Ummidia Cornificia Faustina
Encyclopedia
Ummidia Cornificia Faustina (141
–182
) was a wealthy Roman noblewoman, an heiress and the niece of the Roman Emperor
Marcus Aurelius.
Cornificia Faustina was the daughter of Marcus Aurelius’ sister, Annia Cornificia Faustina
and the Roman Senator
who served as a suffect consul in 146, Gaius Ummidius Quadratus Annianus Verus. Cornificia Faustina had descended from one of the leading families in Rome. She was born and raised in Rome
. Through her mother, she was a member and a relative to the ruling Nerva–Antonine dynasty of the Roman Empire
. Her brother Marcus Ummidius Quadratus Annianus
served as one of the consuls in 167. Apart from her and her mother, Cornificia Faustina had another relative, who had the name Cornificia, her maternal cousin Annia Cornificia Faustina Minor
.
The mother of Cornificia Faustina had died sometime in 152-158. When her mother had died, Cornificia Faustina and her brother divided their mother’s property that they inherited. Through the inheritances of their parents, Cornificia Faustina and her brother had become very wealthy.
From her mother, Cornificia Faustina had inherited a great estate located in Pisidia
. This estate was one of a number of estates in Pisidia called the Cyllanian Estates. These estates were around from the time of the Roman Dictator of the Roman Republic
, Lucius Cornelius Sulla
(c. 138 BC
-78 BC
). The Cyllanian Estate properties were very large properties and her property inheritance was considered to be very large for the rank of Cornificia Faustina.
Little is mentioned in the Roman historical sources about Cornificia Faustina. What is known about her is mainly from the inscriptions, she has left behind in her Pisidian Estate. By 160, Cornificia Faustina had left Rome and had gone to live her estate in Pisidia. At that time, Cornificia Faustina had married an unnamed Roman Senator by whom she had a daughter called Annia Faustina
, who was born and raised there.
When Marcus Aurelius had died in 180, her maternal cousin Commodus
succeeded Marcus Aurelius as Roman Emperor. Commodus’ sister, Lucilla
was not happy living as a quiet, private citizen in Rome and became jealous of her brother and her sister-in-law because of all the attention that they received. Also she became very concerned due to the unstable behavior of her brother.
In 182, Lucilla, her daughter Plautia, her nephew-in-marriage and with the help of Quadratus Annianus, his adopted son and Cornificia Faustina had planned to assassinate Commodus and replace him with Lucilla and her second husband, the consul Tiberius Claudius Pompeianus
Quintianus, as the new rulers of Rome. Cornificia Faustina, her brother Quadratus Annianus and his adopted son were involved in Lucilla’s plot because the three may had a dynastic dispute with Commodus.
Lucilla’s nephew-in-marriage, Quintianus, burst from his place of hiding with a dagger, trying to stab Commodus. He said to him "Here is the dagger the senate sends to you", giving away his intentions before he had the chance to act. The guards were faster than he was. He was overpowered and disarmed without doing the emperor any harm.
Lucilla’s plot to kill Commodus failed. When the conspiracy was revealed, the emperor ordered the deaths of Quadratus Annianus, his adopted son and Quintianus. Commodus may have confiscated her brother’s property and fortune. Lucilla, her daughter and Cornificia Faustina were banished to the Italian island of Capri
. Later that year, the emperor sent a centurion to Capri to execute the three women.
Shortly before her death, Cornificia Faustina had an inscription engraved at the estate. Annia Faustina inherited her mother’s estate and fortune. Before 200, Annia Faustina had a posthumous honorific inscription dedicated to her late mother at the estate.
141
Year 141 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Severus and Stloga...
–182
182
Year 182 was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Sura and Rufus...
) was a wealthy Roman noblewoman, an heiress and the niece of the 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...
Marcus Aurelius.
Cornificia Faustina was the daughter of Marcus Aurelius’ sister, Annia Cornificia Faustina
Annia Cornificia Faustina
Annia Cornificia Faustina was the youngest child and only daughter to Praetor Marcus Annius Verus and Domitia Lucilla. The parents of Cornificia came from wealthy senatorial families who were of consular rank. She was born and raised in Rome. The brother of Cornificia was the future Roman Emperor...
and the Roman Senator
Roman 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...
who served as a suffect consul in 146, Gaius Ummidius Quadratus Annianus Verus. Cornificia Faustina had descended from one of the leading families in Rome. She was born and raised 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...
. Through her mother, she was a member and a relative to the ruling Nerva–Antonine dynasty of 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....
. Her brother Marcus Ummidius Quadratus Annianus
Marcus Ummidius Quadratus Annianus
Marcus Ummidius Quadratus Annianus was a wealthy Roman Politician and the nephew of the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius.Quadratus was the son of Marcus Aurelius’ sister, Annia Cornificia Faustina and the Roman Senator who served as a suffect consul in 146, Gaius Ummidius Quadratus Annianus Verus....
served as one of the consuls in 167. Apart from her and her mother, Cornificia Faustina had another relative, who had the name Cornificia, her maternal cousin Annia Cornificia Faustina Minor
Annia Cornificia Faustina Minor
Annia Cornificia Faustina Minor was a Roman princess and daughter of Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius and Roman Empress Faustina the Younger. She was sister to Roman Empress Lucilla and Roman Emperor Commodus...
