Servilia was the wife of
Quintus Lutatius Catulus
Quintus Lutatius Catulus (149–87 BC) was a consul of the Roman Republic in 102 BC. His consular colleague was Gaius Marius. During their consulship the Cimbri and Teutones marched south again and threatened the Republic. While Marius marched ag ...
, the consul during 102 BC. She was of the patrician
Caepione branch of the
Servilia gens
The gens Servilia was a patrician family at ancient Rome. The gens was celebrated during the early ages of the Republic, and the names of few gentes appear more frequently at this period in the consular Fasti. It continued to produce men of influ ...
.
Biography
Early life
Servilia was most likely the daughter and oldest child of
Quintus Servilius Caepio the consul of 106 BC. She was the sister of another
Quintus Servilius Caepio and
Servilia, the wife of
Marcus Livius Drusus.
Their mother is uncertain but was likely a
Caecilia Metella.
The historian
Edward Courtney identified her as
Cato the Younger
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 pr ...
's half-sister
Servilia, but this is unlikely. Yet another theory was by Brunt who believed her to be the sister of the consul of 106, but
Susan Treggiari
Susan Treggiari is an English scholar of Ancient Rome,[John Simon Guggenheim Memoria ...](_blank)
thinks this is less probable than her being his daughter.
[
]
Marriage
Servilia married Quintus Lutatius Catulus
Quintus Lutatius Catulus (149–87 BC) was a consul of the Roman Republic in 102 BC. His consular colleague was Gaius Marius. During their consulship the Cimbri and Teutones marched south again and threatened the Republic. While Marius marched ag ...
and they had at least one child, a daughter named Lutatia who married the orator Quintus Hortensius
Quintus Hortensius Hortalus (114–50 BC) was a famous Roman lawyer, a renowned orator and a statesman. Politically he belonged to the Optimates. He was consul in 69 BC alongside Quintus Caecilius Metellus Creticus. His nickname was ''Dionysia'', ...
, she also became the step-mother of his son Quintus Lutatius Catulus Capitolinus
Quintus Lutatius Catulus Capitolinus (c. 121 – 61 BC) was a politician in the late Roman Republic. His father was the like-named Quintus Lutatius Catulus, consul in 102 BC. He gained the agnomen "Capitolinus" for his defense of the capital in 77 ...
. In 105 BC her father is disgraced because of the Arausio disaster and forced into exile, Catulus divorces her and marries a woman named Claudia. It appears that Servilia lived with her son-in-law and daughter later in life.[ When governor ]Gaius Verres
Gaius Verres (c. 120–43 BC) was a Roman magistrate, notorious for his misgovernment of Sicily. His extortion of local farmers and plundering of temples led to his prosecution by Cicero, whose accusations were so devastating that his defence adv ...
was accused of abuse on the island of Sicily
(man) it, Siciliana (woman)
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his accuser Quintus Caecilius Dio
Quintus is a male given name derived from ''Quintus (praenomen), Quintus'', a common Latin language, Latin forename (''praenomen'') found in the culture of ancient Rome. Quintus derives from Latin word ''quintus'', meaning "fifth".
Quintus is ...
fled to Servilia since she was Dio's hostess on the island. In Rome Dio informed Hortensius and Servilia of the issues with Verres. In 70 BC when Verres was on trial Hortensius served as Verres lawyer while Servilia was there to support Dio.[ It is also possible that Servilia was related to the Quintus Caecilius Metellus who enfranchised Dio, since her mother was likely a Metella.][
She is praised by ]Cicero
Marcus Tullius Cicero ( ; ; 3 January 106 BC – 7 December 43 BC) was a Roman statesman, lawyer, scholar, philosopher, and academic skeptic, who tried to uphold optimate principles during the political crises that led to the estab ...
in his letters as a wonderful woman (''femina primaria'').[
Despite this she was insulted by ]Strabo
Strabo''Strabo'' (meaning "squinty", as in strabismus) was a term employed by the Romans for anyone whose eyes were distorted or deformed. The father of Pompey was called "Pompeius Strabo". A native of Sicily so clear-sighted that he could see ...
who claimed that both she and her sister became prostitutes.
See also
* Women in ancient Rome
Freeborn women in ancient Rome were citizens (''cives''), but could not vote or hold political office. Because of their limited public role, women are named less frequently than men by Roman historians. But while Roman women held no direct politi ...
* List of Roman women
The list below includes Roman women who were notable for their family connections, or their sons or husbands, or their own actions. In the earlier periods, women came to the attention of (later) historians either as poisoners of their husbands ( ...
References
Sources
*Cic. Verr, ii. 8.
Servilii Caepiones
2nd-century BC Roman women
{{AncientRome-bio-stub