(; plural ; ) was a Roman imperial honorific title given to empresses and women of the imperial families. It was the feminine form of Augustus.
In the second and third centuries, could also receive the title of ("Mother of the Camp") or ("Mother of the Camp, Senate and Fatherland").
The title implied the greatest prestige. could issue their own coinage, wear imperial regalia, and rule their own courts.
Agrippina, the wife of Claudius, was the first living wife of the emperor in Roman history to receive the title of , a position she held for the rest of her life, ruling with her husband and son.
In the third century, Julia Domna was the first empress to receive the combined title after the death of her husband Septimius Severus, which may have implied greater powers being vested in her than was usual for a Roman empress mother. In this official position and honor, she accompanied her son on an extensive military campaign and provincial tour.; .
Principate period
Julio-Claudian dynasty
PortraitNameBirthDate of namingDescriptionDeathLivia30 January 58 BCAD 14Wife of Emperor Augustus and mother of Emperor Tiberius.28 September AD 29Antonia Minor31 January 36 BCAthensAD 41(posthumous)Mother of Emperor Claudius.AD 37RomeAgrippina the Younger7 November AD 15Oppidum UbiorumAD 50Wife of Emperor Claudius and mother of Emperor Nero23 March AD 59MisenumPoppaea SabinaAD 30PompeiiAD 63Wife of Emperor Nero.AD 65RomeClaudia Augusta21 January AD 63AntiumAD 63Daughter of Emperor Nero.April AD 63
Flavian dynasty
PortraitNameBirthDate of namingDescriptionDeathDomitilla the Younger45Before 80Daughter of Emperor Vespasian.66Domitia Longina5080Wife of Emperor Domitian.After 120
Nerva–Antonine dynasty
PortraitNameBirthDate of namingDescriptionDeathPompeia Plotina54–68105Wife of Emperor Trajan.123Ulpia Marciana48105Sister of Emperor Trajan.112–114Salonia Matidia4 July 68112Niece of Emperor Trajan.23 December 119Vibia Sabina13 August 83128Wife of Emperor Hadrian.136–137Faustina the Elder21 September 100138Wife of Emperor Antoninus Pius.140Faustina the Younger125–1301 December 147Daughter of Emperor Antoninus Pius; wife of Emperor Marcus Aurelius; mother of Emperor Commodus.175Lucilla148–150164Daughter of Emperor Marcus Aurelius and wife of Emperor Lucius Verus.182Bruttia Crispina164Rome177Wife of Emperor Commodus.191Capri
Year of the Five Emperors
PortraitNameBirthDate of namingDescriptionDeathManlia Scantilla193Wife of Emperor Didius Julianus.193Didia Clara153Rome193Daughter of Emperor Didius Julianus.Unknown
Severan dynasty
PortraitNameBirthDate of namingDescriptionDeathJulia DomnaWife of Emperor Septimius Severus.217Fulvia Plautilla185—189210sWife of Emperor Caracalla.212Julia Cornelia Paula219First wife of Emperor Elagabalus.Aquilia Severa220Second and fourth wife of Emperor Elagabalus. As a Vestal Virgin her marriage to the Emperor was very controversial.Julia Avita Mamaea180222Mother of Emperor Alexander Severus and co-regent, in his name, during his adolescence.235Sallustia Orbiana225Wife of Emperor Alexander Severus.
Crisis of the Third Century
PortraitNameBirthDate of namingDescriptionDeathTranquillinac. 225241Wife of Emperor Gordian III.After 244Marcia Otacilia Severa240sWife of the Emperor Philip the Arab.Herennia EtruscillaUnknownSeptember 249Wife of Emperor Trajan Decius; mother of Emperor Herennius Etruscus and Emperor Hostilian. 253Cornelia Supera253Wife of Aemilianus.Cornelia SaloninaUnknown253Wife of Emperor Gallienus.268Sulpicia Dryantillac. 260Wife of usurper Emperor Regalianus, who named her as part of legitimizing his claim.260Victoria271Mother of Victorinus271Zenobia240272Queen of the Palmyrene Empire, a short lived splinter empire that revolted during the Crisis. She proclaimed herself and annexed the Eastern Mediterranean from Rome.c. 275Ulpia Severina274Wife of Emperor Aurelian; possibly reigned in her own right after the death of her husband in 275.Magnia Urbica283Wife of Emperor Carinus.
