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Two Wives of Nero: a Political and Prosopographical Study

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Two Wives of Nero: a Political and Prosopographical Study TWO WIVES OF NERO: A POLITICAL AND PROSOPOGRAPHICAL STUDY by ROBERT N. S. PARKER A Thesis Presented to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of M.A. Department of Classics McGill University July 1986 Montr~al © R. N. S. Parker, 1986 ABSTRACT In the course of his reign, the Emperor Nero was married to three wives in succession. Since a number of women are known to have been politically active during the late Republic and early Empire, it is possible that Nero's wives also exerted political pressure on him. Relying primarily on the best source for the Neronian Principate, Tacitus' Annals XIII-XVI, this thesis will give an account of the evidence pre­ sented for the lives of the only two wives of Nero with whom Tacitus deals, Claudia Octavia and Poppaea Sabina. There follows, in addition, an estimation of Tacitus• judgment of their lives in light of his general view of women. It will be demonstrated that although both women had the necessary means to mount political pressure, only Poppaea took advantage of her position. ii c RESUME Pendant son regne l 'empereur N~ron s'est mari~ successivement a trois femmes. Avec l'av~nement a Rome d'un certain nombre de femmes politiquement actives~ au cours de cette ~poque, il est permis de pr~tendre que les ~pauses de N~ron ont ~t~ dans la position d'exercer sur celui-ci des pressions politi­ ques. Bas~e principalement sur la plus importante source issue du principat de N~ron, soit les Annales XIII-XVI de Tacite~ la pr~sente th@se a pour objet de faire un expos~ sur 1 '~vidence de la vie de Claudia Octavie et celle-la de Popp~e Sabina~ qui ~taient les seules ~pauses de N~ron, que.Tacite a trait~e dans son oeuvre. De plus, la th@se offre une opinion sur le jugement de Tacite concernant ces deux ~pouses dans le contexte g~n~ral de son id~e des femmes. A cette fin, il d~montrera que meme si les deux femmes ont eu les moyens d'ex­ ercer des pressions politiques, ce n'est que Popp~e qui a profit~ de son pou­ voir. iii c ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Few tasks of this nature are completed without much being owed to many. This thesis is no exception. Thanks must go to Dr. G. Michael Woloch who supervised and guided this work from its inception, and who provided much worth­ while and needed counsel. Without his direction this project would not have been completed. Thanks also to Dr. Michael J. Silverthorne who offered to read this thesis while on sabbatical leave. Much is also owed to my undergraduate teachers and advisors at the University of Victoria; particularly Professor Keith Bradley who first whetted my appetite for Roman History, and who first en­ couraged me that this stage in my career·could be reached. I would also like to thank those friends and family members who provided both moral and financial support over the past years of study. A special debt of gratitude is due to my wife, Lois, and my children, Joel and Angela, who have patiently endured my labours without complaint, and who have given up countless evenings and weekends of family time because Dad was studying. iv CONTENTS ABSTRACT ;; RESUME .................................................... iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS iv Stell1Tiata 1 I. Introduction 4 I I. Octavia 13 Ill. Poppaea Sabina 36 IV. Tacitus and Octavia and Poppaea 66 V. Conclusion 78 APPENDIX 82 BIBLIOGRAPHY 85 y STEM A. Dirtcl and collakral descendants o/ Auguslus. Anoh&ri&.••• _ ••• (1) C. Oot.aviua•••. T ... A.tia maior, daughter of M. Atius Balbns, and of T d.~B.C • .;8. , Jolia, sister of the dictator Caesar. d. 711, B.C. ,.3. I I I (~) Oot.avia maior. (3) Ootavia minor. Bcrfbonia.••• =r .. (4) C. Ootaviua..•• =- ••• Livia Druailla.. b. eir. ~. B.c. 6-4. j (CA.EBA.B A'O'GUBTUS.) See B. t. d. cir. 7·f3. B.C. 11. • b. Sep. 23, ~1, B.C. 63. See next page. d. Aug. 19, 767, A.D. 14. , K. Vipaaniu Aenppa. • • • =;= • (5) Julia. .. = ... Ti. Claudius Nero. b. 69t, B.C. 63. I b. 7I 5t B.C. 39· (B. 1.) d. U27 B.C. U •. d. 767, A.D. 14. See also ( a6). I I I I (6) 0. Oaeaar..