Atticus Bradua
Encyclopedia
Tiberius Claudius Marcus Appius Atilius Bradua Regillus Atticus , otherwise known as Atticus Bradua (around 145
-after 209
) was a Roman Politician of Greek Athenian
and Italian Roman descent who lived in the Roman Empire
.
, Sophist
Lucius Vibullius Hipparchus Tiberius Claudius Atticus Herodes or Herodes Atticus
and the Roman highly aristocratic, influential noblewoman Aspasia Annia Regilla
.
The paternal grandparents of Atticus Bradua were the Roman Senator Tiberius Claudius Atticus Herodes
and the wealthy heiress Vibullia Alcia Agrippina
while his maternal grandparents were the Roman Senator, Consul Appius Annius Trebonius Gallus
and the aristocratic woman Atilia Caucidia Tertulla
. His paternal uncle was Tiberius Claudius Atticus Herodianus, while his paternal aunt was Claudia Tisamenis
. The maternal uncle of Atticus Bradua was Appius Annius Atilius Bradua
who served as an ordinary consul in 160 .
Through his maternal grandfather, Atticus Bradua was a relative to the Roman Empress Faustina the Elder
, wife of the Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius
. Faustina the Elder
was the mother of Roman Empress Faustina the Younger
and aunt of Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius . Thus he was a relative to the family of Faustina the Younger and Marcus Aurelius.
by his father to become an ephebe (citizen-cadet) and if so, it left no long-lasting influence on him .
The students and freedmen of Herodes Atticus were clamoring for his attention and benefactions. The students and freemen of his father, were jealous of the family of Herodes Atticus and because of his learning disability they may had slandered him .
The parents of Atticus Bradua erected a great outdoor nymphaeum
(a monumental fountain) at Olympia, Greece
. The monumental fountain features statues and honors members of the ruling imperial family, including members of his family and relatives of his parents. Among the statues is a bust of Atticus Bradua which is on display at the Archaeological Museum of Olympia .
Atticus Bradua was about 15 years old when his mother had died and heard accusations by his maternal uncle that his father murdered his mother . From these accusations, this may have caused an irreparable rift between Herodes Atticus and Atticus Bradua . Herodes Atticus saw Atticus Bradua as a disappointment . Herodes Atticus outlived his family and Atticus Bradua became his only surviving child . Relations between father and son continue to worsen. When Herodes Atticus died in 177, he left nothing to Atticus Bradua . The Athenians considered Herodes Atticus’s treatment towards Atticus Bradua as inhumane .
. Atticus Bradua was considered by others, more competent than Herodes Atticus probably due to his status and wealth . Sometime during the reign of Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius
(138–161), the Emperor promoted Atticus Bradua to Patrician rank .
Atticus Bradua served as an ordinary consul in 185 and became an Archon of Athens
in 187 . Sometime after his consulship, he served as a Proconsul of a Roman Province .
Atticus Bradua followed in the footsteps of his parents as a benefactor however not on such a lavish scale. As the fortune of Atticus Bradua was much smaller from Herodes Atticus . He contributed a gift to Piraeus which was commemorated and in 209 the Athenian Boule
honored Atticus Bradua as a Herald .
According to inscription found on a grey limestone dated after 185 at the Curia
at Leptis Magna
(the capital of the Africa Province
), reveals another honorific inscription possibly dedicated to Atticus Bradua. This inscription shows that Atticus Bradua may have served as a Proconsul of the Africa Province, could have served as a local patron and he may have changed his name. He may have changed his name to honor the memory of his family, mother, maternal ancestry and probably his discontent of his father. The inscription reads
145
Year 145 was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Hadrianus and Caesar...
-after 209
209
Year 209 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Commodus and Lollianus...
) was a Roman Politician of Greek Athenian
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
and Italian Roman descent who lived in the Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
.
Ancestry and Family
Atticus Bradua born to a distinguished and very rich family of consular rank . He was second son and among the children of the Greek Athenian Roman SenatorRoman Senate
The Senate of the Roman Republic was a political institution in the ancient Roman Republic, however, it was not an elected body, but one whose members were appointed by the consuls, and later by the censors. After a magistrate served his term in office, it usually was followed with automatic...
, Sophist
Sophism
Sophism in the modern definition is a specious argument used for deceiving someone. In ancient Greece, sophists were a category of teachers who specialized in using the tools of philosophy and rhetoric for the purpose of teaching aretê — excellence, or virtue — predominantly to young statesmen and...
Lucius Vibullius Hipparchus Tiberius Claudius Atticus Herodes or Herodes Atticus
Herodes Atticus
Lucius Vibullius Hipparchus Tiberius Claudius Atticus Herodes, otherwise known as Herodes Atticus was a very distinguished, rich Greek aristocrat who served as a Roman Senator and a Sophist. He is notable as a proponent in the Second Sophistic by Philostratus.-Ancestry and Family:Herodes Atticus...
and the Roman highly aristocratic, influential noblewoman Aspasia Annia Regilla
Aspasia Annia Regilla
Aspasia Annia Regilla, full name Appia Annia Regilla Atilia Caucidia Tertulla , was a wealthy, aristocratic and influential Roman woman, who was a distant relative of several Roman Emperors and Roman Empresses. She was the wife of the prominent Greek Herodes Atticus .-Genealogy:Regilla was born...
