Servilia, also known as Servilia Minor or Servilia the Younger was the second wife of

Lucullus Lucius Licinius Lucullus (; 118–57/56 BC) was a Roman general and statesman, closely connected with Lucius Cornelius Sulla. In culmination of over 20 years of almost continuous military and government service, he conquered the eastern kingd ...

Biography

Early life

There is some debate as to who her father was. Older authors who follow

Plutarch Plutarch (; grc-gre, Πλούταρχος, ''Ploútarchos''; ; – after AD 119) was a Greek Middle Platonist philosopher, historian, biographer, essayist, and priest at the Temple of Apollo in Delphi. He is known primarily for hi ...

deem her to be the daughter of Quintus Servilius Caepio and Livia, thus the younger full sister of Servilia Major and Gnaeus Servilius Caepio and half-sister to

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 ...

and Porcia. Some modern historians such as Susan Treggiari tend to believe that she was actually the daughter of Gnaeus Servilius Caepio, thus a niece of Cato; but this is not universally accepted,

Judith P. Hallett Judith P. Hallett is Professor Emerita of Classics, having formerly been the Graduate Director at the Department of Classics, University of Maryland, College Park, University of Maryland. Her research focuses on women, the family, and sexuality in ...

has argued that is implausible that the younger Caepio (who was born in 98 BC) would have married so young and sired a daughter fast enough that she would be old enough to marry Lucullus in 66 BC.

Marriage

The historian Edward Courtney identified her as the Servilia who was married to

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 ...

, but that woman was more likely her aunt Servilia. Lucullus married her on his return from the

Third Mithridatic War The Third Mithridatic War (73–63 BC), the last and longest of the three Mithridatic Wars, was fought between Mithridates VI of Pontus and the Roman Republic. Both sides were joined by a great number of allies dragging the entire east of the ...

around 66 BC, after divorcing his first wife Claudia. Servilia bore him a son whose name is uncertain. She was unfaithful to her husband with his enemy Gaius Memmius. Lucullus, after putting up with her conduct for some time out of regard to

at length divorced her. On the outbreak of the civil war in 49 BC, she accompanied Cato, with her child, to

Sicily (man) it, Siciliana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Ethnicity , demographics1_footnotes = , demographi ...

, and thence to the Roman province

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an are ...

. Cato left her behind in

Rhodes Rhodes (; el, Ρόδος , translit=Ródos ) is the largest and the historical capital of the Dodecanese islands of Greece. Administratively, the island forms a separate municipality within the Rhodes regional unit, which is part of the S ...

, while he went to join

Pompey Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus (; 29 September 106 BC – 28 September 48 BC), known in English as Pompey or Pompey the Great, was a leading Roman general and statesman. He played a significant role in the transformation of ...

Family

Cultural depictions

Colleen McCullough Colleen Margaretta McCullough (; married name Robinson, previously Ion-Robinson; 1 June 193729 January 2015) was an Australian author known for her novels, her most well-known being '' The Thorn Birds'' and ''The Ladies of Missalonghi''. Life ...

's ''

Masters of Rome ''Masters of Rome'' is a series of historical novels by Australian author Colleen McCullough, set in ancient Rome during the last days of the old Roman Republic; it primarily chronicles the lives and careers of Gaius Marius, Lucius Cornelius Su ...

'' series Servilia is called "Servililla" or just "Lilla" and is depicted as having been married to her cousin

Drusus Drusus may refer to: * Claudius (Tiberius Claudius Drusus) (10 BC–AD 54), Roman emperor from 41 to 54 * Drusus Caesar (AD 8–33), adoptive grandson of Roman emperor Tiberius * Drusus Julius Caesar (14 BC–AD 23), son of Roman emperor Tiberiu ...

before marrying Lucullus, it is stated that Drusus divorced her for

infidelity Infidelity (synonyms include cheating, straying, adultery, being unfaithful, two-timing, or having an affair) is a violation of a couple's emotional and/or sexual exclusivity that commonly results in feelings of anger, sexual jealousy, and ri ...

References

Citations

Bibliography

, "The Life of Lucullus", 38; "The Life of Cato the Younger", 24, 54. *

Wilhelm Drumann Wilhelm Karl August Drumann (11 June 1786, in Danstedt – 29 July 1861, in Königsberg) was a German classical historian. From 1805 he studied theology and philosophy at the University of Halle, receiving his doctorate at Helmstedt in 1810. Fol ...

, ''Geschichte Roms'', vol. iv, p. 174. Servilii Caepiones 1st-century BC Roman women 1st-century BC Romans Family of Servilia (mother of Brutus) {{AncientRome-bio-stub