Bruttia Crispina   Wife of Commodus Married 177 AD Bruttia Crispina was the daughter of Gaius Bruttius Praesens who had fought against the Germans alongside Marcus Aurelius. She was married to Commodus in 177 AD when he was only 16 years old. Shortly after their marriage, Commodus left for the northern frontier. About 10 years […]

Commodus 177-192 AD Lucius Aelius Aurelius Commodus was the son of Marcus Aurelius and Faustina Junior and was born at Lanuvium in 161 AD. This meant that he was the first biological son of an emperor since the time of Vespasian. Commodus was made Augustus and co-emperor in 177AD and accompanied his father to the Second […]

Lucilla Daughter Marcus Aurelius Wife of Lucius Verus Sister of Commodus Lucilla was the eldest daughter of Marcus Aurelius and Faustina Junior. Lucilla was married to Lucius Verus in 164 AD. Relations with her brother Commodus were particularly strained. Following the death of her husband, Lucilla was married to Pompeianus, a man of comparatively humble origin. In 182 AD, Lucilla convinced her […]

Lucius Verus Co-Emperor, 161 – 169 AD Born 130 – Died 169 AD, Age 39 Lucius Ceionius Commodus, later known as Lucius Aurelius Verus, was the son of Aelius Caesar. Following his father’s death in 138 AD, Lucius was adopted by Antoninus Pius. However, unlike his stepbrother, Marcus Aurelius, who was adopted at the same time, Lucius Verus […]

Faustina Junior Daughter of Antoninus Pius Unfaithful Wife of Marcus Aurelius Mother of Emperor Commodus Annia Galeria Faustina Junior was the younger daughter of Antoninus Pius and Faustina Senior. Her second cousin, Hadrian, had proposed that she be married to Lucius Verus. His father was Aelius, but when he died, Hadrian then chose Antoninus Pius […]

  Marcus Aurelius 161 – 180 AD Born 121 – died 180 AD, age 59 MARCUS ANNIUS VERUS, the stoic philosopher, was born in Rome in 121 A.D., the son of Annius Verus and Domitia Lucilla. Hadrian recognized the fine qualities of the youth, and he was originally betrothed to the daughter of Aelius Caesar. After […]

Galerius Antoninus Son of Antoninus Pius Marcus Galerius Aurelius Antoninus was the second son of Antoninus Pius and Faustina Senior, who died while still very young. He was remembered with a sepulchral inscription in Hadrian’s Mausoleum and by the coinage of a single bronze issue of an unknown Greek city illustrated here. Antoninus Pius’ Children […]

Faustina Senior Empress 138-140 AD Wife of Antoninus Pius Died 140 AD Faustina Senior was Antoninus Pius’s wife. They were married before his accession in 110 AD. Faustina was the daughter of the Consul Marcus Annius Verus and Rupilla Faustina. She was born in Rome before the reign of Trajan. Faustina bore four children: two […]

Antoninus Pius 138 – 161 AD Born 86 – Died 161 AD, Age 75 Titus Aurelius Fulvua Boionius Arrius Antoninus, known to history as Antoninus Pius, was born of a good family in Nimes in the Gallia Narbonensis region (Southern France). Several members of his family had served as consuls of Rome, which enabled him […]

Aelius Caesar As Caesar, 136 – 138 AD In 136 AD, Hadrian was in failing health and chose that moment to select his successor. Hadrian chose Lucius Ceionius Commodus, and upon his adoption, his name was changed to Lucius Aelius Caesar. Aelius was the son of a powerful senatorial family who came to the attention […]