Paulina or Paullina (, ) was a name shared by three relatives of the Roman Emperor

Hadrian Hadrian (; la, Caesar Trâiānus Hadriānus ; 24 January 76 – 10 July 138) was Roman emperor from 117 to 138. He was born in Italica (close to modern Santiponce in Spain), a Roman ''municipium'' founded by Italic settlers in Hispania B ...

: his mother, his elder sister and his niece.

Mother of Hadrian

Domitia Paulina or Paullina, Domitia Paulina Major or Paulina Major, (''Major'' Latin for ''the elder''), also known as Paulina the Elder (?-85/86). Paulina was a Roman woman born in Spain who lived in the 1st century. She was a daughter of a distinguished senatorial family. Paulina originally came from Gades (modern

Cádiz Cádiz (, , ) is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the Province of Cádiz, one of eight that make up the autonomous community of Andalusia. Cádiz, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Western Europe, ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

). Gades was one of the wealthiest Roman cities. Little is known of the life of Paulina. She may have been related to Domitia Lucilla the grandmother of

Marcus Aurelius Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (Latin: áːɾkus̠ auɾέːli.us̠ antɔ́ːni.us̠ English: ; 26 April 121 – 17 March 180) was Roman emperor from 161 to 180 AD and a Stoic philosopher. He was the last of the rulers known as the Five Good ...

. G. Di Vita-Evard speculated that they might have been half-sisters. Paulina married Spanish Roman

Publius Aelius Hadrianus Afer Publius Aelius Hadrianus Afer was a distinguished and wealthy Roman senator and soldier who lived in the Roman Empire during the 1st century. Hadrianus Afer was originally from Hispania and was of Roman descent. He was born and raised in the cit ...

, a

praetor Praetor ( , ), also pretor, was the title granted by the government of Ancient Rome to a man acting in one of two official capacities: (i) the commander of an army, and (ii) as an elected '' magistratus'' (magistrate), assigned to discharge vario ...

who was a paternal cousin of Roman Emperor

Trajan Trajan ( ; la, Caesar Nerva Traianus; 18 September 539/11 August 117) was Roman emperor from 98 to 117. Officially declared ''optimus princeps'' ("best ruler") by the senate, Trajan is remembered as a successful soldier-emperor who presi ...

. Paulina and Afer had two children, a daughter Aelia Domitia Paulina (75-130) and a son emperor Publius Aelius Hadrianus (76-138). Around 85/86 Paulina died of unknown causes, before her husband. After the death of her husband, her children were raised by Trajan and the Roman officer

Publius Acilius Attianus Publius Acilius Attianus (1st – 2nd century AD) was a powerful Roman official who played a significant, though obscured, role in the transfer of power from Trajan to Hadrian. Life He was born in Italica, Hispania Baetica, which was also th ...

Sister of Hadrian

Aelia Domitia Paulina or Paullina or Domitia Paulina Minor (''Minor'' Latin for ''the younger'') also known as Paulina the Younger (early 75–130). The younger Paulina was the eldest child and only daughter to Domitia Paulina and

. She was Hadrian's eldest sister and only sibling. She was born in Spain, but was of Italic descent. She was most probably born and raised in

Italica Italica ( es, Itálica) was a Roman town founded by Italic settlers in Hispania; its site is close to the town of Santiponce, part of the province of Seville in modern-day Spain. It was founded in 206 BC by Roman general Scipio as a settleme ...

(a city near modern

Seville Seville (; es, Sevilla, ) is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the River Guadalquivir, in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula ...

) in the Roman province of

Hispania Baetica Hispania Baetica, often abbreviated Baetica, was one of three Roman provinces in Hispania (the Iberian Peninsula). Baetica was bordered to the west by Lusitania, and to the northeast by Hispania Tarraconensis. Baetica remained one of the basic ...

. When her parents died around 86, she and her brother were raised by her father's paternal cousin, the Roman Emperor

, and Roman officer

. Before the accession of Trajan to the throne in 98, Trajan had arranged for her to marry the Spanish Roman politician

Lucius Julius Ursus Servianus Lucius Julius Ursus Servianus (45 – 136 AD) was an Iberian Roman politician. He was a prominent public figure in the reigns of Roman emperors Nerva, Trajan and Hadrian. He was the last private citizen to receive a third consulship; such honors ...

