Octavia
Octavia was a prominent figure in Roman history, recognized for her beauty and moral integrity. Born to Gaius Octavius and Atia, she was the sister of Octavian (later known as Augustus), the first emperor of Rome. She was initially married to Gaius Claudius Marcellus, a consul, but after his death, she wed Marc Antony to solidify a political alliance. Their marriage began well, with Octavia playing a role in crucial negotiations to maintain the alliance between Antony and Octavian. However, their relationship soured over time, particularly when Antony divorced her to be with Cleopatra. Despite this, Octavia demonstrated a strong character by caring for her children and those from Antony's previous marriages. Her influence extended to her descendants, as her daughters with Antony became the grandmothers of future emperors Caligula and Nero. In recognition of her contributions, Octavian constructed the Porticus Octavia, which celebrated her legacy and housed significant artistic collections.
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Octavia
Related civilizations: Republican and Imperial Rome
Major role/position: Political figure
Life
Octavia was the daughter of the equestrian Gaius Octavius, praetor and governor of Macedonia, and Atia, the daughter of Julius Caesar’s sister, Julia. Octavia’s brother was Octavian (later Augustus), the first emperor of Rome. A woman of remarkable beauty and honored for her moral character, she was married first to Gaius Claudius Marcellus, consul in 50 b.c.e. Soon after Marcellus died in 40 b.c.e., Octavia was married to Marc Antony, to cement the Pact of Brundisium by which Antony surrendered Gaul to Octavian. The marriage at first was an amicable one. In 37 b.c.e., Octavia assisted in negotiating the Pact of Tarentum, by which Octavian and Antony reestablished their alliance. When Antony departed from Italy in 36 b.c.e. for the Parthian War, Octavia returned to Rome, where she stayed even when he returned to Rome’s eastern provinces. Their relationship subsequently deteriorated. When Octavian sent her east with reinforcements for Antony’s army, Antony forbade her to go beyond Athens. She rejected Octavian’s advice to divorce Antony, but Antony divorced her in 32 b.c.e. After the divorce, she brought up with true affection all the children Antony had with his earlier wife Fulvia and with Cleopatra VII, queen of Egypt; their own two daughters; and her three children by Marcellus.
Influence
Augustus adopted her son, Marcus Claudius Marcellus, as his heir. Through her two daughters by Antony, Octavia became the grandmother of the emperors Caligula and Nero. Sometime after 27 b.c.e., to honor her, Octavian built the Porticus Octavia, which housed a famous collection of statues and paintings. Next to it, Octavian built a library in memory of her son, Marcellus, who died in 23 b.c.e.
Bibliography
Dixon, Suzanne. The Roman Mother. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1988.
Fantham, Elaine, et al. Women in the Classical World. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press, 1994.
Gardner, Jane F. Women in Roman Law and Society. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1991.
Kleiner, Diana E., and Susan B. Matheson, eds. I, Claudia: Women in Ancient Rome. New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Art Gallery, 1996.
Lefkowitz, Mary, and Maureen B. Fant. Women’s Life in Greece and Rome. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1982.
Wood, Susan. Imperial Women: A Study in Public Images 40 b.c.-a.d. 68. Leiden: Brill, 1999.