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EspañolSERVILIA CAEPIONIS
'Servilia Caepionis' (b. c.107 BC - d. after 42 BC) is one of the few Roman women cited by ancient sources, mainly due to her being the mistress of Julius Caesar, mother of his assassin Marcus Junius Brutus, and half-sister of Cato the Younger.
Little is known of Servilia's early life. She was of patrician who could trace her line back to Servilius Ahala[1], and was the eldest child of Livia Drusa and Quintus Servilius Caepio the Younger. Her parents had two other children, Servilia the younger and a younger Quintus Servilius Caepio. Her parents divorced when she was young and her mother remarried Marcus Porcius Cato (who was father to Servilia's younger half-brother Cato the Younger.) Following her parents' divorce both her mother and stepfather died. Servilia and her younger siblings were brought up in the house of their maternal uncle, Marcus Livius Drusus who was the tribune. He too, however, died when she was 9.
Prior to 85 BC, she was married to Marcus Junius Brutus the Elder who was tribune of the plebs in 83 BC, founder of the colony in Capua. They only had one known child, Marcus Junius Brutus, born around 85 BC. Following the death of Lucius Cornelius Sulla who had been dictator in 79 BC but had resigned a year later, the elder Brutus was killed by Pompey after the surrender of Mutina where he had fought him in 77 BC.[2][3][4] Servilia's second marriage was with Decimus Junius Silanus with whom she had three daughters; Junia Prima, Junia Secunda and Junia Tertia.
Before 64 BC she became the mistress of Julius Caesar, and remained so until his death in 44 BC. Caesar was very fond of Servilia and, years later, when he returned to a chaotic Rome after the Gallic Wars, he offered her a priceless black pearl. It is also said that he offered him her youngest daughter Junia Tertia once his interests began to warn.[5] Cicero wittily remarked: "It's a better bargain than you think, for there is a third off [in Latin, Tertia - a pun on her daughter Junia Tertia ]." There were also rumours that Junia Tertia was Caesar's daughter, it is unlikely both rumours could be true at once. There were also rumours that Servilia's son Brutus was in fact Caesar's son[6] but this is unlikely as Caesar was only fifteen years older than Brutus. During a debate in the Senate over Catilina in 63 BC someone handed Caesar a letter. Cato and Caesar were on opposing sides in the debate; when Cato demanded to see the letter he discovered that it was a love letter written by his sister to Caesar.[7] However, Servilia still had influence over both Cato and her son, Brutus.
In 50 BC civil war broke out and despite Servilia's relationship with Caesar, Cato sided with Pompey the Great, leaving Rome. Although Brutus resented Pompey for the death of his father, he went too. In 48 BC Pompey was defeated in the battle of Pharsalus. Caesar gave orders to his officers not to harm Brutus if they saw him in battle, probably out of respect for Servilia.[8] In 46 BC Caesar defeated Cato at the battle of Thapsus, and Cato took his own life.
Following the death of his uncle, although he was given high honour by Caesar, Brutus divorced his first wife [9] and married his cousin Porcia Catonis, Cato's daughter, in 45 BC. According to Cicero, Servilia appears to have deeply resented the marriage as it caused a semi-scandal.[10] She also resented Porcia as she was jealous of the affection Brutus had for her.[11] It may have been through Porcia's influence that Brutus decided to attack Caesar in 44 BC[12], in which he and several other senators plotted to and assassinated Caesar.
After the assassination of Caesar by her son Brutus (and her son-in-law Cassius), the conspirators met at Servilia's house. Despite this, she herself escaped the purges of the second triumvirate unscathed. After Brutus's death she lived out the remainder of her life in relative comfort and affluence under the care of Cicero's friend Titus Pomponius Atticus. Her son's ashes were sent to her from Philippi and she died naturally, as did her youngest daughter Junia Tertia. Porcia, on the other hand, took her own life after hearing of Brutus' death.
★ Marcus Junius Brutus the Elder
★
★ Marcus Junius Brutus
★ Decimus Junius Silanus, the consul of 62 BC
★
★ Junia Prima
★
★ Junia Secunda (married Marcus Aemilius Lepidus, the future triumvir of the Second Triumvirate)
★
★ Junia Tertia (married Gaius Cassius, another prominent assassin of Julius Caesar.)
★ A fictionalised Servilia appeared in the 2005 television series ''Rome'', played by Lindsay Duncan.
★ An even more fictionalised Servilia makes an appearance in the 2005 six-part mini series ''Empire'', played by Trudie Styler.
★ A very fictionalized Servilia appears in ''The Gates Of Rome'', by Conn Iggulden.
★ A historically accurate Servilia appears in Colleen McCullough's novel ''Caesar's Women'', a part of her Masters of Rome Series.[13]
★ Suetonius, ''★ class=wikiexternal target=_blank>.html Julius Caesar'' 50
★ Plutarch, ''★ class=wikiexternal target=_blank>.html Cato the Younger'', ''★ class=wikiexternal target=_blank>.html Brutus''
★ Appian, ''Civil Wars''
★ Cicero, ''Letters'' F 12.7, A 14.21, A 15.11, A 15.12
★ Cornelius Nepos, ''Atticus''
1. Plut. Bru. 1,5.
2. Plut. Pomp. 16
3. Appian, B. C. ii. Ill
4. Liv. Epit 90.
5. Suet. Caesar. 50.2
6. Plut, Bru., 5.2.
7. Plut. Cato. 24,1
8. Plutarch, ''Life of Brutus'', 5.1.
9. Cic. ad Fam. iii. 4.
10. Cic. Att. 13. 16
11. Cic. Att. 13. 22
12. Dio. 44.13.1.
13. Caesar's Women, , Colleen, McCullough, Avon, , ISBN 978-0380710843
★ The interesting family connections of Servilia Caepionis
| Contents |
| Life |
| Marriages and issue |
| In popular culture |
| Sources |
| References |
| External links |
Life
Little is known of Servilia's early life. She was of patrician who could trace her line back to Servilius Ahala[1], and was the eldest child of Livia Drusa and Quintus Servilius Caepio the Younger. Her parents had two other children, Servilia the younger and a younger Quintus Servilius Caepio. Her parents divorced when she was young and her mother remarried Marcus Porcius Cato (who was father to Servilia's younger half-brother Cato the Younger.) Following her parents' divorce both her mother and stepfather died. Servilia and her younger siblings were brought up in the house of their maternal uncle, Marcus Livius Drusus who was the tribune. He too, however, died when she was 9.
