Scribonia
Encyclopedia
Scribonia was the second wife of the Roman Emperor
Augustus
and the mother of his only natural child, Julia the Elder
. She was the mother-in-law of the Emperor Tiberius
, great-grandmother of the Emperor Caligula
and Empress Agrippina the Younger
, grandmother-in-law of the Emperor Claudius
, and great-great grandmother of the Emperor Nero
.
(most likely the praetor
of 80 BC). Her brother of the same name was consul
and died in 34 BC. The name of her mother was Sentia. According to Suetonius
, Scribonia's first two marriages were to former consuls. Her first husband is unknown, although it had been suggested that he was Gnaeus Cornelius Lentulus Marcellinus
(consul 56 BC), as there is an inscription that refers to freedmen (post 39 BC) of Scribonia and her son Cornelius Marcellinus, indicating that she had a son from her previous marriage and that he was living with her after she divorced her third husband. He may have died young and ignored by historians. Her second husband perhaps was Publius Cornelius Scipio Salvito
, a supporter of Pompey
. They had a daughter Cornelia Scipio
who married the censor Lucius Aemilius Paullus. Scribonia may have also been the mother to Publius Cornelius Scipio
, consul in 16 BC.
In 40 BC Scribonia was forced to divorce her husband and marry Octavian
, who was younger than she was by several years. Octavian in turn divorced his wife Clodia Pulchra
, marrying Scribonia to cement a political alliance with her niece Scribonia's husband Sextus Pompey. Their daughter Julia the Elder
was born in 39 BC, probably in October, and on that very same day Octavian divorced her. Their marriage had not been a happy one; Octavian felt she nagged him too much. She never remarried. Cassius Dio and Marcus Velleius Paterculus
says that when her youngest child, Julia, was sent into exile for adultery
and treason
, she requested that she be allowed to accompany her.
When Emperor Tiberius
came into power, he separated Scribonia from her daughter, and allegedly starved Julia to death. When Scribonia died is unknown. It is mainly placed two years after Julia and Augustus. In Seneca
, she is mentioned as being alive and in full possession of her wits as late as the end of 16 when she tried to convince her nephew Marcus Scribonius Libo
not to commit suicide and face his punishment.
Scribonia's image as a shrew most likely is the product of propaganda
to divert the potentially scandalous circumstances of her divorce from Augustus
. Seneca
describes her as a gravis femina; gravis meaning “dignified” and “severe”. Modern scholars are divided on her character; while some describe her as "tiresome" and "morose" most others view her as an ideal example of a Roman matron as she clearly had the "composure" and "calmness" to look after depressed and suicidal characters such as her daughter and nephew. Sextus Propertius
praises her motherhood referring to her as "sweet mother Scribonia" in Cornelia Scipio's funeral elegy in 16 BC.
Her great-great-grandson, Marcus Junius Silanus Torquatus, was born during her lifetime.
In Betray the Night by Benita Kane Jaro, Scribonia is portrayed as an elderly woman of great strength and personal distinction and courage, who all her life, in spite of the handicaps imposed on women, has been an important player in the factional and family politics of the Augustan period.
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...
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 the mother of his only natural child, Julia the Elder
Julia the Elder
Julia the Elder , known to her contemporaries as Julia Caesaris filia or Julia Augusti filia was the daughter and only biological child of Augustus, the first emperor of the Roman Empire. Augustus subsequently adopted several male members of his close family as sons...
. She was the mother-in-law of the Emperor 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...
, great-grandmother of the Emperor Caligula
Caligula
Caligula , also known as Gaius, was Roman Emperor from 37 AD to 41 AD. Caligula was a member of the house of rulers conventionally known as the Julio-Claudian dynasty. Caligula's father Germanicus, the nephew and adopted son of Emperor Tiberius, was a very successful general and one of Rome's most...
and Empress Agrippina the Younger
Agrippina the Younger
Julia Agrippina, most commonly referred to as Agrippina Minor or Agrippina the Younger, and after 50 known as Julia Augusta Agrippina was a Roman Empress and one of the more prominent women in the Julio-Claudian dynasty...
, grandmother-in-law of 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...
, and great-great grandmother of the Emperor Nero
Nero
Nero , was Roman Emperor from 54 to 68, and the last in the Julio-Claudian dynasty. Nero was adopted by his great-uncle Claudius to become his heir and successor, and succeeded to the throne in 54 following Claudius' death....