Dominate period
Tetrarchy
PortraitNameBirthDate of namingDescriptionDeathGaleria Valeria308Daughter of Emperor Diocletian and wife of Emperor Galerius.315
Constantinian dynasty
PortraitNameBirthDate of namingDescriptionDeathFausta289324Wife of Constantine I and daughter of Emperor Maximian. Mother of: Constantina, Constantine II, Constantius II, Constans I and Helena.326Helena246—250c.324–325Mother of Constantine I and ex-wife or mistress of Emperor Constantius Chlorus (separated before his accession as Caesar).18 August 330Constantina307—317After 312, before 337.Daughter of Emperor Constantine I. Wife of Hannibalianus, Rex Regum et Ponticarum Gentium, "King of Kings and of the Pontic People". Wife of Caesar Constantius Gallus.354
Valentinianic dynasty
PortraitNameBirthDate of namingDescriptionDeathGalla Placidia392c. 416Daughter of Theodosius I, wife of Constantius III, regent for her son Valentinian III.27 November 450Justa Grata HonoriaAfter 426Sister of Valentinian III.
Theodosian dynasty
PortraitNameBirthDate of namingDescriptionDeathAelia FlaccillaBefore 385Wife of Emperor Theodosius I.386Eudoxia9 January 400Wife of Emperor Arcadius.6 October 404Pulcheria19 January 398–399414Daughter of Arcadius, sister of Theodosius II, and then wife of Marcian.July 453Eudocia4012 January 423Wife of Theodosius II20 October 460Licinia Eudoxia422439Daughter of Theodosius II, Wife of Valentinian III.462
Leonid dynasty
PortraitNameBirthDate of namingDescriptionDeathMarcia Euphemiac. 453Daughter of Marcian by an unknown woman. Wife of Anthemius.472Verina457Wife of Leo I, sister of Basiliscus, mother of Ariadne and Leontia.484Ariadnebefore 457474Daughter of Leo I. Wife of Zeno. Mother of Leo II. Wife of Anastasius I.515Zenonis475Wife of Basiliscus.476–477
Byzantine period
Justinian dynasty
PortraitNameBirthDate of namingDescriptionDeathEuphemia,518Wife of Justin I. Originally named Lupicina, renamed Euphemia on her husband's accession.c.523/4, before 527.Theodora I,c. 5009 August 527Wife of Justinian I.28 June 548Sophia,568Wife of Justin II, intermittent regent.c. 601Ino Anastasia,578Wife of Emperor Tiberius II.593Constantinac. 560582Wife of Emperor Maurice.c. 605Leontia602Wife of Emperor Phocas.
Heraclian dynasty
PortraitNameBirthDate of namingDescriptionDeathFabia Eudokia,5 October 610First wife of Heraclius.13 August 612Augustina,639Daughter of Heraclius.Martina639Second wife of Heraclius, regent of Constantine III and HeraclonasFausta642Wife of Constans II.After 668
Isaurian dynasty
PortraitNameBirthDate of namingDescriptionDeathMaria25 August 718Wife of Emperor Leo III the Isaurian.Anna741–742Wife of Artabasdos.Eudokia1 April 769Third wife of Emperor Constantine V.Irene of Athens17 December 769Wife of Emperor Leo IV the Khazar, empress dowager and regent from 780 to 797.9 August 803
Nikephorian dynasty
PortraitNameBirthDate of namingDescriptionDeathProkopia12 October 811Daughter of Emperor Nikephoros I and wife of Michael I Rhangabe.After 813
Amorian dynasty
PortraitNameBirthDate of namingDescriptionDeathTheodora IIthe Armenian830Wife of Emperor Theophilos and regent of Michael III.After 867Thekla830sDaughter of Theophilos.Anna830sDaughter of Emperor Theophilos.Anastasia830sDaughter of Emperor Theophilos.
Macedonian dynasty
PortraitNameBirthDate of namingDescriptionDeathZoe Zaoutzaina898Third wife of Leo VI the WiseMay 899Theodora921Wife of Romanos I.20 February 922Helena LekapeneFebruary 922Wife of Constantine VII.19 September 961SophiaFebruary 922Wife of Christopher Lekapenos.Anna933Daughter of Gabalas and wife of Stephen Lekapenos.Theophano Θεοφανώc. 941c. 956Wife of Romanos II and Nikephoros II Phokasa. 978Zoe Porphyrogenitac. 9781028Daughter of Constantine VIII Wife of Romanos III Argyros, Michael IV the Paphlagonian and Constantine IX Monomachos1050Theodora Porphyrogenitac. 9801042Daughter of Constantine VII1056
Komnenos dynasty
PortraitNameBirthDate of namingDescriptionDeathCatherine of Bulgariabefore 10181057Empress-consort of Emperor Isaac I Komnenos.after 1059
Doukid dynasty
PortraitNameBirthDate of namingDescriptionDeathEudokia Makrembolitissa1059–1067Second wife of Constantine X Doukas and later wife of Romanos IV Diogenes, also regent of Michael VII Doukas1096
Palaiologos dynasty
PortraitNameBirthDate of namingDescriptionDeathAnna of Savoy1306Wife of Andronikos III Palaiologos, mother and regent of John V Palaiologos.1365Helena Dragaš1372Wife of Manuel II Palaiologos.1450
See also List of Roman and Byzantine empresses Augustus (title) List of Christian women of the patristic age
References Citations
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