Publius Aelius Hadrianus Afer

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Publius Aelius Hadrianus Afer was a Roman who lived in the 1st century. Afer was originally from Spain; however, he was of Roman descent. His mother was a Roman woman called Ulpia Traiana, a sister to Roman general and senator Marcus Ulpius Traianus, the father of Ulpia Marciana and her younger brother emperor Trajan. Ulpia Marciana and Trajan were his maternal cousins.

Afer’s father was Roman Senator Publius Aelius Hadrianus Marullinus. His paternal ancestors descended from Picenum (modern Marche and Abruzzo, Italy). Picenum became a Roman colony, probably about the time of Roman dictator Lucius Cornelius Sulla. His paternal ancestors left Italy and settled in Italica (near modern Seville, Spain). Italica was a city in Hispania Baetica founded by the Roman general Scipio Africanus about 205 BC, at the end of the Second Punic War. Hispania Baetica became a municipality under Julius Caesar or Roman emperor Augustus and Hadrian later made it a colony. His paternal grandfather’s grandfather was called Marullinus and was the first person in his family to become a Roman senator.

He received the surname Afer as a nickname, due to his outstanding service in Mauretania. Afer is Latin for African. Afer married Domitia Paulina, a Spanish Roman woman from a distinguished senatorial family who came from Gades (modern Cádiz, Spain). Their children were a daughter, Aelia Domitia Paulina (75-130) and a son, emperor Publius Aelius Hadrianus (24 January 76-16 July 138). After reaching the praetorship, Afer and his wife died in 85/86. His son was put in the guardianship of his cousin Trajan and Roman Officer Publius Acilius Attianus.

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