Kalpurnia Pizonis Roman matron, third wife of Julius Caesar. Country: Italy

1. Biography of Calpurnia Pisonis
2. Marriage to Caesar
3. Life After Caesar's Death

Biography of Calpurnia Pisonis

Calpurnia Pisonis was a Roman matron and the third wife of Julius Caesar. She belonged to the ancient plebeian family of the Calpurnii. Her father, Lucius Calpurnius Piso Caesoninus, was a consul in 58 BC. Through her maternal lineage, Calpurnia was a distant relative of Aurelia Cotta, Caesar's mother, as well as Pompey the Great. The name of Calpurnia's mother is unknown, and her exact date of birth is also uncertain. She married Caesar in 59 BC, which was her first marriage. Considering that girls in Rome usually got married at the age of 15-16, it can be assumed that she was born around 76 BC. Although there are no confirmed images of Calpurnia, she is attributed a bust which can be seen in this link: Bust of Calpurnia.

Marriage to Caesar

Calpurnia was married to Caesar in 59 BC. Shortly after their marriage, her father became a consul, with the patronage of Caesar, along with his associate Aulus Gabinius. There is very little information available about Calpurnia. It is known that Caesar was not faithful in his marriage and had numerous extramarital relationships. However, the fact that he still spent his nights with Calpurnia at their home indicates that they had a decent relationship.

On the night before Caesar's death, Calpurnia had a dream in which she saw her house collapsing and Caesar, wounded by several men, seeking refuge in her lap. According to various accounts, she dreamt that "her house collapsed, and her husband was murdered while seeking shelter in her arms," "the pediment of her house collapsed, and her husband was stabbed to death in her lap," and "she held her husband in her arms and mourned him as he floated down the river in a pool of blood." Upon waking up, Calpurnia pleaded with Caesar not to go to the Senate, but he ignored her pleas. A few hours later, Caesar was assassinated in the Senate.

Life After Caesar's Death

After Caesar's death, Calpurnia's fate is unknown, and she is not mentioned in the works of ancient historians. From indirect sources, it is known that she likely did not remarry and had no children. She lived in Herculaneum in wealth and honor, as the Calpurnii family was wealthy. The only written mention of her after Caesar's death is found in the epitaph on the grave of her freedman Icadion, discovered in Herculaneum.