Sempronia
Encyclopedia
Sempronia is the nomen
of the Roman
gens Sempronia. Men of the gens were named Sempronius, and women Sempronia. The Sempronii were an important family throughout the history of the Republic
. Many of them held the highest offices of the state, and they were connected by marriage with many other important families, including the Cornelii Scipiones and the Licinii Crassi.
Many Roman women did not bear praenomina
, and thus were referred to by their nomen alone, sometimes with nicknames to distinguish several sisters, or occasionally by nomen and cognomen
. Several noteworthy women in Roman history were named Sempronia. They belonged to the branches, or stirpes, of the family known as the Sempronii Tuditani and Sempronii Gracchi, and thus could theoretically be referred to as Sempronia Tuditana and Sempronia Graccha. However, it was also possible to refer to them as Sempronia Tuditani, "Sempronia, daughter of Tuditanus", and Sempronia Gracchi, "Sempronia, daughter of Gracchus".
Sempronia (b. circa 170 B.C., fl. 101) was a Roman noblewoman living in the Middle and Late Roman Republic, who was most famous as the sister of the ill-fated Tiberius Gracchus
(d. 133 B.C.) and Gaius Gracchus
(d. 121 B.C.), and the wife of the Roman general Scipio Aemilianus, a staunch opponent of her brothers' reforms. Her mother was Cornelia
, the daughter of Scipio Africanus
; her husband was the adoptive son of her uncle
, but in fact they were not related. Sempronia was alleged by some to have contrived her husband's sudden death, thereby avenging her brothers, but there is no real evidence of her guilt. She was also apparently the last surviving grandchild of Scipio Africanus
, and the only one who had no issue.
, who describes her father as a madman who was accustomed to throwing his money to the people from the Rostra
. She married Marcus Fulvius Flaccus Bambalio. Their daughter, Fulvia
, married the Roman politicians Publius Clodius Pulcher
, Gaius Scribonius Curio
and Marcus Antonius
, all of them considered demagogues. Sempronia's husband was still alive when Fulvia was married to Clodius. Sempronia's grandchildren included Clodia Pulchra
the first wife of Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus, afterwards the emperor Augustus
; as well as two sons of Antonius, Marcus Antonius Antyllus
, and Iullus Antonius
.
and Latin
. She could sing, play the lyre and dance. The historian Sallust
states she was extremely fortunate in life, marriage, and children, yet had a profligate character. A woman like Sempronia shows a "new woman" in Rome
, with interests, tastes and abilities that would become common in future Roman women. Sempronia and her ilk were a contrast to Roman women like Cornelia Africana
and their values from the earlier Roman Republican Period. Without the knowledge or consent of her husband, she became involved in the conspiracy of Catiline
. Their son was Decimus Junius Brutus Albinus
, one of Caesar's
murderers.
Orelli
supposes that this Sempronia may be the same woman who, according to Asconius, gave testimony at the trial of Titus Annius Milo
in 52 B.C. This Sempronia was the daughter of a Sempronius Tuditanus, and supposedly the mother of Publius Clodius Pulcher, in whose death Milo was accused. However, as Clodius' wife was Fulvia, the daughter of Sempronia and granddaughter of Sempronius Tuditanus, it seems that she was not the same Sempronia who married Decimus Brutus, and that she was actually Clodius' mother-in-law.
, by Colleen McCullough
.
Sempronia is also mentioned in Charles Lamb's nineteenth-century essay on the fallacy, "That you must love me, and love my dog."
Roman naming conventions
By the Republican era and throughout the Imperial era, a name in ancient Rome for a male citizen consisted of three parts : praenomen , nomen and cognomen...
of the Roman
Ancient 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....
gens Sempronia. Men of the gens were named Sempronius, and women Sempronia. The Sempronii were an important family throughout the history of the Republic
Roman Republic
The Roman Republic was the period of the ancient Roman civilization where the government operated as a republic. It began with the overthrow of the Roman monarchy, traditionally dated around 508 BC, and its replacement by a government headed by two consuls, elected annually by the citizens and...
. Many of them held the highest offices of the state, and they were connected by marriage with many other important families, including the Cornelii Scipiones and the Licinii Crassi.
Many Roman women did not bear praenomina
Praenomen
The praenomen was a personal name chosen by the parents of a Roman child. It was first bestowed on the dies lustricus , the eighth day after the birth of a girl, or the ninth day after the birth of a boy...
