Claudia Pulchra
Encyclopedia
Claudia Pulchra was the name of several women of Roman gens of Claudii
during the 1st century BC and 1st century AD. The Latin pulchra (meaning 'beautiful') is the root of the English word pulchritude (meaning 'beauty').
, who was consul
of 143 BC and his wife Antistia. Wife of Tiberius Gracchus
.
, praetor
of 88 BC, and his wife Caecilia Metella Balearica. Claudia Prima and Claudia Secunda we know little of. The youngest daughter, Claudia Tertia, is better known as Clodia
Pulchra. They were the elder sisters of Publius Clodius Pulcher
.
Clodia Pulchra
, also known simply as Clodia or Claudia, was the daughter of Publius Clodius Pulcher
and Fulvia
Flacca Bambula (Later married to Mark Antony
). Clodia was briefly married to Octavian (later Augustus
).
Claudia Pulchra Major was the elder daughter of Appius Claudius Pulcher (consul 54 BC), praetor
of 57 BC, elder brother of Publius Clodius. She was the first wife of Marcus Junius Brutus
, who was praetor
of 44 BC and the most famous of Julius Caesar
's assassins. This marriage was very useful to Claudia's father as Brutus was very wealthy and it allied him with the leader of Optimates
, Cato the Younger
, who was Brutus' uncle. When Claudia's father was accused of bribery by Publius Cornelius Dolabella
in 50 BC, Brutus was part of the faction that helped have him acquitted. In 45 BC Brutus divorced Claudia, without stating his reasons, in order that he could marry Porcia Catonis
, who was the daughter of Cato and his first cousin. Claudia is not mentioned again.
Claudia Pulchra Minor was the younger daughter of Appius Claudius Pulcher. She was married to Gnaeus Pompeius
who was the son of Pompey the Great and his third wife Mucia Tertia
. Little is known of her life.
who lived during the reigns of Emperors Augustus
and Tiberius
. She was the daughter of Claudia Marcella
Minor and Claudius Pulcher, by adoption Marcus Valerius Messala Barbatus Appianus, who was Consul in 12 BC and died in office. Her maternal grandparents were Gaius Claudius Marcellus Minor
and Octavia Minor
, sister of Augustus
. Her father, Marcus Valerius Messala Barbatus Appianus was a son of consul Appius Claudius Pulcher
, Consul in 38 BC. Her mother married Roman senator Marcus Valerius Messalla Messallinus
. She was the elder half sister of Marcus Valerius Messalla Barbatus
(who would later become the father of Valeria Messalina, third wife of Roman Emperor
Claudius
).
She became the second wife of Roman General and Politician Publius Quinctilius Varus
. He was the widower of Vipsania Marcella
, who was a daughter of Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa
and by his second wife Claudia Marcella
Major, niece of Augustus
. Pulchra and Varus had a son, a younger Publius Quinctilius Varus
. Her husband committed suicide
in September 9 during the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest
, Germania Inferior
. She never remarried.
Pulchra was always a close friend to her second cousin Agrippina the Elder
. Through her friendship with Agrippina, she became the victim of the intrigues of Sejanus
' treason
trials
in 26. She was accused of an attempt to poison Tiberius, casting magic, and immorality; she died in exile
. Tacitus
considered the trial to be an indirect political attack against Agrippina.
Her son became wealthy through the inheritance
of both his parents. In 27, however the younger Varus found himself facing accusations of treason and was formally condemned. His trial has been attributed to the increasing distrust of Tiberius
towards his environment and the machinations of Sejanus.
Claudius (gens)
The gens Claudia, sometimes written Clodia, was one of the most prominent patrician houses at Rome. The gens traced its origin to the earliest days of the Roman Republic...
during the 1st century BC and 1st century AD. The Latin pulchra (meaning 'beautiful') is the root of the English word pulchritude (meaning 'beauty').
Wife of Tiberius Gracchus
Claudia, daughter of Appius Claudius PulcherAppius Claudius Pulcher (consul 143 BC)
Appius Claudius Pulcher was a Roman politician of the 2nd century BC.-Life:Son of Gaius Claudius Pulcher , he was appointed consul in 143 BC, and, to obtain a pretext for a triumph, attacked the Salassi, an Alpine tribe...
, who was consul
Consul
Consul was the highest elected office of the Roman Republic and an appointive office under the Empire. The title was also used in other city states and also revived in modern states, notably in the First French Republic...
of 143 BC and his wife Antistia. Wife of Tiberius Gracchus
Tiberius Gracchus
Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus was a Roman Populares politician of the 2nd century BC and brother of Gaius Gracchus. As a plebeian tribune, his reforms of agrarian legislation caused political turmoil in the Republic. These reforms threatened the holdings of rich landowners in Italy...
.