•• = .. Livia. (7) L. Caesar.... A.emilia (9) .A.crippbut..• • • =r . .. Germa.nieua ( r o) AeriPP• b. 734, B.C. ao. (B. 6.) b. 737, B.C. 17. Lepida. b. cir. 740, B.C. I+ I Caesar. Poetumua. d. Feb. 21, 757• A.D. 4· d. Sept. 19. 755, (betrothed.) m. cir. 758, A.D. 5· (B. 5·) h. 742 1 B.C. U. A.D. 2, d. Oct. 18, 786, A.D. 33· d. 767, A D. 14. L. .A.em.illu.a Paullu.a. ••.. ::;: .•..•.•.. (8) .Tulla. I d. 781, A D. :a8. :-1 ---.,.-~---- I I I I I I Drt:Wlla. ... (u) Jl. A.emlliu.a Julia.-(13) Nero Caeaar. (14) Drwsu.a-A.em.illa (15) GA.IUS Ca.esonia. (I 6) .A.grip· ( I7) Dru· (18) Julia Lepidu. (B. 8.) b. 759· A.u. 6. Caeaar. Lepida. CAESA.B. ~. 794, pin&. ailla, or Livilla. d. 784, A.D. 31. b. cir. 76o, (CA.LIGULA..) A.D. 41. h. Nov. 16. b. 770, b. 771, A.D. 7· b. Aug. 31, 768, A.n. 15. A.D. 17. A.D. 18. X . .Juniu Bilanua. ( u) A.emilia d. 787, A.D. 33· 765, A.D. U. d. 81l, d. 791, d. 794· COS. 771., A.D. 19- Lepii!&. (tfOit 10.) d. Jan. 24, A.D. 59· A.D. 38. A.D .•p. 794, A.D. 41• I I I 1 I . , (19) llll. Bilanu. (:ao) L. Sil&nna. (21) D. Silanu. (:u) Junia (1.3) Junia Lepida. (3.oJ) .Tulia Druailla b. 767, A.D. I.J. d. So:z, A.n. 49· d. 817, A.D. 6.J. Calrina. d. 79-4• A.l>. -JI. d. 80]1 A D. 54· I (25) L. Silanua. d. 1518, A.D. 65. Stemmata taken from H. Furneaux, The Annals of Tacftus (1896) 0 0 STEM A (conti11urd). C. MaroeUw. :;= dctavla minor. Jl. A.ntoniu.a, Triumvir. rl. jiJ, R.C. •P ., see above (3)· d. 7 l.J, JI.C. JO. ,...----------------- ---, (:r6) .11. Karcellw.=J'uli.a. K. Vip•niu.::;:::(:~S) Jl-.roella .....•. Iullua b. 7 I r, B c. 4,3. see above (5). Ap-ippa. I' minor. ...A.ntoniua. d. 731, B.C. 23. set' abO\'C (5). I (34) Vipaania (?). =r Q. Hateriu... K. V&lerlw =r (27) Jl&1"0ell&.,.. 8ez. Appuleiua. I (35) L. .A.ntOniu.a.1 ~u. Appi&nu.a. I maior. 1 (39) Hateriu.. Aarlppa. I I (31) K. V&leriu.a (3:1) Ol&udia (33) Appuleia I I ......u ... Pulohra. VU'illa. L. D611dlfu.a =r (29) Ant.onl& maior• (30} .A.ntonla • • = . 11 ero B-.r'batu.. A.beuobu'bu.a. b. i IS, B. C. 3?· minor. Claudius Cos. 783, B.C. 16. b. 718, B.C. 36. Dru.au.a. see (38~) d. ns. A.o. :zs. d. 790, A.O. 37· (H. J). '-------~-----' N See B. I I I (36) On. Domlt.iua::y:AcrippiD&•.•• = ... Criapua .•• = ... (37) Domitia. (38) Domitl& :::;= M. Va.leriu• A.h.eaobarbu.. l see above Puaienua. d. 8u, A o. 59- Lepida. 1 Meaaalla cos. 785, A.D. Jl. (16), . Barbatue. I see above (31 ). Oct.&Yi&. = ( 40) L. Domitiu AhenoblU'bua :;= Poppa.ea = 8tatilia \;I) Va.leria = Ti. ClaudiWI (B. 14.) lNEB.O CLAUDIUS CA:ES.t.B.] I l!h.bina. Jle....alina. Meu&lina. Cae•ar. b. Dec. 15,790, A.l>. 37· d b. cir. 7ij, A.n. 2-4. (IJ. 7.) I 81~, nne Q, lh A. A.D. 1, A.U. d. J t, n. 61!. 6 ~· d. So ----.;8. '_.,~ Claudia Au.cwta. See B. b. & d. 816, .\ n. 63. g 0 STI-~~1 H. F'ami{;: c:f lht Claudt"an C£wars. (1) Ti. Claudius Nero,1 Livia Drusilla. descended from a son I b. Jan. 30, 696 or 6c;7, ofApp.Cl:wdiusCaecus. H.C.:. s8 or Si'· m. to d.7:11 1 B.C.33. Augu:.tus, 7H1, u.c. 38. d. 78::, A.IJ. 29. I I Vipaania::;:: (:~) Ti. Claudius Nero.=Julia. tA.s.) Antonia ~ \3) N ero Claudiua Drusus, Agrippina.. I [TI. CAESA..B .AUGUSTUS.) minor. afterwards Germa.nicus. d. 773. I b. NO\·. 16, 712, ll.C. ·P· (A. 30.) b. 716, l:l.C. 38. d. Sept. 745, A.D. 20. d. March 16, jiJO, ll.C. 9· . I A.D. 37· I I (4) Druaua Ca.e8a.r. TLivia. (5) Germanicus=Agrippina. (6) Livia b. Oct. S· cir. 741, B.C. see (6). Caeaa.r. (A. 9·) or LiTilla. 13.d. 7i6,A.D. 2J. b. May 2-f.. 739, j d. 784, A.D. 31. B.C. 15. ; d. 772, A IJ. -..---­19. I w See A. I I Plautia -,- Aelia 1 Va.leri& :::;=(7) Ti. Claudius Druaua==Agrippina. Urgul.W.U.. 1 Pa.etina.j:Meaa&lina.j Nero Germanicus. (A. 16.) (A ...p.) (TI. CLAUDIUS CAESAR.] I I b. Aug. l, 7 Ht B.C. 10. Ne:ro=(8) .Tulia.:::;=C. Bubelliua (9) Ti. Caeaa.r (xo) Germanioua d. Oct. 1 3, 8o7, A. D. 54· Caeur. d. 796, I Blandwa. (Gemdlus). Ca.eaar. \A. 13.) A.I.>. 43· I b. 7il. A.D. 19. b. 'i72, A.U.
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