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Avidia (mother of Lucius Verus)

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2nd century Roman noblewoman
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Portrait of Avidia. Ca. 136–138. New Haven, Connecticut, Yale University Art Gallery.

Avidia (flourished 2nd century) was a well-connected noble Roman woman. She is among the lesser known members of the ruling Nerva–Antonine dynasty of the Roman Empire.

Biography

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Avidia was the daughter of the well-connected Roman Senator Gaius Avidius Nigrinus [1] and his first wife, whose name is unknown. It is thought that Plautia was her stepmother. Avidia was born and raised in Faventia (modern Faenza, Italy). Her family was distinguished, wealthy and well-connected.[2]

Her family were friends of the Greek historian Plutarch, Roman Senator Pliny the Younger, Roman Emperor Trajan and his family. Her family had strong links to Greece, as her paternal grandfather Gaius Avidius Nigrinus had served at an unknown date during the reign of Roman Emperor Domitian (81-96) as Proconsul of Achaea, a position in which her great uncle Titus Avidius Quietus had also served. Her family may have been related to the consul Gaius Petronius Pontius Nigrinus, who had served his consulship at the time that the Roman Emperor Tiberius had died in 37.

Avidia's father was executed in 118 on orders from the Roman Senate, because he was one of four senators involved in a failed plot to overthrow the Roman Emperor Hadrian.[1] Sometime after her father's execution, her mother or stepmother may have married another Roman senator.

Before 130 Avidia married the powerful Roman Senator Lucius Aelius Caesar. Aelius was adopted by Roman Emperor Hadrian in 136 as his first heir. Avidia bore Aelius two sons and two daughters who were:

In early 138, Aelius died, and Hadrian had adopted Antoninus Pius as his second son and heir. Antoninus was obliged to adopt Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus in turn.[3] If Aelius had lived long enough to succeed Hadrian and rule as emperor, Avidia could have been an Empress of Rome.

It is unknown whether Avidia remarried after the death of Aelius. Three existing portrait busts have been identified as Avidia because of physical similarities to the portrait busts of her son Lucius Verus. These busts have been dated to 136–138, when Aelius was the first adopted heir of Hadrian.

When her son reigned as co-Roman Emperor with Marcus Aurelius, Lucius Verus dedicated two honorific inscriptions to his mother. These inscriptions have been found in Rome. The inscriptions honor her as the daughter of Gaius Avidius Nigrinus and the mother of Roman Emperor Lucius Verus. It is unknown whether Avidia lived long enough to see her son co-rule as emperor.

