Octavia

Also known as: sister Octavia · Family: Roman · Role: woman of the Roman aristocracy · First appears: Julius Caesar 27

In Julius Caesar 27, Octavia had been married to Caius Marcellus when Julius Caesar, her elder-kin, offered her in marriage to Pompey to preserve their alliance. In Augustus 29, her sibling Augustus named a portico for her; she later died during his fifty-fourth year, and he “after their decease paid the highest honours to their memory.”

Octavia was the daughter of Claudius and Messalina. After being contracted to Silanus, she was married to Nero; he soon divorced her for barrenness, banished her when the people condemned the divorce, and at last executed her on a charge of adultery that was “so impudent and false”.

Relationship record

Life events

• Julius Caesar offered Octavia in marriage to Pompey to preserve their alliance.(Julius Caesar 27)
  • With: Julius Caesar Pompey
  • “To maintain his alliance and good understanding with Pompey, he offered him in marriage his sister’s grand-daughter Octavia”
• Augustus constructed public buildings in the names of Lucius, Caius, Livia, and Octavia.(Augustus 29)
  • With: Augustus Lucius Caius Caesar (grandson of Augustus) Livia
  • “Thus he built the portico and basilica of Lucius and Caius, and the porticos of Livia and Octavia”
• Octavia died during Augustus's fifty-fourth year.(Augustus 61)
  • With: Augustus
  • “He lost his mother in his first consulship, and his sister Octavia, when he was in the fifty-fourth year of his age.”
• Augustus paid the highest honours to Octavia's memory after her death.(Augustus 61)
  • With: Augustus
  • “after their decease paid the highest honours to their memory.”
• Octavia married Nero after having been contracted to Silanus.(Claudius 27)
  • With: Nero
  • “Octavia to his step-son Nero, after she had been contracted to Silanus.”
• Nero married Octavia.(Nero 7)
  • With: Nero
  • “Soon afterwards, he married Octavia”
• Nero divorced Octavia for barrenness.(Nero 35)
  • With: Nero
  • “Soon afterwards, he made several attempts, but in vain, to strangle her, and then divorced her for barrenness.”
• Nero banished Octavia after the people condemned their divorce.(Nero 35)
  • With: Nero
  • “But the people, disapproving of the divorce, and making severe comments upon it, he also banished her.”
• Nero executed Octavia on a fabricated charge of adultery.(Nero 35)
  • With: Nero
  • “At last he put her to death, upon a charge of adultery, so impudent and false”
• Nero put Octavia to death.(Nero 57)
  • With: Nero
  • “he had formerly put Octavia to death”

Julius Caesar 27

• admirer: Pompey (Pompey was offered Octavia as a prospective bride.) “he offered him in marriage his sister’s grand-daughter Octavia, who had been married to Caius Marcellus”
• married with Caius Marcellus “Octavia, who had been married to Caius Marcellus”
• elder kin: Julius Caesar “he offered him in marriage his sister’s grand-daughter Octavia”

Augustus 29

• siblings with Augustus “He likewise constructed some public buildings in the name of others; for instance, his grandsons, his wife, and sister. Thus he built the portico and basilica of Lucius and Caius, and the porticos of Livia and Octavia, and the theatre of Marcellus.”

Augustus 61

• siblings with Augustus (The passage explicitly identifies Octavia as Augustus's sister.) “He lost his mother in his first consulship, and his sister Octavia, when he was in the fifty-fourth year of his age.”

Tiberius 6

• child: Marcellus “whilst Marcellus, Octavia’s son, rode that on the right.”

Claudius 27

• parent: Claudius “He had children by three of his wives: by Urgulanilla, Drusus and Claudia; by Paetina, Antonia; and by Messalina, Octavia, and also a son, whom at first he called Germanicus, but afterwards Britannicus.”
• parent: Messalina “He had children by three of his wives: by Urgulanilla, Drusus and Claudia; by Paetina, Antonia; and by Messalina, Octavia, and also a son, whom at first he called Germanicus, but afterwards Britannicus.”
• married with Nero “Octavia to his step-son Nero, after she had been contracted to Silanus.”
• engaged with Silanus “Octavia to his step-son Nero, after she had been contracted to Silanus.”

Nero 7

• married with Nero “Soon afterwards, he married Octavia”

Nero 35

• married with Nero “He had, besides Octavia, two other wives: Poppaea Sabina, whose father had borne the office of quaestor, and who had been married before to a Roman knight: and, after her, Statilia Messalina,”

Nero 46

• married with Nero “that he was dragged by his wife Octavia into a prodigiously dark place;”

Nero 57

• married with Nero (The killing of Octavia presupposes their marriage.) “He died in the thirty-second year of his age, upon the same day on which he had formerly put Octavia to death;”

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Extracted from the original text of The Lives of the Twelve Caesars. Made with Rho MD.