Faustina I
Faustina I, born to a prominent Roman family, was the wife of Emperor Antoninus Pius and became known as Augusta after his ascension to the throne in 138 CE. Their marriage was characterized by deep affection, and together they had four children, though three sadly predeceased Faustina. Their surviving daughter, Annia Galeria Faustina, later married the famous emperor Marcus Aurelius. Despite some historical accounts suggesting erratic behavior, there is no evidence that Antoninus Pius disapproved of her. Following her death, Faustina was honored with deification; games were held in her memory, and a temple was constructed in the Roman Forum, which later became the Church of San Lorenzo in Miranda. Antoninus Pius also commemorated her by issuing coins bearing her likeness and establishing a fund to support impoverished girls. Faustina I's legacy is marked by her influential role as an empress and the lasting impact of her memorialization in Roman society.
Faustina I
Related civilization:Imperial Rome
Major role/position: Wife of emperor
Life
Faustina I (faw-STI-nuh), the daughter of the senator Marcus Annius Verus and Rupilia Faustina (the aunt of Marcus Aurelius), was born during the reign of Trajan. She married Antoninus Pius, and when he became emperor in 138 b.c.e., she was immediately designated Augusta. The marriage was happy, and he was devoted to her in life and in death. The couple had four children, but by 138 c.e., three of them, Marcus Galerius, Marcus Aurelius Fulvius, and Aurelia Fadilla, had died. The remaining child, Annia Galeria Faustina, became the wife of Marcus Aurelius. An account of questionable veracity in the Historia Augusta (c. 325 c.e.; English translation, 1921-1932) describes her behavior as reckless and immoral, but there is no evidence that Antoninus Pius found any fault in her.
Influence
Upon Faustina’s death, she was deified, games were held in her honor, and by senatorial decree, a temple was constructed in the Roman Forum for her. When Antoninus Pius died (March 7, 161 c.e.), it was rededicated to both of them. The structure survives today as the Church of San Lorenzo in Miranda (1602).
In her honor, Antoninus Pius had millions of coins bearing her image struck, whose range of types and variety of their reverse legends offer valuable evidence for the period. He also established an alimentary fund in her name, the Puellae Faustinianae, for poor girls.
Bibliography
Balsdon, J. P. V. D. Roman Women: Their History and Habits. London: Bodley Head, 1962.
Bauman, Richard A. Women and Politics in Ancient Rome. New York: Routledge, 1992.