. During Trajan's reign 98–117, Paulina and Servianus had a daughter called Julia Serviana Paulina. Before Trajan's death in 117, Paulina and Servianus had arranged for their daughter Julia to marry the Spanish Roman Gnaeus Pedanius Fuscus Salinator, who was a man of consular rank. Julia and Salinator, in 118, had a son, a younger Gnaeus Pedanius Fuscus Salinator. When Paulina died, Servianus and Hadrian had a private ceremony for her. Hadrian was ridiculed for not granting her a full state funeral and

apotheosis Apotheosis (, ), also called divinization or deification (), is the glorification of a subject to divine levels and, commonly, the treatment of a human being, any other living thing, or an abstract idea in the likeness of a deity. The term has ...

until pressured to do so by the senate, but granting his companion

Antinous Antinous, also called Antinoös, (; grc-gre, Ἀντίνοος; 27 November – before 30 October 130) was a Greek youth from Bithynia and a favourite and probable lover of the Roman emperor Hadrian. Following his premature death before his ...

a sumptuous funeral with full divine honours.

Niece of Hadrian

Julia Serviana Paulina or Paullina also known as Julia Paulina was the daughter and only child to Spanish Roman politician

and Aelia Domitia Paulina. Her maternal uncle was Roman Emperor

and maternal aunt-in-marriage was Roman Empress

Vibia Sabina Vibia Sabina (13 August 83–136/137) was a Roman Empress, wife and second cousin once removed to the Roman Emperor Hadrian. She was the daughter of Matidia (niece of Roman Emperor Trajan) and suffect consul Lucius Vibius Sabinus. Early life ...

. She was born at an unknown date during the reign of her third cousin emperor

, who reigned 98–117. Her birthplace is unknown. Before Trajan's death in 117, her parents arranged for her to marry the Roman senator Gnaeus Pedanius Fuscus Salinator, ordinary consul in 118. Roman senator

Pliny the Younger Gaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus, born Gaius Caecilius or Gaius Caecilius Cilo (61 – c. 113), better known as Pliny the Younger (), was a lawyer, author, and magistrate of Ancient Rome. Pliny's uncle, Pliny the Elder, helped raise and educate ...

sent a letter of congratulations to her parents regarding her wedding (''Epistulae'', VI.26). Her husband was originally from

Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...

(this was the Roman province of

Hispania Tarraconensis Hispania Tarraconensis was one of three Roman provinces in Hispania. It encompassed much of the northern, eastern and central territories of modern Spain along with modern northern Portugal. Southern Spain, the region now called Andalusia was the ...

). Salinator had the same name as his father and his father was a former consul. In 118, during Salinator's consulship, Julia and Salinator had a son, the younger Lucius Pedanius Fuscus Salinator. The elder Salinator and Julia seem to have died before 136. Julia's father had always cherished the idea that her youthful son would one day succeed Hadrian. The aging Emperor considered Julia's son as his heir. Hadrian promoted the young Salinator, gave him special status in his court and also groomed him for his succession. However, in 136, Hadrian changed his mind and decided to adopt

Lucius Aelius Caesar Lucius Aelius Caesar (13 January 101 – 1 January 138) was the father of Emperor Lucius Verus. In 136, he was adopted by Hadrian and named heir to the throne. He died before Hadrian and thus never became emperor. After Lucius' death, he was re ...

as his heir. Julia's father and son were angry with Hadrian and wanted to challenge him about the adoption. To avoid any conflict, Hadrian ordered the deaths of Julia's father and son.

References

{{Reflist

Sources

* ''Augustan History'': Hadrian
Hadrian (A.D. 117-138)

1st-century Romans 2nd-century Romans Romans from Hispania Nerva–Antonine dynasty Aelii Domitii

Paulina Paulina or Paullina (, ) was a name shared by three relatives of the Roman Emperor Hadrian: his mother, his elder sister and his niece. Mother of Hadrian Domitia Paulina or Paullina, Domitia Paulina Major or Paulina Major, (''Major'' Latin fo ...

Ancient Roman prosopographical lists of women