Caesonia
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Milonia Caesonia (PIR2 M 590) (6 - 41), Roman Empress, was a former courtesan with a notorious reputation. She rose from modest origins to become the fourth and last wife of the Roman Emperor Gaius Caligula. She was a daughter of Vistilia who was a public prostitute and her father is unknown. Her younger half-brother was Roman Consul and General Gnaeus Domitius Corbulo. Her niece Domitia Longina, would become a future Roman Empress and would marry the future Roman Emperor Domitian.
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[edit] Life with the Emperor Caligula
Although Caesonia was reportedly no great beauty, and she had three daughters from her first marriage, Caligula (her new husband) seems to have genuinely loved her. It would appear most likely that she first came to his attention at one of the numerous brothels or extravagant parties that Caligula often patronised, both before and after he became Emperor. When he came to the imperial throne around late 37, he moved her into the palace. After three brief marriages to proper Roman noblewomen, each lasting less than one year, Caligula finally decided to make his favourite Caesonia the Augusta (the title accorded to the Empress) on the condition that she first give him a child.
Suetonius states that at Caligula's instigation Caesonia would remove her clothing and parade herself naked in front of his troops and select friends. Some sources claim that their only daughter Julia Drusilla (named for her late aunt, Caligula's favourite sister) was born on the same day as the wedding.
Rome was appalled that their new empress was a commoner, and one with a past at that, but Caesonia appears to have won a certain degree of respect by her practicality, her unshakable nature, courage and loyalty to her mad husband, despite the worsening nature of his antics. She seems to have exercised a moderating influence over him, and served as an unofficial adviser.
Caligula often wondered why this one woman continued to hold his affections when so many others had rapidly bored him, and sometimes threatened to torture her to find the reason why. Some sources claim that he went mad as a result of a love potion she administered to him to curb his wandering ways, although this seems unlikely as he was already displaying the first signs of irrational behaviour before becoming Emperor.
[edit] Caligula's death, her downfall
According to Suetonius Caesonia could see the danger signs among the increasingly outraged Roman public, and attempted to curb his more vicious inclinations by urging him towards justice and toleration. But despite her precautions, her fears were confirmed in 41 when Caligula was struck down by assassins while attending a private theatrical performance.
In the chaos that followed, the assassins quickly took the palace intent on wiping out the whole imperial family, and both Caesonia and her now three year old daughter were murdered within an hour after Caligula's demise. According to Suetonius she died bravely, telling her killer not to make a mess of it. Young Drusilla, who apparently inherited her doting father's tendency to viciousness, attacked her mother's killer screaming and biting, and had her head smashed against a wall.
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[edit] Reference
- E. Groag, A. Stein, L. Petersen - e.a. (edd.), Prosopographia Imperii Romani saeculi I, II et III, Berlin, 1933 - . (PIR2)