.
The mother of Cornificia Faustina had died sometime in 152-158. When her mother had died, Cornificia Faustina and her brother divided their mother’s property that they inherited. Through the inheritances of their parents, Cornificia Faustina and her brother had become very wealthy.
From her mother, Cornificia Faustina had inherited a great estate located in Pisidia
Pisidia
Pisidia was a region of ancient Asia Minor located north of Lycia, and bordering Caria, Lydia, Phrygia and Pamphylia. It corresponds roughly to the modern-day province of Antalya in Turkey...
. This estate was one of a number of estates in Pisidia called the Cyllanian Estates. These estates were around from the time of the Roman Dictator of the Roman 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...
, Lucius Cornelius Sulla
Lucius Cornelius Sulla
Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix , known commonly as Sulla, was a Roman general and statesman. He had the rare distinction of holding the office of consul twice, as well as that of dictator...
(c. 138 BC
138 BC
Year 138 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Serapio and Callaicus...
-78 BC
78 BC
Year 78 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Lepidus and Catulus...
). The Cyllanian Estate properties were very large properties and her property inheritance was considered to be very large for the rank of Cornificia Faustina.
Little is mentioned in the Roman historical sources about Cornificia Faustina. What is known about her is mainly from the inscriptions, she has left behind in her Pisidian Estate. By 160, Cornificia Faustina had left Rome and had gone to live her estate in Pisidia. At that time, Cornificia Faustina had married an unnamed Roman Senator by whom she had a daughter called Annia Faustina
Annia Faustina (daughter of Ummidia Cornificia Faustina)
Annia Faustina was a noblewoman of Anatolian Roman descent and a wealthy heiress who lived in the Roman Empire.Annia Faustina was the daughter and only child of the wealthy Roman heiress Ummidia Cornificia Faustina by an unnamed Roman Senator. The full name of Annia Faustina is unknown...
, who was born and raised there.
When Marcus Aurelius had died in 180, her maternal cousin Commodus
Commodus
Commodus , was Roman Emperor from 180 to 192. He also ruled as co-emperor with his father Marcus Aurelius from 177 until his father's death in 180. His name changed throughout his reign; see changes of name for earlier and later forms. His accession as emperor was the first time a son had succeeded...
succeeded Marcus Aurelius as Roman Emperor. Commodus’ sister, Lucilla
Lucilla
Annia Aurelia Galeria Lucilla or Lucilla was the second daughter and third child of Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius and Roman Empress Faustina the Younger and an elder sister to future Roman Emperor Commodus....
was not happy living as a quiet, private citizen in Rome and became jealous of her brother and her sister-in-law because of all the attention that they received. Also she became very concerned due to the unstable behavior of her brother.
In 182, Lucilla, her daughter Plautia, her nephew-in-marriage and with the help of Quadratus Annianus, his adopted son and Cornificia Faustina had planned to assassinate Commodus and replace him with Lucilla and her second husband, the consul Tiberius Claudius Pompeianus
Claudius Pompeianus
Tiberius Claudius Pompeianus was a Roman general of emperor Marcus Aurelius. He married Aurelius' daughter Lucilla and rose to the rank of senior senator in Rome before twice refusing emperorship for himself....
Quintianus, as the new rulers of Rome. Cornificia Faustina, her brother Quadratus Annianus and his adopted son were involved in Lucilla’s plot because the three may had a dynastic dispute with Commodus.
Lucilla’s nephew-in-marriage, Quintianus, burst from his place of hiding with a dagger, trying to stab Commodus. He said to him "Here is the dagger the senate sends to you", giving away his intentions before he had the chance to act. The guards were faster than he was. He was overpowered and disarmed without doing the emperor any harm.
Lucilla’s plot to kill Commodus failed. When the conspiracy was revealed, the emperor ordered the deaths of Quadratus Annianus, his adopted son and Quintianus. Commodus may have confiscated her brother’s property and fortune. Lucilla, her daughter and Cornificia Faustina were banished to the Italian island of Capri
Capri
Capri is an Italian island in the Tyrrhenian Sea off the Sorrentine Peninsula, on the south side of the Gulf of Naples, in the Campania region of Southern Italy...
. Later that year, the emperor sent a centurion to Capri to execute the three women.
Shortly before her death, Cornificia Faustina had an inscription engraved at the estate. Annia Faustina inherited her mother’s estate and fortune. Before 200, Annia Faustina had a posthumous honorific inscription dedicated to her late mother at the estate.
Sources
- Marcus Aurelius, by Anthony Richard Birley, Routledge, 2000
- The Cities and Bishoprics of Phyrgia: Being an Essay of the Local History of Phrygia from the Earliest Times to the Turkish Conquest Volume One, Part One - By William M. Ramsay 2004
- Roman Emperors
- http://www.roman-empire.net/highpoint/commodus.html