Lucius Catilius Severus

Lucius Catilius Severus Iulianus Claudius Reginus was a Roman politician and (step-) great-grandfather on the maternal side of the Emperor Marcus Aurelius .

His family was originally from Italy but settled in Bithynia (possibly Apamea ). Relationships to the high aristocracy are not known. Catilius Severus was probably the son of a Gnaeus Catilius. In 110 Catilius Severus officiated as suffect consul . In the following years he took over governorship in Cappadocia and the province of Armenia, which had only been created in 114 . During his tenure in the latter province, he played a role in Emperor Trajan's Parthian War. When he died in 117, he left a very uncertain political situation in the east of the empire. Since his successor Hadrian had to travel to Rome as quickly as possible to consolidate his rule, he appointed Catilius Severus as his own successor as governor of Syria . The office held this presumably until 119 and then returned to the imperial capital.

120 Catilius Severus was ordinary consul together with Titus Aurelius Fulvus Boionius Arrius Antoninus, the later Emperor Antoninus Pius . Around 125 he was proconsul of Africa. Later (up to 138) it is recorded as Praefectus urbi . The Historia Augusta According he disapproved as such the adoption of Antoninus Pius by the reigning emperor Hadrian, as he himself had ambitions for his succession. When this became known, Hadrian removed him from his office. Although this source is widely regarded as untrustworthy to a large extent, other nobles such as Gaius Ummidius Quadratus also opposed the succession plan, especially since Antoninus Pius had no military experience and had only held the office of governor once.

Lucius Catilius Severus was a friend of Pliny the Younger , from whom two letters have been received.

In the sources he is referred to as the great-grandfather of the future emperor Mark Aurel . However, this designation is probably to be interpreted in a broader sense. Lucius Catilius Severus must have married the widow of the rich Domitius Tullus, who in turn adopted Domitia Lucilla, the daughter of his brother Domitius Lucanus. This Domitia Lucilla, called "the elder", was Mark Aurel's grandmother through her daughter of the same name. Strictly speaking, Catilius Severus could be described as his step-adoptive grandfather. It is possible that his wife, the adoptive grandmother of the future ruler, is a certain Dasumia Polla. This name is mentioned in a will on a marble inscription from the Via Appia , in which the name of the testator has been lost, but this has been identified with Domitius Tullus.

Lucius Catilius Severus played an important role in the education of Mark Aurel, who instead of his maiden name Marcus Annius Verus also carried the name Marcus Annius Catilius Severus for some time after the early death of his father. As he himself emphasizes in his self- reflections, Marcus Aurelius was tutored at home by “capable teachers” because his “great-grandfather” Catilius did not want him to attend a public school.

literature

Rudolf Hanslik : Catilius 2. In: The Little Pauly (KlP). Volume 1, Stuttgart 1964, Col. 1085 f.
Bengt E. Thomasson : Fasti Africani. Senatorial and knightly officials in the Roman provinces of North Africa from Augustus to Diocletian (= Skrifter utgivna av svenska institutet i Rom / Acta instituti romani regni sueciae. Volume 4 °, LIII). Paul Åström, Stockholm 1996, ISBN 91-7042-153-6 , p. 54 f.
Anthony R. Birley : Marcus Aurelius. A biography. Revised edition, reprinted. Routledge, London et al. 2000, ISBN 0-415-17125-3 , p. 29 ff. And p. 245.
Edmund Groag : Catilius 4 . In: Paulys Realencyclopadie der classischen Antiquity Science (RE). Volume III, 2, Stuttgart 1899, Sp. 1788 f.

Individual evidence

^ Olli Salomies: Adoptive and Polyonymous Nomenclature in the Roman Empire (= Commentationes Humanarum Litterarum. Volume 97). Societas Scientiarum Fennica, Helsinki 1992, ISBN 951-653-242-X , p. 138.
↑ CIL 16, 163 , CIL 16, 164 .
^ Historia Augusta , Vita Hadriani V, 10.
^ Historia Augusta , Vita Pii II, 9.
^ Historia Augusta , Vita Hadriani XXIV, 6-8.
^ Anthony R. Birley : Early Life. Family, Youth, and Education. In: Marcel van Ackeren (Ed.): A Companion to Marcus Aurelius. Blackwell, Oxford et al. 2012, ISBN 978-1-4051-9285-9 , pp. 139–154, here p. 143.
^ Pliny, Letters I, 22 and III, 12.
↑ Historia Augusta , Vita Marci I, 4.
↑ Mark Aurel, Self-Contemplations I, 4; I, 17.2.

personal data
SURNAME	Catilius Severus, Lucius
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Catilius Severus Iulianus Claudius Reginus, Lucius (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	Roman politician and great-grandfather of the Emperor Mark Aurel
DATE OF BIRTH	1st century
DATE OF DEATH	2nd century

[1] Olli Salomies: Adoptive and Polyonymous Nomenclature in the Roman Empire (= Commentationes Humanarum Litterarum. Volume 97). Societas Scientiarum Fennica, Helsinki 1992, ISBN 951-653-242-X , p. 138.

[2] CIL 16, 163 , CIL 16, 164 .

[3] Historia Augusta , Vita Hadriani V, 10.

[4] Historia Augusta , Vita Pii II, 9.

[5] Historia Augusta , Vita Hadriani XXIV, 6-8.

[6] Anthony R. Birley : Early Life. Family, Youth, and Education. In: Marcel van Ackeren (Ed.): A Companion to Marcus Aurelius. Blackwell, Oxford et al. 2012, ISBN 978-1-4051-9285-9 , pp. 139–154, here p. 143.

[7] Pliny, Letters I, 22 and III, 12.

[8] Historia Augusta , Vita Marci I, 4.

[9] Mark Aurel, Self-Contemplations I, 4; I, 17.2.