, and thus were referred to by their nomen alone, sometimes with nicknames to distinguish several sisters, or occasionally by nomen and cognomen
Cognomen
The cognomen nōmen "name") was the third name of a citizen of Ancient Rome, under Roman naming conventions. The cognomen started as a nickname, but lost that purpose when it became hereditary. Hereditary cognomina were used to augment the second name in order to identify a particular branch within...
. Several noteworthy women in Roman history were named Sempronia. They belonged to the branches, or stirpes, of the family known as the Sempronii Tuditani and Sempronii Gracchi, and thus could theoretically be referred to as Sempronia Tuditana and Sempronia Graccha. However, it was also possible to refer to them as Sempronia Tuditani, "Sempronia, daughter of Tuditanus", and Sempronia Gracchi, "Sempronia, daughter of Gracchus".
Sempronia, wife of Scipio Aemilianus
- Main article: Sempronia (sister of the Gracchi)Sempronia (sister of the Gracchi)Sempronia , was a Roman noblewoman living in the Middle and Late Roman Republic, who was most famous as the sister of the ill-fated Tiberius Gracchus and Gaius Gracchus , and the wife of a Roman general Scipio Aemilianus.-Background:Sempronia was the oldest surviving child and only surviving...
.
Sempronia (b. circa 170 B.C., fl. 101) was a Roman noblewoman living in the Middle and Late Roman Republic, who was most famous as the sister of the ill-fated 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...
(d. 133 B.C.) and Gaius Gracchus
Gaius Gracchus
Gaius Sempronius Gracchus was a Roman Populari politician in the 2nd century BC and brother of the ill-fated reformer Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus...
(d. 121 B.C.), and the wife of the Roman general Scipio Aemilianus, a staunch opponent of her brothers' reforms. Her mother was Cornelia
Cornelia Africana
Cornelia Scipionis Africana was the second daughter of Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus, the hero of the Second Punic War, and Aemilia Paulla. She is remembered as the perfect example of a virtuous Roman woman....
, the daughter of Scipio Africanus
Scipio Africanus
Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus , also known as Scipio Africanus and Scipio the Elder, was a general in the Second Punic War and statesman of the Roman Republic...
; her husband was the adoptive son of her uncle
Publius Cornelius Scipio P.f. P.n. Africanus
Publius Cornelius Scipio P.f. P.n. AfricanusWith the Roman acronyms expanded, the full name is Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus Publii filius Publii nepos, translated as "Publius Cornelius Scipio son of Publius grandson of Publius." In modern times he is more popularly known as the flamen dialis...
, but in fact they were not related. Sempronia was alleged by some to have contrived her husband's sudden death, thereby avenging her brothers, but there is no real evidence of her guilt. She was also apparently the last surviving grandchild of Scipio Africanus
Scipio Africanus
Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus , also known as Scipio Africanus and Scipio the Elder, was a general in the Second Punic War and statesman of the Roman Republic...
, and the only one who had no issue.
Sempronia, mother of Fulvia
Sempronia (circa 123 - 63 B.C.) was the daughter of Sempronius Tuditanus, according to CiceroCicero
Marcus Tullius Cicero , was a Roman philosopher, statesman, lawyer, political theorist, and Roman constitutionalist. He came from a wealthy municipal family of the equestrian order, and is widely considered one of Rome's greatest orators and prose stylists.He introduced the Romans to the chief...
, who describes her father as a madman who was accustomed to throwing his money to the people from the Rostra
Rostra
The Rōstra was a large platform built in the city of Rome that stood during the republican and imperial periods. Speakers would stand on the rostra and face the north side of the comitium towards the senate house and deliver orations to those assembled in between...
. She married Marcus Fulvius Flaccus Bambalio. Their daughter, 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...
, married the Roman politicians Publius Clodius Pulcher
Publius Clodius Pulcher
Publius Clodius Pulcher was a Roman politician known for his popularist tactics...
, Gaius Scribonius Curio
Gaius Scribonius Curio
Gaius Scribonius Curio was the name of a father and son who lived in the late Roman Republic.-Father:Gaius Scribonius Curio was a Roman statesman and orator. He was nicknamed Burbulieus for the way he moved his body while speaking...
and Marcus Antonius
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...