.
The paternal grandparents of Atticus Bradua were the Roman Senator Tiberius Claudius Atticus Herodes
Tiberius Claudius Atticus Herodes (suffect consul 132)
Tiberius Claudius Atticus Herodes was a distinguished Greek aristocrat of the Roman Empire.- Origin and life :Claudius Atticus was a Greek of Athenian descent. As he bears the Roman family name, Claudius, there is a possibility that a paternal ancestor of his, received Roman citizenship, from an...
and the wealthy heiress Vibullia Alcia Agrippina
Vibullia Alcia Agrippina
Vibullia Alcia Agrippina was a Greek Aristocrat and Heiress that lived in the Roman Empire.Vibullia was a Greek of Athenian descent and was a member of a very wealthy family who were prominent in Athens . She was the daughter of the Athenian Aristocrats, Claudia Alcia and Lucius Vibullius Rufus...
while his maternal grandparents were the Roman Senator, Consul Appius Annius Trebonius Gallus
Appius Annius Trebonius Gallus (consul 139)
Appius Annius Trebonius Gallus, sometimes known as Appius Annius Gallus was a Roman senator.Annius Gallus was the son of the Roman politician and general Appius Annius Trebonius Gallus and an unnamed Roman noble woman. His paternal grandfather could have been Appius Annius Gallus, one of the...
and the aristocratic woman Atilia Caucidia Tertulla
Atilia Caucidia Tertulla
Atilia Caucidia Tertulla was an aristocratic woman from Ancient Roman society.Atilia was a member of the Atilia and was born into a family of consular rank, probably of Patrician rank. Atilia was the daughter of the Roman Senator, Consul and Governor Marcus Appius Bradua and Caucidia Tertulla...
. His paternal uncle was Tiberius Claudius Atticus Herodianus, while his paternal aunt was Claudia Tisamenis
Claudia Tisamenis
Claudia Tisamenis was a Greek Aristocratic woman that lived in the 2nd century in the Roman Empire-Ancestry and Family:Tisamenis was of Athenian descent. Her ancestry can be traceable to the Athenian noble woman Elpinice . She had an ancestor four generations removed from her called Polycharmus...
. The maternal uncle of Atticus Bradua was Appius Annius Atilius Bradua
Appius Annius Atilius Bradua
Appius Annius Atilius Bradua was a Roman Senator that lived in the Roman Empire.Annius Bradua was born and raised in an aristocratic family of consular rank and was a member of the gens Annia. He was a member of the venerable family of the Annii Regilli . Regilli means 'Little Queen'.His father...
who served as an ordinary consul in 160 .
Through his maternal grandfather, Atticus Bradua was a relative to the Roman Empress Faustina the Elder
Faustina the Elder
Annia Galeria Faustina, more familiarly referred to as Faustina I , was a Roman Empress and wife of Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius.-Early life:...
, wife of the Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius
Antoninus Pius
Antoninus Pius , also known as Antoninus, was Roman Emperor from 138 to 161. He was a member of the Nerva-Antonine dynasty and the Aurelii. He did not possess the sobriquet "Pius" until after his accession to the throne...
. Faustina the Elder
Faustina the Elder
Annia Galeria Faustina, more familiarly referred to as Faustina I , was a Roman Empress and wife of Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius.-Early life:...
was the mother of Roman Empress Faustina the Younger
Faustina the Younger
Annia Galeria Faustina Minor , Faustina Minor or Faustina the Younger was a daughter of Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius and Roman Empress Faustina the Elder. She was a Roman Empress and wife to her maternal cousin Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius...
and aunt of Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius . Thus he was a relative to the family of Faustina the Younger and Marcus Aurelius.
Life
Atticus Bradua was born in an unknown place and was raised in Greece. As a child, he couldn’t learn how to read. His father purchased twenty-four slave boys to whom he gave names beginning with the letters of the alphabet to help Atticus Bradua learn his letters . According to an inscription, there is a possibility that Atticus Bradua was sent to SpartaSparta
Sparta or Lacedaemon, was a prominent city-state in ancient Greece, situated on the banks of the River Eurotas in Laconia, in south-eastern Peloponnese. It emerged as a political entity around the 10th century BC, when the invading Dorians subjugated the local, non-Dorian population. From c...
by his father to become an ephebe (citizen-cadet) and if so, it left no long-lasting influence on him .
The students and freedmen of Herodes Atticus were clamoring for his attention and benefactions. The students and freemen of his father, were jealous of the family of Herodes Atticus and because of his learning disability they may had slandered him .
