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Ceionia Fabia

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2nd century Roman noblewoman

Ceionia Fabia (flourished 2nd century) was a noble Roman woman and a member of the ruling Nerva–Antonine dynasty of the Roman Empire.

Life

Fabia was the first-born daughter to Lucius Aelius and Avidia. In 136, her father was adopted by Hadrian as heir to the throne. Fabia had three siblings: a sister Ceionia Plautia and two brothers: the Roman Emperor Lucius Verus who co-ruled with Marcus Aurelius from 161 to 169 and Gaius Avidius Ceionius Commodus. Her cognomen Fabia reveals that her father was related to the gens Fabia. However, whom she was named after from the gens Fabia is unknown. Fabia was born and raised in Rome.

Her maternal grandparents were the Roman Senator Gaius Avidius Nigrinus and the surmised but undocumented noblewoman Plautia. Although her adoptive paternal grandparents were the Roman Emperor Hadrian and Roman Empress Vibia Sabina, her biological paternal grandparents were the consul Lucius Ceionius Commodus and noblewoman named Plautia.

Sometime in 136 after Hadrian announced that her father was to be the Emperor's official heir, on the wishes of Hadrian, the emperor betrothed Fabia to Hadrian's great-nephew Marcus Aurelius. Although Fabia and Aurelius became engaged, the engagement did not survive Hadrian; immediately after the emperor's death, Antoninus Pius, Hadrian's second adopted son and the new emperor, approached Marcus and requested that his marriage arrangements be amended: Marcus' betrothal to Ceionia Fabia would be annulled, and he would be betrothed to Faustina, Antoninus' daughter, instead. Faustina's betrothal to Ceionia's brother Lucius Commodus would also have to be annulled. Marcus consented to Antoninus' proposal.

Fabia later married the nobleman Plautius Quintillus who came from a family of consular rank. During the reign of Antoninus Pius (138-161), Quintillus served as an ordinary consul in 159. Fabia bore Quintillus a son called Marcus Peducaeus Plautius Quintillus who later married Annia Aurelia Fadilla, one of the daughters of Marcus Aurelius and Faustina the Younger.

Throughout the Roman Empire, various honorific inscriptions have survived being dedicated to Fabia and her family. These inscriptions honor Fabia as the mother of Marcus Peducaeus Plautius Quintillus; the sister of Roman Emperor Lucius Verus and the sister-in-law of Empress Lucilla (the second daughter of Marcus Aurelius and Faustina the Younger, who was one of the sisters of Fadilla). According to an inscription found at Ephesus, Fabia was present when Lucius Verus married Lucilla.

It appears by 175 her husband had died. When Faustina the Younger had died in 175, Fabia was said to have attempted to interest Marcus Aurelius in a second marriage. However, Marcus Aurelius preferred to take a mistress, who was a daughter of one of Faustina's procurators.

Nerva–Antonine family tree

Nerva–Antonine family tree
Q. Marcius Barea SoranusQ. Marcius Barea SuraAntonia FurnillaM. Cocceius NervaSergia PlautillaP. Aelius Hadrianus
Titus
(r. 79–81)		Marcia FurnillaMarciaTrajanus PaterNerva
(r. 96–98)		UlpiaAelius Hadrianus Marullinus
FlaviaMarcianaC. Salonius MatidiusTrajan
(r. 98–117)		PlotinaP. Acilius AttianusP. Aelius AferPaulina Major
Lucius Mindius (2)Libo Rupilius Frugi (3)Salonia MatidiaL. Vibius Sabinus (1)
Paulina MinorL. Julius Ursus Servianus
Matidia MinorSabinaHadrian (r. 117–138)Antinous
C. Fuscus Salinator IJulia Serviana Paulina
M. Annius VerusRupilia FaustinaBoionia ProcillaCn. Arrius Antoninus
L. Ceionius CommodusAppia SeveraC. Fuscus Salinator II
L. Caesennius PaetusArria AntoninaArria FadillaT. Aurelius Fulvus
L. Caesennius AntoninusL. CommodusPlautiaunknownC. Avidius Nigrinus
M. Annius VerusCalvisia Domitia LucillaFundaniaM. Annius LiboFaustinaAntoninus Pius
(r. 138–161)		L. Aelius CaesarAvidia
CornificiaMarcus Aurelius
(r. 161–180)		Faustina MinorC. Avidius CassiusAurelia FadillaLucius Verus
(r. 161–169) (1)		Ceionia FabiaPlautius QuintillusQ. Servilius PudensCeionia Plautia
Cornificia MinorM. Petronius SuraCommodus
(r. 177–192)		FadillaM. Annius Verus CaesarTi. Claudius Pompeianus (2)LucillaM. Plautius QuintillusJunius Licinius BalbusServilia Ceionia
Petronius AntoninusL. Aurelius Agaclytus (2)Aurelia SabinaL. Antistius Burrus (1)Plautius QuintillusPlautia ServillaC. Furius Sabinus TimesitheusAntonia GordianaJunius Licinius Balbus?
Furia Sabina TranquillinaGordian III
(r. 238–244)
  • (1) = 1st spouse
  • (2) = 2nd spouse
  • (3) = 3rd spouse
  •   Reddish-purple indicates emperor of the Nerva–Antonine dynasty  lighter purple indicates designated imperial heir of said dynasty who never reigned  grey indicates unsuccessful imperial aspirants  bluish-purple indicates emperors of other dynasties
  • dashed lines indicate adoption; dotted lines indicate love affairs/unmarried relationships
  • Small Caps = posthumously deified (Augusti, Augustae, or other)
Notes:

Except where otherwise noted, the notes below indicate that an individual's parentage is as shown in the above family tree.

  1. Sister of Trajan's father: Giacosa (1977), p. 7.
  2. Giacosa (1977), p. 8.
  3. ^ Levick (2014), p. 161.
  4. Husband of Ulpia Marciana: Levick (2014), p. 161.
  5. ^ Giacosa (1977), p. 7.
  6. ^ DIR contributor (Herbert W. Benario, 2000), "Hadrian".
  7. ^ Giacosa (1977), p. 9.
  8. Husband of Salonia Matidia: Levick (2014), p. 161.
  9. Smith (1870), "Julius Servianus".
  10. Smith (1870), "Hadrian", pp. 319–322.
  11. Lover of Hadrian: Lambert (1984), p. 99 and passim; deification: Lamber (1984), pp. 2–5, etc.
  12. Husband of Rupilia Faustina: Levick (2014), p. 163.
  13. ^ Levick (2014), p. 163.
  14. It is uncertain whether Rupilia Faustina was Frugi's daughter by Salonia Matidia or another woman.
  15. ^ Levick (2014), p. 162.
  16. ^ Levick (2014), p. 164.
  17. Wife of M. Annius Verus: Giacosa (1977), p. 10.
  18. Wife of M. Annius Libo: Levick (2014), p. 163.
  19. ^ Giacosa (1977), p. 10.
  20. The epitomator of Cassius Dio (72.22) gives the story that Faustina the Elder promised to marry Avidius Cassius. This is also echoed in HA "Marcus Aurelius" 24.
  21. Husband of Ceionia Fabia: Levick (2014), p. 164.
  22. ^ Levick (2014), p. 117.
References:

Notes

  1. Lucius Aelius was given the title of Caesar, but because he died before Hadrian, he never assumed the throne.
  2. HA Marcus 6.2; Verus 2.3–4; Birley, Marcus Aurelius, 53–54.

Sources

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