Prior to 85 BC, she was married to Marcus Junius Brutus the Elder who was tribune of the plebs in 83 BC, founder of the colony in Capua. They only had one known child, Marcus Junius Brutus, born around 85 BC. Following the death of Lucius Cornelius Sulla who had been dictator in 79 BC but had resigned a year later, the elder Brutus was killed by Pompey after the surrender of Mutina where he had fought him in 77 BC.[2][3][4] Servilia's second marriage was with Decimus Junius Silanus with whom she had three daughters; Junia Prima, Junia Secunda and Junia Tertia.
Before 64 BC she became the mistress of Julius Caesar, and remained so until his death in 44 BC. Caesar was very fond of Servilia and, years later, when he returned to a chaotic Rome after the Gallic Wars, he offered her a priceless black pearl. It is also said that he offered him her youngest daughter Junia Tertia once his interests began to warn.[5] Cicero wittily remarked: "It's a better bargain than you think, for there is a third off [in Latin, Tertia - a pun on her daughter Junia Tertia ]." There were also rumours that Junia Tertia was Caesar's daughter, it is unlikely both rumours could be true at once. There were also rumours that Servilia's son Brutus was in fact Caesar's son[6] but this is unlikely as Caesar was only fifteen years older than Brutus. During a debate in the Senate over Catilina in 63 BC someone handed Caesar a letter. Cato and Caesar were on opposing sides in the debate; when Cato demanded to see the letter he discovered that it was a love letter written by his sister to Caesar.[7] However, Servilia still had influence over both Cato and her son, Brutus.
In 50 BC civil war broke out and despite Servilia's relationship with Caesar, Cato sided with Pompey the Great, leaving Rome. Although Brutus resented Pompey for the death of his father, he went too. In 48 BC Pompey was defeated in the battle of Pharsalus. Caesar gave orders to his officers not to harm Brutus if they saw him in battle, probably out of respect for Servilia.[8] In 46 BC Caesar defeated Cato at the battle of Thapsus, and Cato took his own life.
Following the death of his uncle, although he was given high honour by Caesar, Brutus divorced his first wife [9] and married his cousin Porcia Catonis, Cato's daughter, in 45 BC. According to Cicero, Servilia appears to have deeply resented the marriage as it caused a semi-scandal.[10] She also resented Porcia as she was jealous of the affection Brutus had for her.[11] It may have been through Porcia's influence that Brutus decided to attack Caesar in 44 BC[12], in which he and several other senators plotted to and assassinated Caesar.
After the assassination of Caesar by her son Brutus (and her son-in-law Cassius), the conspirators met at Servilia's house. Despite this, she herself escaped the purges of the second triumvirate unscathed. After Brutus's death she lived out the remainder of her life in relative comfort and affluence under the care of Cicero's friend Titus Pomponius Atticus. Her son's ashes were sent to her from Philippi and she died naturally, as did her youngest daughter Junia Tertia. Porcia, on the other hand, took her own life after hearing of Brutus' death.
Marriages and issue
★ Marcus Junius Brutus the Elder
★
★ Marcus Junius Brutus
★ Decimus Junius Silanus, the consul of 62 BC
★
★ Junia Prima
★
★ Junia Secunda (married Marcus Aemilius Lepidus, the future triumvir of the Second Triumvirate)
★
★ Junia Tertia (married Gaius Cassius, another prominent assassin of Julius Caesar.)
In popular culture
★ A fictionalised Servilia appeared in the 2005 television series ''Rome'', played by Lindsay Duncan.
★ An even more fictionalised Servilia makes an appearance in the 2005 six-part mini series ''Empire'', played by Trudie Styler.
★ A very fictionalized Servilia appears in ''The Gates Of Rome'', by Conn Iggulden.
★ A historically accurate Servilia appears in Colleen McCullough's novel ''Caesar's Women'', a part of her Masters of Rome Series.[13]
Sources
★ Suetonius, ''★ class=wikiexternal target=_blank>.html Julius Caesar'' 50
★ Plutarch, ''★ class=wikiexternal target=_blank>.html Cato the Younger'', ''★ class=wikiexternal target=_blank>.html Brutus''
★ Appian, ''Civil Wars''
★ Cicero, ''Letters'' F 12.7, A 14.21, A 15.11, A 15.12
★ Cornelius Nepos, ''Atticus''
References
1. Plut. Bru. 1,5.
2. Plut. Pomp. 16
3. Appian, B. C. ii. Ill
4. Liv. Epit 90.
5. Suet. Caesar. 50.2
6. Plut, Bru., 5.2.
7. Plut. Cato. 24,1
8. Plutarch, ''Life of Brutus'', 5.1.
9. Cic. ad Fam. iii. 4.
10. Cic. Att. 13. 16
11. Cic. Att. 13. 22
12. Dio. 44.13.1.
13. Caesar's Women, , Colleen, McCullough, Avon, , ISBN 978-0380710843
External links
★ The interesting family connections of Servilia Caepionis
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