The parents of Atticus Bradua erected a great outdoor nymphaeum
Nymphaeum
A nymphaeum or nymphaion , in ancient Greece and Rome, was a monument consecrated to the nymphs, especially those of springs....
(a monumental fountain) at Olympia, Greece
Olympia, Greece
Olympia , a sanctuary of ancient Greece in Elis, is known for having been the site of the Olympic Games in classical times, comparable in importance to the Pythian Games held in Delphi. Both games were held every Olympiad , the Olympic Games dating back possibly further than 776 BC...
. The monumental fountain features statues and honors members of the ruling imperial family, including members of his family and relatives of his parents. Among the statues is a bust of Atticus Bradua which is on display at the Archaeological Museum of Olympia .
Atticus Bradua was about 15 years old when his mother had died and heard accusations by his maternal uncle that his father murdered his mother . From these accusations, this may have caused an irreparable rift between Herodes Atticus and Atticus Bradua . Herodes Atticus saw Atticus Bradua as a disappointment . Herodes Atticus outlived his family and Atticus Bradua became his only surviving child . Relations between father and son continue to worsen. When Herodes Atticus died in 177, he left nothing to Atticus Bradua . The Athenians considered Herodes Atticus’s treatment towards Atticus Bradua as inhumane .
Wealth, Political Career and Benefactions
After the death of his mother, Atticus Bradua inherited the wealth and the estate that his mother owned with his father on the Appian WayAppian Way
The Appian Way was one of the earliest and strategically most important Roman roads of the ancient republic. It connected Rome to Brindisi, Apulia, in southeast Italy...
. Atticus Bradua was considered by others, more competent than Herodes Atticus probably due to his status and wealth . Sometime during the reign of Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius
Antoninus Pius
Antoninus Pius , also known as Antoninus, was Roman Emperor from 138 to 161. He was a member of the Nerva-Antonine dynasty and the Aurelii. He did not possess the sobriquet "Pius" until after his accession to the throne...
(138–161), the Emperor promoted Atticus Bradua to Patrician rank .
Atticus Bradua served as an ordinary consul in 185 and became an Archon of Athens
Archon of Athens
This is a list of the eponymous archons of Athens.-Background:The archon was the chief magistrate in many Greek cities, but in Athens there was a council of archons which comprised a form of executive government...
in 187 . Sometime after his consulship, he served as a Proconsul of a Roman Province .
Atticus Bradua followed in the footsteps of his parents as a benefactor however not on such a lavish scale. As the fortune of Atticus Bradua was much smaller from Herodes Atticus . He contributed a gift to Piraeus which was commemorated and in 209 the Athenian Boule
Boule (Ancient Greece)
In cities of ancient Greece, the boule meaning to will ) was a council of citizens appointed to run daily affairs of the city...
honored Atticus Bradua as a Herald .
According to inscription found on a grey limestone dated after 185 at the Curia
Religion in ancient Rome
Religion in ancient Rome encompassed the religious beliefs and cult practices regarded by the Romans as indigenous and central to their identity as a people, as well as the various and many cults imported from other peoples brought under Roman rule. Romans thus offered cult to innumerable deities...
at Leptis Magna
Leptis Magna
Leptis Magna also known as Lectis Magna , also called Lpqy, Neapolis, Lebida or Lebda to modern-day residents of Libya, was a prominent city of the Roman Empire. Its ruins are located in Khoms, Libya, east of Tripoli, on the coast where the Wadi Lebda meets the sea...
(the capital of the Africa Province
Africa Province
The Roman province of Africa was established after the Romans defeated Carthage in the Third Punic War. It roughly comprised the territory of present-day northern Tunisia, and the small Mediterranean coast of modern-day western Libya along the Syrtis Minor...
), reveals another honorific inscription possibly dedicated to Atticus Bradua. This inscription shows that Atticus Bradua may have served as a Proconsul of the Africa Province, could have served as a local patron and he may have changed his name. He may have changed his name to honor the memory of his family, mother, maternal ancestry and probably his discontent of his father. The inscription reads
- To Marcus Atilius Metilius Bradua Caucidius Tertullus Claudius Atticus Vibullius Pollio Gauidius Latiaris Atrius Bassus, proconsul; Decimus Junius Crescens, Decimus Junius Galba, Quintus Calpurnius Capito, Lucius Plautius Octavianus to their patron.
Sources
- Graindor, P., Un milliardaire antique, Ayers Company Publishers, 1979
- Wilson, N.G., Encyclopedia of Ancient Greece, Routledge, 2006
- Pomeroy, S.B., The murder of Regilla: a case of domestic violence in antiquity, Harvard University Press, 2007
- http://irt.kcl.ac.uk/irt2009/IRT517.html
- http://www.sleepinbuff.com/13history.pdf
- http://www.vroma.org/~bmcmanus/women_civicdonors.html