Lucius Aelius
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Lucius Aelius Verus (died on January 1, 138) (born Lucius Ceionius Commodus) became the adopted son, and intended successor, of Roman Emperor Hadrian (January 24, 76 - July 10, 138), but never attained the throne.
Aelius was adopted by an aging and ailing Hadrian in 136 and named successor to the throne, although he had no military experience; he had served as a senator. He had powerful political connections, but was in poor health. His tastes were luxurious and extravagant and his life frivolous. He is said to have had Ovid's erotic poetry and "a book about Apicius" (presumably Apion's On the Luxury of Apicius) as bedside reading, and to have personally invented the luxury dish tetrafarmacum.[1] Hadrian's choice seems to have been an error in judgement. Some scholars have suggested that Aelius may have been Hadrian's bastard son, but there is no reason to believe this.
Aelius was the father of Lucius Verus (December 15, 130 - 169) who was later to be co-emperor from 161 until his death in 169.
Aelius himself was never to become emperor, dying shortly before Hadrian. After the death of Aelius, Hadrian adopted Titus Aurelius Fulvus Boionius Arrius Antoninus Pius (September 19, 86 - March 7, 161) on the condition that Antoninus Pius himself adopt the younger Lucius Verus and Hadrian's nephew by marriage, Marcus Annius Verus (April 26, 121 - March 17, 180). Marcus later co-ruled with Lucius as Marcus Aurelius until Lucius death in 169, at which time he was sole ruler until his own death in 180.
Aelius Verus is a major character in Marguerite Yourcenar's Memoirs of Hadrian.
[edit] Notes
- ^ Historia Augusta, Life of Aelius Verus 5.9.
