[Born B.C. 56-54. Died A.D. 29.]
Married to Tiberius Claudius Nero, a Roman general; but her beauty
captivating the Triumvir Octavian, afterwards Augustus, her divorce was
effected, and she became the Triumvir’s wife. A consummate actress, full
of craft and dissimulation, possessing great knowledge of the world,
and, by an affected purity of life, maintaining to the last her
influence over the mind of Augustus. She successfully intrigued for the
succession in favour of Tiberius, her son by her first marriage, and, it
is said, removed by poison the grandsons of Augustus, who stood in the
way of her own offspring. Tiberius became Emperor, and repaid the
service by base ingratitude. He removed his mother from all share in the
government, declined all intercourse with her, refused to see her when
she was dying, and rejoiced, in open show, at her death.
94*. DOMNA--JULIA (PIA FELIX AUGUSTA). _Roman Empress._
[Born at Emesa, in Syria, about A.D. 170. Died A.D. 217.]
A woman of humble origin, but beautiful, ambitious and crafty. She
became the wife of Septimius Severus, then of the rank of general, and
acquired boundless influence over his mind, persuading him that a
prophecy had destined her to become the wife of an Emperor, and inciting
him to labour to that end. After the death of her husband, her son Geta
was murdered in her arms by his brother Caracalla; and after the
successful revolt of Macrinus, being suspected of treason, she, possibly
to avoid punishment, starved herself to death.
[From the marble in the Rotunda of the Vatican. This colossal head
will be found No. 334, Roman Court.]
95*. JULIA, daughter of AUGUSTUS.
[Born at Rome, B.C. 39. Died at Rhegium, A.D. 14. Aged 53.]
The daughter of the Roman Emperor by his third wife Scribonia. Strictly
brought up, she was married at fourteen to Marcellus. Left a widow at
sixteen, she was forced by her father to marry the veteran Agrippa, by
whom she had three sons and two daughters. Her conduct dissolute and
unrestrained. Agrippa dying, she married again Tiberius Nero (afterwards
emperor) who left her in disgust. She was banished by her father until
the accession of Tiberius, when she suffered still harsher exile.
Consumption killed her. In spite of her vices, the people of Rome loved
her for her frank and lively manner, and frequently solicited Augustus
to recall her.
[For further account of this graceful Statue of Julia, see No. 229, of
Handbook to Roman Court, and Nave.]