Relatives of Publius Clodius
Claudia Pulchra was the name of the three daughters of Appius Claudius PulcherAppius Claudius Pulcher (praetor 88 BC)
Appius Claudius Pulcher was a Roman politician of the 1st century BC.His father is uncertain — Gaius Claudius Pulcher or most likely Appius, Consul in 143 BC. The son was a supporter of Lucius Cornelius Sulla and served as praetor in 88 BC. He was exiled in that year by Gaius Marius while Sulla...
, praetor
Praetor
Praetor was a title granted by the government of Ancient Rome to men acting in one of two official capacities: the commander of an army, usually in the field, or the named commander before mustering the army; and an elected magistratus assigned varied duties...
of 88 BC, and his wife Caecilia Metella Balearica. Claudia Prima and Claudia Secunda we know little of. The youngest daughter, Claudia Tertia, is better known as Clodia
Clodia
Clodia, Clodia, Clodia, (born Claudia Pulchra Prima or Maior or also Quadrantaria c. 95 BC or c. 94 BC and often referred to in scholarship as Clodia Metelli ("Clodia the wife of Metellus"), was the third daughter of the patrician Appius Claudius Pulcher and Caecilia Metella Balearica.She is not to...
Pulchra. They were the elder sisters of Publius Clodius Pulcher
Publius Clodius Pulcher
Publius Clodius Pulcher was a Roman politician known for his popularist tactics...
.
Clodia Pulchra
Clodia Pulchra
Clodia Pulchra, also known as Claudia was the daughter of Fulvia by her first husband Publius Clodius Pulcher. She was the stepdaughter of Mark Antony and half-sister of Marcus Antonius Antyllus and Iullus Antonius....
, also known simply as Clodia or Claudia, was the daughter of Publius Clodius Pulcher
Publius Clodius Pulcher
Publius Clodius Pulcher was a Roman politician known for his popularist tactics...
and Fulvia
Fulvia
Fulvia Flacca Bambula , commonly referred to as simply Fulvia, was an aristocratic Roman woman who lived during the Late Roman Republic. Through her marriage to three of the most promising Roman men of her generation, Publius Clodius Pulcher, Gaius Scribonius Curio and Mark Antony, she gained...
Flacca Bambula (Later married to Mark Antony
Mark Antony
Marcus Antonius , known in English as Mark Antony, was a Roman politician and general. As a military commander and administrator, he was an important supporter and loyal friend of his mother's cousin Julius Caesar...
). Clodia was briefly married to Octavian (later Augustus
Augustus
Augustus ;23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14) is considered the first emperor of the Roman Empire, which he ruled alone from 27 BC until his death in 14 AD.The dates of his rule are contemporary dates; Augustus lived under two calendars, the Roman Republican until 45 BC, and the Julian...
).
Daughters of Appius Claudius Pulcher (praetor 57 BC)
Claudia Pulchra Major was the elder daughter of Appius Claudius Pulcher (consul 54 BC), praetor
Praetor
Praetor was a title granted by the government of Ancient Rome to men acting in one of two official capacities: the commander of an army, usually in the field, or the named commander before mustering the army; and an elected magistratus assigned varied duties...
of 57 BC, elder brother of Publius Clodius. She was the first wife of Marcus Junius Brutus
Marcus Junius Brutus
Marcus Junius Brutus , often referred to as Brutus, was a politician of the late Roman Republic. After being adopted by his uncle he used the name Quintus Servilius Caepio Brutus, but eventually returned to using his original name...
, who was praetor
Praetor
Praetor was a title granted by the government of Ancient Rome to men acting in one of two official capacities: the commander of an army, usually in the field, or the named commander before mustering the army; and an elected magistratus assigned varied duties...
of 44 BC and the most famous of Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar was a Roman general and statesman and a distinguished writer of Latin prose. He played a critical role in the gradual transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire....
's assassins. This marriage was very useful to Claudia's father as Brutus was very wealthy and it allied him with the leader of Optimates
Optimates
The optimates were the traditionalist majority of the late Roman Republic. They wished to limit the power of the popular assemblies and the Tribunes of the Plebs, and to extend the power of the Senate, which was viewed as more dedicated to the interests of the aristocrats who held the reins of power...
, Cato the Younger
Cato the Younger
Marcus Porcius Cato Uticensis , commonly known as Cato the Younger to distinguish him from his great-grandfather , was a politician and statesman in the late Roman Republic, and a follower of the Stoic philosophy...