, all of them considered demagogues. Sempronia's husband was still alive when Fulvia was married to Clodius. Sempronia's grandchildren included 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....
the first wife of Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus, afterwards the emperor 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...
; as well as two sons of Antonius, Marcus Antonius Antyllus
Marcus Antonius Antyllus
Marcus Antonius Antyllus was known as Marcus Antonius Minor to distinguish him from his famous father, the Roman Triumvir Marc Antony . He was also called Antyllus — a nickname given to him by his father...
, and Iullus Antonius
Iullus Antonius
Iullus Antonius , also known as Iulus, Julus or Jullus, was the second son of Mark Antony and his third wife Fulvia. He is best known for being the famous lover of Julia the Elder...
.
Sempronia, wife of Decimus Junius Brutus
Sempronia was the wife of Decimus Junius Brutus, consul in 77 B.C. Sempronia was a distinguished, beautiful, accomplished, and passionate woman, who learned GreekAncient Greek
Ancient Greek is the stage of the Greek language in the periods spanning the times c. 9th–6th centuries BC, , c. 5th–4th centuries BC , and the c. 3rd century BC – 6th century AD of ancient Greece and the ancient world; being predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...
and Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
. She could sing, play the lyre and dance. The historian Sallust
Sallust
Gaius Sallustius Crispus, generally known simply as Sallust , a Roman historian, belonged to a well-known plebeian family, and was born at Amiternum in the country of the Sabines...
states she was extremely fortunate in life, marriage, and children, yet had a profligate character. A woman like Sempronia shows a "new woman" in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, with interests, tastes and abilities that would become common in future Roman women. Sempronia and her ilk were a contrast to Roman women like Cornelia Africana
Cornelia Africana
Cornelia Scipionis Africana was the second daughter of Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus, the hero of the Second Punic War, and Aemilia Paulla. She is remembered as the perfect example of a virtuous Roman woman....
and their values from the earlier Roman Republican Period. Without the knowledge or consent of her husband, she became involved in the conspiracy of Catiline
Catiline
Lucius Sergius Catilina , known in English as Catiline, was a Roman politician of the 1st century BC who is best known for the Catiline conspiracy, an attempt to overthrow the Roman Republic, and in particular the power of the aristocratic Senate.-Family background:Catiline was born in 108 BC to...
. Their son was Decimus Junius Brutus Albinus
Decimus Junius Brutus Albinus
Decimus Junius Brutus Albinus was a Roman politician and general of the 1st century BC and one of the leading instigators of Julius Caesar's assassination...
, one of Caesar's
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....
murderers.
Orelli
Johann Caspar von Orelli
Johann Caspar von Orelli , was a Swiss classical scholar.He was born at Zürich of a distinguished Italian family which had taken refuge in Switzerland at the time of the Protestant Reformation...
supposes that this Sempronia may be the same woman who, according to Asconius, gave testimony at the trial of Titus Annius Milo
Titus Annius Milo
Titus Annius Milo Papianus was a Roman political agitator, the son of Gaius Papius Celsus, but adopted by his maternal grandfather, Titus Annius Luscus...
in 52 B.C. This Sempronia was the daughter of a Sempronius Tuditanus, and supposedly the mother of Publius Clodius Pulcher, in whose death Milo was accused. However, as Clodius' wife was Fulvia, the daughter of Sempronia and granddaughter of Sempronius Tuditanus, it seems that she was not the same Sempronia who married Decimus Brutus, and that she was actually Clodius' mother-in-law.
Semproniae in Fiction
Sempronia Tuditani is mentioned, but does not appear, in the novel, The October HorseThe October Horse (novel)
The October Horse is the sixth novel in Colleen McCullough's Masters of Rome series.-Plot introduction:The book begins with Gaius Julius Caesar's Egyptian campaign in Alexandria, his final battles with the Republicans led by Metellus Scipio, Cato the Younger, Titus Labienus and the brothers...
, by Colleen McCullough
Colleen McCullough
Colleen McCullough-Robinson, , is an internationally acclaimed Australian author.-Life:McCullough was born in Wellington, in outback central west New South Wales, in 1937 to James and Laurie McCullough. Her mother was a New Zealander of part-Māori descent. During her childhood, her family moved...
.
Sempronia is also mentioned in Charles Lamb's nineteenth-century essay on the fallacy, "That you must love me, and love my dog."