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Serviliiya ServiliiyaRoman matron, lover of Julius Caesar, mother of his assassin Marcus Junius Brutus.
Country:
 Italy |
Content:
- Servilia Caepionis: Consort of Caesar, Mother of Brutus
- Early Marriages
- Relationship with Julius Caesar
- Influence on Her Son's Career
- Later Life and Legacy
Servilia Caepionis: Consort of Caesar, Mother of Brutus
Lineage and FamilyServilia, a renowned Roman matron, belonged to the esteemed patrician gens Servilia. Born around 100 BCE, she was the daughter of Quintus Servilius Caepio the Younger, a praetor, and Livia Drusa, daughter of Marcus Livius Drusus, a consul and censor.
Servilia's family was complex. She had two brothers, Quintus Servilius Caepio and Marcus Porcius Cato the Younger, and a younger sister, also named Servilia. The elder Servilia and Quintus were children of Livia's first marriage to Caepio, while the younger Servilia was born after Caepio and Livia divorced due to her affair with Cato the Elder. Livia subsequently remarried Cato, giving birth to Marcus Porcius Cato the Younger. Rumors also circulated that Quintus Servilius Caepio was actually Cato's son, not Caepio's.
Early Marriages
Servilia's first marriage was to Marcus Junius Brutus, a tribune of the plebs from the plebeian gens Junia Brutus. They welcomed a son, Marcus Junius Brutus, in 85 BCE. However, Brutus perished in 77 BCE after surrendering Mutina to Pompey the Great.
After Brutus' death, Servilia married Decimus Junius Silanus, son of Marcus Junius Silanus, a consul. Silanus became an aedile in 70 BCE and then consul in 62 BCE. He adopted Marcus Junius Brutus and fathered three daughters with Servilia: Junia Prima, Junia Secunda, and Junia Tertia (Tertulia).
Junia Secunda later became the wife of Marcus Aemilius Lepidus, while Tertulia married Gaius Cassius. Following Silanus' death in late 61 BCE, Servilia remained a widow for the rest of her life.
Relationship with Julius Caesar
Servilia and Julius Caesar began a long-lasting affair around 64-63 BCE, which lasted until Caesar's assassination in 44 BCE. Rumors suggested that Junia Tertia was actually Caesar's daughter, as Silanus' illness rendered him impotent by that time. However, she was publicly acknowledged by Silanus.
Servilia's appeal went beyond her physical attributes. Plutarch described her as a woman of "exceptional intellectual capacity." Their relationship is well-documented, with Plutarch and Suetonius providing accounts of their affection.
Influence on Her Son's Career
After her first husband's death, Servilia became the guardian of her son, Brutus the Younger. She played a crucial role in shaping his future.
In 63 BCE, she secured Caesar's consent for Brutus to marry Caesar's daughter, Julia Caesaris. However, Caesar later annulled the engagement in favor of Pompey the Great.
In the late 60s BCE, Quintus Servilius Caepio, Servilia's brother, died without issue in Asia. His estate passed to Brutus, who became the head of the Servilius Caepiones family and was henceforth known as Quintus Servilius Caepio Brutus. Rumors suggested that Servilia was involved in her brother's death, accusing her of poisoning him.
Later Life and Legacy
After the Battle of Philippi in 42 BCE, Mark Antony returned Brutus' ashes to Servilia, bringing closure to her life. Servilia Caepionis remained a significant figure in Roman history, remembered as a lover of Julius Caesar and the mother of his assassin, Marcus Junius Brutus.