, who was Brutus' uncle. When Claudia's father was accused of bribery by Publius Cornelius Dolabella
Publius Cornelius Dolabella
Publius Cornelius Dolabella was a Roman general, by far the most important of the Dolabellae. He arranged for himself to be adopted by a plebeian so that he could become a Tribune.. He married Cicero's daughter Tullia Ciceronis...
in 50 BC, Brutus was part of the faction that helped have him acquitted. In 45 BC Brutus divorced Claudia, without stating his reasons, in order that he could marry Porcia Catonis
Porcia Catonis
Porcia Catonis, also known simply as Porcia was a Roman woman who lived in the 1st century BC. She was the daughter of Marcus Porcius Cato Uticencis and his first wife Atilia...
, who was the daughter of Cato and his first cousin. Claudia is not mentioned again.
Claudia Pulchra Minor was the younger daughter of Appius Claudius Pulcher. She was married to Gnaeus Pompeius
Gnaeus Pompeius
Gnaeus Pompeius should not be confused with his father, Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus, known as "Pompey the Great."Gnaeus Pompeius , also known as Pompey the Younger , was a Roman politician and general from the late Republic .Gnaeus Pompeius was the elder son of Pompey the Great Gnaeus Pompeius should...
who was the son of Pompey the Great and his third wife Mucia Tertia
Mucia Tertia
Mucia Tertia was a Roman matrona who lived in the 1st century BC. She was the daughter of Quintus Mucius Scaevola, the pontifex maximus, consul in 95 BC. Her mother was a Licinia that divorced her father to marry Quintus Caecilius Metellus Nepos, in a scandal mentioned by several sources...
. Little is known of her life.
Great-niece of Augustus
Claudia Pulchra (PIR2 C 1116, 14 BC-26) was a patrician woman of Ancient RomeAncient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
who lived during the reigns of Emperors Augustus
Augustus
Augustus ;23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14) is considered the first emperor of the Roman Empire, which he ruled alone from 27 BC until his death in 14 AD.The dates of his rule are contemporary dates; Augustus lived under two calendars, the Roman Republican until 45 BC, and the Julian...
and Tiberius
Tiberius
Tiberius , was Roman Emperor from 14 AD to 37 AD. Tiberius was by birth a Claudian, son of Tiberius Claudius Nero and Livia Drusilla. His mother divorced Nero and married Augustus in 39 BC, making him a step-son of Octavian...
. She was the daughter of Claudia Marcella
Claudia Marcella
Claudia Marcella was the name of the two daughters of Octavia Minor, the sister of Emperor Augustus, by her first husband, the consul Gaius Claudius Marcellus Minor. According to Suetonius, they were known as The Marcellae sisters. The sisters were born in Rome...
Minor and Claudius Pulcher, by adoption Marcus Valerius Messala Barbatus Appianus, who was Consul in 12 BC and died in office. Her maternal grandparents were Gaius Claudius Marcellus Minor
Gaius Claudius Marcellus Minor
:See Gaius Claudius Marcellus for other men of this name, or Gaius Claudius Marcellus Maior for his cousin, consul of 49 BC.Gaius Claudius Marcellus Minor was a Roman senator and consul. He was a member of the distinguished Claudius family...
and Octavia Minor
Octavia Minor
Octavia the Younger , also known as Octavia Minor or simply Octavia, was the sister of the first Roman Emperor, Augustus , half-sister of Octavia the Elder, and fourth wife of Mark Antony...
, sister of Augustus
Augustus
Augustus ;23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14) is considered the first emperor of the Roman Empire, which he ruled alone from 27 BC until his death in 14 AD.The dates of his rule are contemporary dates; Augustus lived under two calendars, the Roman Republican until 45 BC, and the Julian...
. Her father, Marcus Valerius Messala Barbatus Appianus was a son of consul Appius Claudius Pulcher
Appius Claudius Pulcher (consul 38 BC)
Appius Claudius Pulcher was a Roman politician. An early supporter of Augustus, he was elected consul in 38 BC.-Biography:A member of the patrician branch of the Claudii family, Pulcher originally bore the name Gaius Claudius Pulcher, and was the natural born son of Gaius Claudius Pulcher, a...
, Consul in 38 BC. Her mother married Roman senator Marcus Valerius Messalla Messallinus
Marcus Valerius Messalla Messallinus
Marcus Valerius Messalla Messallinus was the son of the Roman famous orator Marcus Valerius Messalla Corvinus, whom he resembled in character, and wife Calpurnia.He was a senator and consul in 3 BC and AD 3...
. She was the elder half sister of Marcus Valerius Messalla Barbatus
Marcus Valerius Messalla Barbatus
Marcus Valerius Messalla Barbatus was a consul of ancient Rome. He was the father of the Roman Empress Valeria Messalina, great-nephew of the Emperor Augustus, and father-in-law to the Emperor Claudius....
(who would later become the father of Valeria Messalina, third wife of Roman Emperor
Roman Emperor
The Roman emperor was the ruler of the Roman State during the imperial period . The Romans had no single term for the office although at any given time, a given title was associated with the emperor...
