Sempronia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sempronia is the female, gens for the male Sempronius. The Gens Sempronia, was a family of plebs status of ancient Rome. They were of one of the wealthiest, well-connected and influential political families during the Roman Republic.

The women that had the name of Sempronia Gracchae were from the Gracchi branch, of the Sempronia gens. Gracchus was the male name and Gracchae was the female name.

Contents

[edit] Daughter of Tiberius Gracchus Major and Cornelia Africana

Sempronia Gracchae was the oldest child and only surviving daughter of Roman consul and censor Tiberius Gracchus Major and Cornelia Africana. Her younger brothers were the famed Roman politicians Tiberius Gracchus and Gaius Gracchus. Her maternal grandparents were Roman General Scipio Africanus and Aemilia Paulla. Her maternal great-uncle was Roman General Lucius Aemilius Paulus Macedonicus. She was born in Rome between 175 BC - 165 BC, was raised and educated there, by her mother. Around age 17 and by 147 BC, she married her mother’s maternal first cousin Scipio Aemilianus Africanus, a Roman politician and general who was adopted by her maternal grandfather.

Sempronia and Scipio had a very unhappy marriage. They didn’t show nor had any affection to each other and Scipio complained of her beauty and sterility. Nothing is known of her private life or character.

In 129 BC, Scipio was found dead in his bed. Rumours were spreading that he was murdered and Sempronia and her mother were suspected to be involved in the murder. However, how Scipio died is unknown and there is no evidence to prove that Sempronia was involved.

However if Scipio was murdered, it was probably the tribune and supporter of Tiberius Gracchus, Gaius Papirius Carbo (consul 120 BC), a bitter enemy of Scipio. The Roman historian and senator Cicero, names Carbo as the guilty person, but doubts that Sempronia gave Carbo access to Scipio, probably being faithful to the memory of her brother.

In 133 BC, her brother Tiberius Gracchus and some of his followers were clubbed to death in Rome, which was led by Sempronia and Scipio’s cousin Publius Cornelius Scipio Nasica Serapio. Although, her husband, publicly condemn the murder, he was often credited for arranging it. Tiberius Gracchus tried, while he was alive to undermine the establish order and on the morning that Scipio died, he planned to make a speech referencing the agrarian proposals of the Gracchi.

[edit] Sources:

[edit] Daughter to Gaius Gracchus and Licinia Crassa

Sempronia Gracchae (about 123 BC - 63 BC) was the only daughter to Roman tribune Gaius Gracchus and Licinia Crassa. She had a brother and very little is known about him. Sempronia was born and raised in Rome. Her maternal grandparents were the consul of 131 BC, Publius Licinius Crassus and Claudia. Her paternal grandparents were Roman consul and censor Tiberius Gracchus Major and Cornelia Africana (second daughter of Roman general Scipio Africanus and her maternal uncle was Roman General Lucius Aemilius Paulus Macedonicus).

She was young, when her father was murdered. She raised by her mother and paternal grandmother. She married Marcus Fulvius Flaccus Bambalio. Flaccus received the nickname Bambalio, due to his hesitancy in speech. He was a man of consular rank; who came from Tusculum, Italy; whose family was of plebs status like her family and was the son to her late father’s and late uncle's political ally Marcus Fulvius Flaccus (consul 125 BC). She bore him a daughter and only child Fulvia Flacca Bambula. After the death of her paternal grandmother and her mother, Sempronia became the heiress to the wealthy Gracchi estate. When Sempronia died in 63 BC, Fulvia would inherit the Gracchi estate.

Her daughter would marry the Roman politicians Publius Clodius Pulcher, Gaius Scribonius Curio and Mark Antony. Her husband was still alive, when Fulvia was married to Publius Clodius Pulcher. She would be the maternal grandmother to Clodia Pulchra, Marcus Antonius Antyllus and Iullus Antonius.

[edit] Sources:

[edit] Wife of Decimus Junius Brutus:

Sempronia Gracchae was a wife of Decimus Junius Brutus consul of 77 BC. Sempronia was a distinguish beautiful, virtuous and passionate woman, who learnt ancient Greek and Latin. She could sing, played the lyre and dance.

Sallust states she was extremely fortunate in life, marriage and children, yet had a profligate character. A woman like Sempronia, shows a ‘new woman’ in Rome with interests, tastes and abilities that would become common in future Roman women. She is a contrast to Roman women and their values from the earlier Roman Republican Period. She was involved in the Catiline Conspiracy and her husband didn’t know about it.

[edit] Sources:

This article previously appeared in one or more categories. Please categorise it so it may be associated with related articles. Thank you.
Please remove this template after categorising.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../s/e/m/Sempronia.html"