Atilia (sometimes spelt Attilia) was the first wife of

Marcus Porcius Cato Uticensis Marcus Porcius Cato "Uticensis" ("of Utica"; ; 95 BC – April 46 BC), also known as Cato the Younger ( la, Cato Minor), was an influential conservative Roman senator during the late Republic. His conservative principles were focused on the ...

and mother of his two eldest children.

Biography

Early life

It is not known for certain who Atilia's father was, but he was from the Atilii Serrani. He may have been

Gaius Atilius Serranus Gaius Atilius Serranus (c. 149 – 87 BC) was a Roman senator, who served as consul in 106 BC as the colleague of Quintus Servilius Caepio. Career Although noted by Cicero as being a "a most stupid man" (), he managed to defeat Quintus Lutatius ...

the consul of 106 BC, or Gaius' son.

Marriage

Cato married Atilia c. 73 BC, after his intended wife,

Aemilia Lepida Aemilia Lepida is the name of several ancient Roman women belonging to the ''gens Aemilia''. The name was given to daughters of men belonging to the Lepidus branch of the Aemilius family. The first Aemilia Lepida to be mentioned by Roman historian ...

married

Quintus Caecilius Metellus Pius Scipio Nasica Quintus Caecilius Metellus Pius Scipio (c. 95 – 46 BC), often referred to as Metellus Scipio, was a Roman senator and military commander. During the civil war between Julius Caesar and the senatorial faction led by Pompey, he was a staunch supp ...

. In the words of Plutarch: :

tilia ''Tilia'' is a genus of about 30 species of trees or bushes, native throughout most of the temperateness, temperate Northern Hemisphere. The tree is known as linden for the European species, and basswood for North American species. In Britain a ...

was the first woman with whom he made love, but not the only one, as was true of Laelius, the friend of

Scipio Africanus Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus (, , ; 236/235–183 BC) was a Roman general and statesman, most notable as one of the main architects of Rome's victory against Carthage in the Second Punic War. Often regarded as one of the best military com ...

; Laelius, indeed, was more fortunate, since in the course of his long life he only ever made love to one woman, the wife of his youth. Cato and Atilia had a son

Marcus Porcius Cato Marcus Porcius Cato can refer to: *Cato the Elder (consul 195 BC) *Cato the Younger (praetor 54 BC) *Marcus Porcius Cato (consul 118 BC) * Marcus Porcius Cato (consul 36) *Marcus Porcius Cato (father of Cato the Younger) *Marcus Porcius C ...

, who later died in the second

Battle of Philippi The Battle of Philippi was the final battle in the Wars of the Second Triumvirate between the forces of Mark Antony and Octavian (of the Second Triumvirate) and the leaders of Julius Caesar's assassination, Brutus and Cassius in 42 BC, at P ...

, and a daughter Porcia, who became the wife of her cousin

Marcus Junius Brutus Marcus Junius Brutus (; ; 85 BC – 23 October 42 BC), often referred to simply as Brutus, was a Roman politician, orator, and the most famous of the assassins of Julius Caesar. After being adopted by a relative, he used the name Quintus Serv ...

. Circa 63 BC, Cato divorced Atilia on the grounds of her unseemly behaviour, later marrying Marcia.Plutarch, ''Cato the Younger'', 24-25 Atilia is not mentioned again.

Family tree

Notes

1st-century BC Roman women 1st-century BC Romans Atilii Cato the Younger {{AncientRome-bio-stub