Matidia

Bust of the Salonina Matidia, around 112

Salonina Matidia (* before 64; † 119), also called Matidia the Elder , was the only child of the rich praetor Gaius Saloninus Matidius Patruinus and Ulpia Marciana . She was the favorite niece of her maternal uncle, the Roman emperor Trajan , mother-in-law of his successor Hadrian and great-grandmother of Marcus Aurelius .

Life

Trajan's marriage was childless and he is said to have treated his niece Salonina Matidia like his own daughter. After the death of her father in 78, she and her mother were accepted into the household of Trajan and his wife Pompeia Plotina . Salonina Matidia went on many trips with her imperial uncle and he probably sought her advice when there were problems.

Her first husband was an otherwise completely unknown Mindius. The daughter Mindia Matidia , also called Matidia the Younger , emerged from this marriage . After Mindius' early death, Matidia married Lucius Vibius Sabinus a second time, from this marriage comes Vibia Sabina , who married the future emperor Hadrian in the year 100. Another daughter was Rupilia Faustina, who probably came from a third marriage.

On August 29, 112 Matidia was awarded the honorary title Augusta . Salonina Matidia died in 119 and was accepted as a diva in the Roman heaven of gods. Her son-in-law Hadrian, Roman emperor since 117, is said to have written the funeral speech. A temple on the Field of Mars and an altar in Rome were dedicated in her honor .

literature

• Christer Bruun: Matidia the Younger - Social Influence and Dynastic Role. In: Anne Kolb (Ed.): Augustae. Power-conscious women at the Roman imperial court? Dominance structures and rule practice II. Akademie Verlag, Berlin 2010, ISBN 978-3-05-004898-7 , pp. 211-234.
• Marjorie and Benjamin Lightman: Matidia . In: Biographical Dictionary of Greek and Roman Women . Ancient History & Culture, Facts On File, Inc., New York 2000.