the daughter of an ex-praetor, and bore two children during her marriage, a son and a ...

remained in Rome after Aulus Vitellius went to Germany. Although he left Galeria in straitened financial circumstances with creditors at her door, Sextilia retained a firm control over her own wealth and distanced herself from her son's financial debacle. After the death of Galba, on 2 January 69 CE the troops in

Lower Germany Germania Inferior ("Lower Germania") was a Roman province from AD 85 until the province was renamed Germania Secunda in the fourth century, on the west bank of the Rhine bordering the North Sea. The capital of the province was Colonia Agripp ...

declared Vitellius emperor. More in response to Vitellius's loose regard for discipline than as a measure of his leadership qualities, the troops hailed him a second

Germanicus Germanicus Julius Caesar (24 May 15 BC – 10 October AD 19) was an ancient Roman general, known for his campaigns in Germania. The son of Nero Claudius Drusus and Antonia the Younger, Germanicus was born into an influential branch of the pat ...

, in reference to the able soldier and son of the younger Antonia who was

Tiberius Tiberius Julius Caesar Augustus (; 16 November 42 BC – 16 March AD 37) was the second Roman emperor. He reigned from AD 14 until 37, succeeding his stepfather, the first Roman emperor Augustus. Tiberius was born in Rome in 42 BC. His father ...

's probable heir. When Sextilia first learned of her son's rise to power, she was said to have responded that she had borne a libertine Vitellius, not a Germanicus.

Death

In Rome, Sextilia and

were in some danger as Marcus Salvius Otho challenged Vitellius. Vitellius wrote Otho's brother and threatened to kill him and his family if the women were harmed. As it turned out, Sextilia may have had her own avenues of access to the camp of Otho, and neither of them were injured. Vitellius defeated Otho, and on his arrival in Rome, he embraced Sextilia and declared her Augusta. He also spent huge sums of money on food, drink, and entertainment. Troops in other parts of the empire deserted to Titus Flavius Vespasian. Vitellius was defeated in battle. Sextilia died shortly before both her sons were killed in December 69; Vitellius is even reported to have starved his own mother to death— to fulfill a prophecy that he would rule longer if his mother died first; alternatively there is a report that his mother asked for poison to commit suicide—a request he granted.Suetonius "Vitellius" Chapter 14
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References

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Sources

* '' Continuité gentilice et continuité sénatoriale dans les familles sénatoriales romaines à l'époque impériale'', 2000 0s BC births 69 deaths Year of birth uncertain 1st-century Roman women Sextilii Augustae