Lucius Aelius
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Lucius Aelius Verus Caesar (January 13, 101 - January 1, 138) became the adopted son and intended successor, of Roman Emperor Hadrian (January 24, 76 - July 10, 138), but never attained the throne.
Aelius was born with the name Lucius Ceionius Commodus Verus. He was of the gens Ceionius. His father Lucius Ceionius Commodus Verus (according to Augustan History was known as Lucius Aurelius or Annius) was consul in 106 and his paternal grandfather of the same name was consul in 78. His paternal ancestors were from Etruria and were of consular rank. His mother was a Roman woman called Aelia or Fundania Plautia. Augustan History states that his maternal grandfather and his maternal ancestors were of consular rank.
Aelius married a Roman woman called Avidia Plautia. A portrait bust of her can be seen at [1]. Her family came from Faventia (modern Faenza, Italy). Her mother is unknown, however her father was Gaius Avidius Nigrinus (he was the name sake of his father). Nigrinus was a distinguished, wealthy, well connected politician who lived between the first and second century. There is an inscription found in Greek and Latin, dedicated to him at Delphi, Greece. Nigrinus served as a consul and became Roman governor of Greece. In 118, he was executed on orders from the Roman Senate, for being involved in a plot for overthrow the emperor Hadrian.
The children of Aelius and Avidia was:
- A son, Lucius Verus (130-169), who would be co-emperor from 161 until his death in 169 with Marcus Aurelius.
- A daughter Ceionia Fabia. Fabia in 136, was engaged to Marcus Aurelius. In 138, Aurelius was adopted by emperor Antoninus Pius. Aurelius broke off the engagement with Fabia. Aurelius became engaged to Pius’ daughter Faustina the Younger, whom he later married. However, little is known on Fabia.
- Another daughter Ceionia Plautia, however little is known on her.
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 tetrapharmacum.[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 himself was never to become emperor, dying shortly before Hadrian. After the death of Aelius, Hadrian adopted Antoninus Pius (September 19, 86 - March 7, 161) on the condition that Antoninus Pius adopt the younger Lucius Verus and Hadrian's great-nephew by marriage, Marcus Aurelius (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 is a major character in Marguerite Yourcenar's Memoirs of Hadrian.
The life account of Aelius from Historia Augusta or Augustan History can be read at [2]
[edit] Notes
- ^ Historia Augusta, Life of Aelius Verus 5.9.