.
Life
Scribonia was the daughter of a Lucius Scribonius LiboLucius Scribonius Libo
Several men of plebeian status were named Lucius Scribonius Libo during the Roman Republic and Roman Empire; they were members of the gens Scribonia.-L. Scribonius Libo :...
(most likely the 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 80 BC). Her brother of the same name 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...
and died in 34 BC. The name of her mother was Sentia. According to Suetonius
Lives of the Twelve Caesars
De vita Caesarum commonly known as The Twelve Caesars, is a set of twelve biographies of Julius Caesar and the first 11 emperors of the Roman Empire written by Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus.The work, written in AD 121 during the reign of the emperor Hadrian, was the most popular work of Suetonius,...
, Scribonia's first two marriages were to former consuls. Her first husband is unknown, although it had been suggested that he was Gnaeus Cornelius Lentulus Marcellinus
Gnaeus Cornelius Lentulus Marcellinus
Gnaeus Cornelius Lentulus Marcellinus was a Roman statesman and consul of 56 BC. He was married at least twice. His first wife is unknown but his second wife was probably Scribonia, at least twenty years his junior, who later became the second wife of Augustus.He was the father of Lentulus...
(consul 56 BC), as there is an inscription that refers to freedmen (post 39 BC) of Scribonia and her son Cornelius Marcellinus, indicating that she had a son from her previous marriage and that he was living with her after she divorced her third husband. He may have died young and ignored by historians. Her second husband perhaps was Publius Cornelius Scipio Salvito
Publius Cornelius Scipio Salvito
Publius Cornelius Scipio ‘Salvito’ was a consul who lived in the late Roman Republic. He was a member of the Cornelia gens and a relative of Scipio Africanus, the Roman general who defeated Hannibal....
, a supporter of Pompey
Pompey
Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus, also known as Pompey or Pompey the Great , was a military and political leader of the late Roman Republic...
. They had a daughter Cornelia Scipio
Cornelia Scipio
Cornelia was the daughter of Scribonia and consul Publius Cornelius Scipio Salvito. She was married twice. Her first husband was Sextus Julius Caesar III. Together they had one son born in 32 BC, named Sextus Julius Caesar IV. Her second husband was the censor Lucius Aemilius Paullus, with whom...
who married the censor Lucius Aemilius Paullus. Scribonia may have also been the mother to Publius Cornelius Scipio
Publius Cornelius Scipio (consul 16 BC)
Publius Cornelius Scipio was the son of Publius Cornelius Scipio Salvito and Scribonia. He was elder brother to Cornelia Scipio and the elder half-brother to Julia the Elder, who was the daughter of Emperor Augustus. Scipio claimed to be a descendent of Scipio Africanus and boasted himself about...
, consul in 16 BC.
In 40 BC Scribonia was forced to divorce her husband and marry Octavian
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...
, who was younger than she was by several years. Octavian in turn divorced his wife 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....
, marrying Scribonia to cement a political alliance with her niece Scribonia's husband Sextus Pompey. Their daughter Julia the Elder
Julia the Elder
Julia the Elder , known to her contemporaries as Julia Caesaris filia or Julia Augusti filia was the daughter and only biological child of Augustus, the first emperor of the Roman Empire. Augustus subsequently adopted several male members of his close family as sons...
was born in 39 BC, probably in October, and on that very same day Octavian divorced her. Their marriage had not been a happy one; Octavian felt she nagged him too much. She never remarried. Cassius Dio and Marcus Velleius Paterculus
Marcus Velleius Paterculus
Marcus Velleius Paterculus was a Roman historian, also known simply as Velleius. Although his praenomen is given as Marcus by Priscian, some modern scholars identify him with Gaius Velleius Paterculus, whose name occurs in an inscription on a north African milestone .-Biography:Paterculus belonged...
says that when her youngest child, Julia, was sent into exile for adultery
Adultery
Adultery is sexual infidelity to one's spouse, and is a form of extramarital sex. It originally referred only to sex between a woman who was married and a person other than her spouse. Even in cases of separation from one's spouse, an extramarital affair is still considered adultery.Adultery is...
and 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...
, she requested that she be allowed to accompany her.