Claudius
Claudius
Claudius , was Roman Emperor from 41 to 54. A member of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, he was the son of Drusus and Antonia Minor. He was born at Lugdunum in Gaul and was the first Roman Emperor to be born outside Italy...
).
She became the second wife of Roman General and Politician Publius Quinctilius Varus
Publius Quinctilius Varus
Publius Quinctilius Varus was a Roman politician and general under Emperor Augustus, mainly remembered for having lost three Roman legions and his own life when attacked by Germanic leader Arminius in the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest.-Life:His paternal grandfather was senator Sextus Quinctilius...
. He was the widower of Vipsania Marcella
Vipsania Marcella
Vipsania Marcella Agrippina or Marcellina was the only daughter to Roman statesman Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa from his second wife Claudia Marcella Major. She was the first grandchild to Octavia Minor and first great-niece to Roman Emperor Augustus.About 14 BC, she married the Roman general and...
, who was a daughter of Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa
Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa
Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa was a Roman statesman and general. He was a close friend, son-in-law, lieutenant and defense minister to Octavian, the future Emperor Caesar Augustus...
and by his second wife Claudia Marcella
Claudia Marcella
Claudia Marcella was the name of the two daughters of Octavia Minor, the sister of Emperor Augustus, by her first husband, the consul Gaius Claudius Marcellus Minor. According to Suetonius, they were known as The Marcellae sisters. The sisters were born in Rome...
Major, niece of Augustus
Augustus
Augustus ;23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14) is considered the first emperor of the Roman Empire, which he ruled alone from 27 BC until his death in 14 AD.The dates of his rule are contemporary dates; Augustus lived under two calendars, the Roman Republican until 45 BC, and the Julian...
. Pulchra and Varus had a son, a younger Publius Quinctilius Varus
Quinctilius Varus
Publius Quinctilius Varus Minor was the only child to Roman general and politician Publius Quinctilius Varus from his second marriage to Claudia Pulchra....
. Her husband committed suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
in September 9 during the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest
Battle of the Teutoburg Forest
The Battle of the Teutoburg Forest took place in 9 CE, when an alliance of Germanic tribes led by Arminius of the Cherusci ambushed and decisively destroyed three Roman legions, along with their auxiliaries, led by Publius Quinctilius Varus.Despite numerous successful campaigns and raids by the...
, Germania Inferior
Germania Inferior
Germania Inferior was a Roman province located on the left bank of the Rhine, in today's Luxembourg, southern Netherlands, parts of Belgium, and North Rhine-Westphalia left of the Rhine....
. She never remarried.
Pulchra was always a close friend to her second cousin Agrippina the Elder
Agrippina the elder
Vipsania Agrippina or most commonly known as Agrippina Major or Agrippina the Elder was a distinguished and prominent granddaughter of the Emperor Augustus. Agrippina was the wife of the general, statesman Germanicus and a relative to the first Roman Emperors...
. Through her friendship with Agrippina, she became the victim of the intrigues of Sejanus
Sejanus
Lucius Aelius Seianus , commonly known as Sejanus, was an ambitious soldier, friend and confidant of the Roman Emperor Tiberius...
' treason
Treason
In law, treason is the crime that covers some of the more extreme acts against one's sovereign or nation. Historically, treason also covered the murder of specific social superiors, such as the murder of a husband by his wife. Treason against the king was known as high treason and treason against a...
trials
Trial (law)
In law, a trial is when parties to a dispute come together to present information in a tribunal, a formal setting with the authority to adjudicate claims or disputes. One form of tribunal is a court...
in 26. She was accused of an attempt to poison Tiberius, casting magic, and immorality; she died in exile
Exile
Exile means to be away from one's home , while either being explicitly refused permission to return and/or being threatened with imprisonment or death upon return...
. Tacitus
Tacitus
Publius Cornelius Tacitus was a senator and a historian of the Roman Empire. The surviving portions of his two major works—the Annals and the Histories—examine the reigns of the Roman Emperors Tiberius, Claudius, Nero and those who reigned in the Year of the Four Emperors...
considered the trial to be an indirect political attack against Agrippina.
Her son became wealthy through the inheritance
Inheritance
Inheritance is the practice of passing on property, titles, debts, rights and obligations upon the death of an individual. It has long played an important role in human societies...
of both his parents. In 27, however the younger Varus found himself facing accusations of treason and was formally condemned. His trial has been attributed to the increasing distrust of Tiberius
Tiberius
Tiberius , was Roman Emperor from 14 AD to 37 AD. Tiberius was by birth a Claudian, son of Tiberius Claudius Nero and Livia Drusilla. His mother divorced Nero and married Augustus in 39 BC, making him a step-son of Octavian...
towards his environment and the machinations of Sejanus.