Nerva–Antonine family tree

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Nerva–Antonine family tree
Q. Marcius Barea Soranus Q. Marcius Barea Sura Antonia Furnilla M. Cocceius Nerva Sergia Plautilla P. Aelius Hadrianus
Titus
(r. 79–81) Marcia Furnilla Marcia Trajanus Pater Nerva
(r. 96–98) Ulpia [i] Aelius Hadrianus Marullinus
Flavia[ii] Marciana [iii] C. Salonius Matidius [iv] Trajan
(r. 98–117) Plotina P. Acilius Attianus P. Aelius Afer [v] Paulina Major [vi]
Lucius Mindius (2) Libo Rupilius Frugi (3) Salonia Matidia [vii] L. Vibius Sabinus (1)[viii]
Paulina Minor [vi] L. Julius Ursus Servianus [ix]
Matidia Minor [vii] Sabina [iii] Hadrian [v] [x] [vi] (r. 117–138) Antinous [xi]
C. Fuscus Salinator I Julia Serviana Paulina
M. Annius Verus [xii] Rupilia Faustina[xiii] [xiv] Boionia Procilla Cn. Arrius Antoninus
L. Ceionius Commodus Appia Severa C. Fuscus Salinator II
L. Caesennius Paetus Arria Antonina Arria Fadilla[xv] T. Aurelius Fulvus
L. Caesennius Antoninus L. Commodus Plautia unknown[xvi] C. Avidius Nigrinus
M. Annius Verus [xiii] Calvisia Domitia Lucilla [xvii] Fundania[xviii] M. Annius Libo [xiii] Faustina [xv] Antoninus Pius
(r. 138–161)[xv] L. Aelius Caesar [xvi] Avidia [xvi]
Cornificia [xiii] Marcus Aurelius
(r. 161–180)[xix] Faustina Minor [xix] C. Avidius Cassius [xx] [clarification needed ] Aurelia Fadilla[xv] Lucius Verus
(r. 161–169)[xvi] (1) Ceionia Fabia [xvi] Plautius Quintillus [xxi] Q. Servilius Pudens Ceionia Plautia [xvi]
Cornificia Minor [xxii] M. Petronius Sura Commodus
(r. 177–192)[xix] Fadilla [xxii] M. Annius Verus Caesar [xix] Ti. Claudius Pompeianus (2) Lucilla [xix] M. Plautius Quintillus [xvi] Junius Licinius Balbus Servilia Ceionia
Petronius Antoninus L. Aurelius Agaclytus (2) Aurelia Sabina [xxii] L. Antistius Burrus (1) Plautius Quintillus Plautia Servilla C. Furius Sabinus Timesitheus Antonia Gordiana Junius Licinius Balbus?
Furia Sabina Tranquillina Gordian III
(r. 238–244)
  • (1) = 1st spouse
  • (2) = 2nd spouse
  • (3) = 3rd spouse
  •   Reddish-purple indicates emperor of the Nerva–Antonine dynasty
      lighter purple indicates designated imperial heir of said dynasty who never reigned
      grey indicates unsuccessful imperial aspirants
      bluish-purple indicates emperors of other dynasties
  • dashed lines indicate adoption; dotted lines indicate love affairs/unmarried relationships
  • Small Caps = posthumously deified (Augusti, Augustae, or other)
Notes:

Except where otherwise noted, the notes below indicate that an individual's parentage is as shown in the above family tree.

  1. ^ Sister of Trajan's father: Giacosa (1977), p. 7.
  2. ^ Giacosa (1977), p. 8.
  3. ^ a b Levick (2014), p. 161.
  4. ^ Husband of Ulpia Marciana: Levick (2014), p. 161.
  5. ^ a b Giacosa (1977), p. 7.
  6. ^ a b c DIR contributor (Herbert W. Benario, 2000), "Hadrian".
  7. ^ a b Giacosa (1977), p. 9.
  8. ^ Husband of Salonia Matidia: Levick (2014), p. 161.
  9. ^ Smith (1870), "Julius Servianus".
  10. ^ Smith (1870), "Hadrian", pp. 319–322.
  11. ^ Lover of Hadrian: Lambert (1984), p. 99 and passim; deification: Lamber (1984), pp. 2–5, etc.
  12. ^ Husband of Rupilia Faustina: Levick (2014), p. 163.
  13. ^ a b c d Levick (2014), p. 163.
  14. ^ It is uncertain whether Rupilia Faustina was Frugi's daughter by Salonia Matidia or another woman.
  15. ^ a b c d Levick (2014), p. 162.
  16. ^ a b c d e f g Levick (2014), p. 164.
  17. ^ Wife of M. Annius Verus: Giacosa (1977), p. 10.
  18. ^ Wife of M. Annius Libo: Levick (2014), p. 163.
  19. ^ a b c d e Giacosa (1977), p. 10.
  20. ^ The epitomator of Cassius Dio (72.22) gives the story that Faustina the Elder promised to marry Avidius Cassius. This is also echoed in HA "Marcus Aurelius" 24.
  21. ^ Husband of Ceionia Fabia: Levick (2014), p. 164.
  22. ^ a b c Levick (2014), p. 117.
References:

References

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  1. ^ a b Levick, Barbara (2014). Faustina I and II: Imperial Women of the Golden Age. Oxford University Press, Incorporated. ISBN 978-0-19-537941-9.
  2. ^ Kavanagh, Bernard (January 2017). "Juvenal's Appia de numero Lamiarum (6.385–397)". Mouseion. 14 (1): 117–123. doi:10.3138/mous.14.1-05. ISSN 1496-9343.
  3. ^ Bradley, Keith R. (1985). "Child Care at Rome: The Role of Men". Historical Reflections / Réflexions Historiques. 12 (3): 485–523. ISSN 0315-7997. JSTOR 23232403.

Sources

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