When Emperor 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...
came into power, he separated Scribonia from her daughter, and allegedly starved Julia to death. When Scribonia died is unknown. It is mainly placed two years after Julia and Augustus. In Seneca
Seneca the Younger
Lucius Annaeus Seneca was a Roman Stoic philosopher, statesman, dramatist, and in one work humorist, of the Silver Age of Latin literature. He was tutor and later advisor to emperor Nero...
, she is mentioned as being alive and in full possession of her wits as late as the end of 16 when she tried to convince her nephew Marcus Scribonius Libo
Marcus Scribonius Libo
Marcus Scribonius Libo Drusus was a younger son of the consul Lucius Scribonius Libo by his wife who was a member of the gens Sulpicius, the family that the Roman Emperor Galba, had descended from his paternal side. Marcus was a fatuous man, who had tastes for absurdities.Along with his brother...
not to commit suicide and face his punishment.
Scribonia's image as a shrew most likely is the product of propaganda
Propaganda
Propaganda is a form of communication that is aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position so as to benefit oneself or one's group....
to divert the potentially scandalous circumstances of her divorce from 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...
. Seneca
Seneca the Younger
Lucius Annaeus Seneca was a Roman Stoic philosopher, statesman, dramatist, and in one work humorist, of the Silver Age of Latin literature. He was tutor and later advisor to emperor Nero...
describes her as a gravis femina; gravis meaning “dignified” and “severe”. Modern scholars are divided on her character; while some describe her as "tiresome" and "morose" most others view her as an ideal example of a Roman matron as she clearly had the "composure" and "calmness" to look after depressed and suicidal characters such as her daughter and nephew. Sextus Propertius
Sextus Propertius
Sextus Aurelius Propertius was a Latin elegiac poet of the Augustan age. He was born around 50–45 BC in Assisium and died shortly after 15 BC.Propertius' surviving work comprises four books of Elegies...
praises her motherhood referring to her as "sweet mother Scribonia" in Cornelia Scipio's funeral elegy in 16 BC.
Marriages and issues
- Her first husband, Gnaeus Cornelius Lentulus MarcellinusGnaeus Cornelius Lentulus MarcellinusGnaeus Cornelius Lentulus Marcellinus was a Roman statesman and consul of 56 BC. He was married at least twice. His first wife is unknown but his second wife was probably Scribonia, at least twenty years his junior, who later became the second wife of Augustus.He was the father of Lentulus...
(?)- Cornelius Marcellinus
- Her second husband, Publius Cornelius Scipio SalvitoPublius Cornelius Scipio SalvitoPublius Cornelius Scipio ‘Salvito’ was a consul who lived in the late Roman Republic. He was a member of the Cornelia gens and a relative of Scipio Africanus, the Roman general who defeated Hannibal....
(?)- Publius Cornelius ScipioPublius Cornelius Scipio (consul 16 BC)Publius Cornelius Scipio was the son of Publius Cornelius Scipio Salvito and Scribonia. He was elder brother to Cornelia Scipio and the elder half-brother to Julia the Elder, who was the daughter of Emperor Augustus. Scipio claimed to be a descendent of Scipio Africanus and boasted himself about...
(consul of 16 BC) (?) - Cornelia ScipioCornelia ScipioCornelia was the daughter of Scribonia and consul Publius Cornelius Scipio Salvito. She was married twice. Her first husband was Sextus Julius Caesar III. Together they had one son born in 32 BC, named Sextus Julius Caesar IV. Her second husband was the censor Lucius Aemilius Paullus, with whom...
- Publius Cornelius Scipio
- Her third husband, AugustusAugustusAugustus ;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...
- Julia the ElderJulia the ElderJulia the Elder , known to her contemporaries as Julia Caesaris filia or Julia Augusti filia was the daughter and only biological child of Augustus, the first emperor of the Roman Empire. Augustus subsequently adopted several male members of his close family as sons...
(wife of AgrippaMarcus Vipsanius AgrippaMarcus 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 TiberiusTiberiusTiberius , 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...
)
- Julia the Elder
Her great-great-grandson, Marcus Junius Silanus Torquatus, was born during her lifetime.
Literature
- Scribonia is mentioned in Robert GravesRobert GravesRobert von Ranke Graves 24 July 1895 – 7 December 1985 was an English poet, translator and novelist. During his long life he produced more than 140 works...
