Statilia Messalina

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Statilia Messalina

Statilia Messalina (* between 30 and 40; † after 69 AD) was the third wife of the Roman emperor Nero .

Life

The great-great-grandfather of Statilia Messalina was the consul from 37 and 26 BC. BC, Titus Statilius Taurus . This means that it is very likely that her great-grandfather of 8 BC Was proven mint master, who was also called Titus Statilius Taurus. Her grandfather, the consul of 11 AD , and her father, the consul of 44 AD, also had the same name .

After being married three times, Statilia Messalina entered into a fourth marriage to Senator Marcus Iulius Vestinus Atticus around 63 AD , although she may have been Nero's lover by then. When Vestinus 65 officiated as consul , he had to commit suicide under pressure from the emperor, because the latter wanted to marry Statilia Messalina himself. It is unclear whether this happened before or after Poppaea's death, i.e. whether the relationship between Nero and Statilia had already existed during their lifetime, and whether there were other reasons for the murder. This third marriage for Nero and fifth for Statilia Messalina was concluded in the first months of the year 66.

In 66 the emperor Statilia Messalina gave the title of Augusta . She also received divine veneration during her lifetime. She did not take part in Nero's trip to Greece. Otherwise nothing is known about her marriage to Nero. In any case, she survived him as the only one of his wives and received a suicide note from Emperor Otho , who allegedly had wanted to marry her, before his suicide on April 16, 69.

Even in the time of the Flavians , Statilia Messalina was still an important figure in Roman society. Some researchers believe that a section of text from a satire by the Roman poet Juvenal should be understood as a short portrait of her; the corresponding passage deals with the philosophical and literary peculiarities of distinguished Roman women. Statilia Messalina had mastered very elaborate eloquence and was good at reciting poetry.

The date of death of Statilia Messalina is unknown. Many of their slaves and freedmen are mentioned on the grave inscriptions of the statilians' tomb .

literature

Remarks

  1. ↑ In the literary sources Messalina is mostly written with a single 1, in the inscriptions, on the other hand, mostly with a double 1.
  2. ^ Suetonius , Nero 35, 1.
  3. ↑ Nagl: Statilius 45). In: Paulys Realencyclopadie der classischen Antiquity Science (RE). Volume III A, 2, Stuttgart 1929, Col. 2209.
  4. ^ Gerhard Waldherr : Nero. A biography. Friedrich Pustet, Regensburg 2005, ISBN 3-7917-1947-5 , p. 226.
  5. ↑ Tacitus , Annalen 15, 68, 3; Suetonius, Nero 35, 1.
  6. ↑ Arval file fragment from the year 66: CIL VI 2044c.
  7. ^ So Jürgen Malitz : Nero (= Beck'sche series 2105 CH Beck Wissen ). CH Beck, Munich 1999, ISBN 3-406-44605-1 , p. 93; differently Nagl: Statilius 45). In: Paulys Realencyclopadie der classischen Antiquity Science (RE). Volume III A, 2, Stuttgart 1929, Col. 2209.
  8. ^ Suetonius, Otho 10, 2.
  9. ↑ Juvenal , Satiren 6, 434ff. with scholia; Nagl: Statilius 45). In: Paulys Realencyclopadie der classischen Antiquity Science (RE). Volume III A, 2, Stuttgart 1929, Col. 2210.
  10. ↑ CIL VI 6327; VI 9191; VI 9842; among others
personal data
SURNAME Statilia Messalina
BRIEF DESCRIPTION third wife of the Roman emperor Nero
DATE OF BIRTH between 30 and 40
DATE OF DEATH after 69