Caesonia

Family: Julio-Claudian · Role: wife · First appears: Caligula 25

Caligula loved Caesonia with “a most passionate and constant affection.” After she had a child, he declared himself her husband, honored her with the title of wife, and declared himself the father of Julia Drusilla, whom he named.

Later, Caligula sometimes threatened to torture Caesonia to discover why he loved her so passionately. He boasted to her about condemning forty people in a single sentence, and it was believed that Caesonia gave him a love potion that threw him into a frenzy. At last, Caesonia was killed with Caligula, stabbed by a centurion.

Relationship record

Life events

• Caligula declared himself Caesonia’s husband and honored her with the title of wife.(Caligula 25)
  • With: Caligula
  • “After she had a child, he honoured her with the title of wife; in one and the same day, declaring himself her husband”
• Caesonia gave birth to Julia Drusilla, whom Caligula declared his child.(Caligula 25)
  • With: Julia Drusilla Caligula
  • “and father of the child of which she was delivered. He named it Julia Drusilla”
• Caligula threatened to torture Caesonia to discover why he loved her so passionately.(Caligula 33)
  • With: Caligula
  • “now and then he would threaten to put his dear Caesonia to the torture”
• Caligula condemned forty people in one sentence and boasted about it to Caesonia.(Caligula 38)
  • With: Caligula
  • “Impatient of the least delay, he condemned by a single sentence forty persons, against whom there were different charges; boasting to Caesonia when she awoke, ‘how much business he had dispatched while she was taking her mid-day sleep.’”
• Caesonia administered Caligula a love potion, throwing him into a frenzy.(Caligula 50)
  • With: Caligula
  • “It is believed that his wife Caesonia administered to him a love potion which threw him into a frenzy.”
• Caesonia was killed with Caligula by stabbing.(Caligula 59)
  • “His wife Caesonia was killed with him, being stabbed by a centurion;”

Caligula 25

• admirer: Caligula “He loved with a most passionate and constant affection Caesonia”
• married with Caligula “After she had a child, he honoured her with the title of wife; in one and the same day, declaring himself her husband”
• child: Julia Drusilla “After she had a child, he honoured her with the title of wife; in one and the same day, declaring himself her husband, and father of the child of which she was delivered. He named it Julia Drusilla”

Caligula 33

• married with Caligula (Caesonia is identified in the surrounding passage as the wife or mistress; the text does not resolve which.) “As often as he kissed the neck of his wife or mistress, he would say, ‘So beautiful a throat must be cut whenever I please;’ and now and then he would threaten to put his dear Caesonia to the torture, that he might discover why he loved her so passionately.”
• with Caligula (Caligula threatened Caesonia with torture.) “and now and then he would threaten to put his dear Caesonia to the torture, that he might discover why he loved her so passionately.”

Caligula 50

• married with Caligula “It is believed that his wife Caesonia administered to him a love potion which threw him into a frenzy.”

Caligula 59

• married with Caligula “His wife Caesonia was killed with him, being stabbed by a centurion;”

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