's novel I, ClaudiusI, ClaudiusI, Claudius is a novel by English writer Robert Graves, written in the form of an autobiography of the Roman Emperor Claudius. As such, it includes history of the Julio-Claudian Dynasty and Roman Empire, from Julius Caesar's assassination in 44 BC to Caligula's assassination in AD 41...
when he recalls Julia's birth and later when Julia is exiled. He describes her as a good, moderate and generally kind Roman matron. She is forbidden to see Julia and is only allowed to be with her once she is exiled. Livia convinces Augustus that Scribonia has been unfaithful to him causing him to divorce her faster than he cared to. Evidently Augustus believed she was innocent, as he kept Julia. Graves places Scribonia's death at least two years prior to when it is traditionally placed.
- Scribonia occurs several times in Augustus by Allan MassieAllan MassieAllan Massie is a well-known Scottish journalist, sports writer and novelist.-Early life:Born in 1938 in Singapore, where his father was a rubber planter for Sime Darby, Massie spent his childhood in Aberdeenshire...
. Allan Massie portrays her stereotypically, being ugly, gap-toothed and fat. The novel suggests that Julia got her personality from Scribonia rather than Augustus as historians tend to claim.
- Scribonia plays a major role in the novel Caesar's DaughterCaesar's DaughterCaesar's Daughter ISBN 0-7541-0493-1 a 1999 novel by Edward Burton centred on Julia Caesaris, the daughter of Augustus. The novel is set in 1st century BC Rome and focuses on how rumours can elevate into something more than they really are, as the result of gossip...
by Edward Burton, trying to aid Julia in her daily life. She is a very politically aware woman, with detailed information gathering and she plays patroness to many poets such as HoraceHoraceQuintus Horatius Flaccus , known in the English-speaking world as Horace, was the leading Roman lyric poet during the time of Augustus.-Life:...
and OvidOvidPublius Ovidius Naso , known as Ovid in the English-speaking world, was a Roman poet who is best known as the author of the three major collections of erotic poetry: Heroides, Amores, and Ars Amatoria...
as well as being very popular with the people of Rome. Despite their differences, Augustus respects her.
- Scribonia is mentioned in I Loved TiberiusI Loved TiberiusJeg elsket Tiberius is a 1959 romance novel by Elisabeth Dored. It was first translated into English by Naomi Walford in Great Britain by Methuen and United States by Pantheon Books in 1963 under the name I Loved Tiberius. The novel was written as a careful reappraisal of the contemporary sources,...
by Elisabeth Dored. Augustus' reign is portrayed as a dictatorship and Scribonia is portrayed as a pretty, gentle, sensitive, warm and steadfast woman made a victim of her husband's cruelty but eventually makes herself a martyrMartyrA martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
for her daughter, Julia.
- She also is shown in Antony and Cleopatra by Colleen McCulloughColleen McCulloughColleen 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...
. Scribonia is described a beautiful, kind and sensible. She remains friends with Octavia following her divorce and, contrary to historians' accounts, is allowed to raise Julia herself. Augustus orders that Julia be educated in the manner of a man, rather than a woman.
- Scribonia is mentioned in the book Cleopatra's Daughter (2009), by Michelle MoranMichelle MoranMichelle Moran is an American novelist. She was born in California's San Fernando Valley. She took an interest in writing from an early age, purchasing Writer's Market and submitting her stories and novellas to publishers from the time she was twelve...
. In the single scene she is in she is at a theater, watching her daughter, Julia, from afar because after her divorce they were not allowed to see each other.
In Betray the Night by Benita Kane Jaro, Scribonia is portrayed as an elderly woman of great strength and personal distinction and courage, who all her life, in spite of the handicaps imposed on women, has been an important player in the factional and family politics of the Augustan period.
Drama
- Scribonia in Imperium: AugustusImperium: AugustusImperium: Augustus is a 2003 joint British-Italian production, and part of the Imperium series. It tells of the life story of Octavian and how he became Augustus...
is only a few years older than Augustus, and he marries her for her money to pay his armies. Maecenas describes her as being "lovely" and "charming". Julia is loyal to Scribonia blaming Augustus for treating her badly and using her just to get a baby. However, Augustus claims he loved Scribonia in his own way because she gave him Julia.