Urgulania

Urgulania (fl. 24 AD), was a prominent noblewoman during the reigns of Augustus and Tiberius, due to her friendship with the empress Livia. She was the mother of Marcus Plautius Silvanus (consul in 2 BC), who had distinguished himself with Tiberius in the Balkans. She was the grandmother to Plautia Urgulanilla, the first wife of the emperor Claudius, and another Marcus Plautius Silvanus, the suspect in a notorious murder case.

Life

Little is known of Urgulania's life prior to her son's consulship. Her husband, Marcus Plautius A.f. Silvanus, is only a name. Lily Ross Taylor notes that "Urgulania" was a very rare name, finding only 17 examples of it in the volumes of the Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum, most of which appear in the volume dedicated to inscriptions found in the city of Rome.[1] Ross is doubtful that Urgulania became friends with Livia prior to her son's marriage to Lartia, but concurs with Ronald Syme that her influence led to his consulship.[2]

Taylor offers an incident illustrating how warmly Urgulania felt towards the empress. The fasti of Trebula Suffenas, where the Plautii Silvani had their ancestral home, tells of Urgulania celebrating Livia's birthday in the year 24 by sponsoring a banquet for the decuriones and Augustales and a gladiator show for the common people. Taylor notes, "This is the only known municipal record of a celebration of Livia's birthday."[3]

Due to her closeness with Livia, Tacitus asserts that she held herself above the law. He relates how in AD 16 Lucius Calpurnius Piso the Augur, disgusted with "the corruption of the courts, the bribery of the judges, the cruel threats of accusations from hired orators" sued Urgulania. She refused her summons, and instead traveled to the palace where she had Livia issue a statement against Piso's actions. Livia called Tiberius and guard to come and stay with them, which forced Piso to go to them instead of the court. Livia paid a settlement and the matter was closed. Tacitus recounts a second trial where Urgulania was called as a witness; she demanded that the praetor take her deposition in her own home, rather than to attend the court. Even the vestal virgins did not have this privilege.[4]

In the year 24, Urgulania's star fell as a result of two blows to her family's reputation. Her grandson Silvanus' new wife, Apronia, was found dead in their home, apparently pushed from a great height. Tiberius himself came to investigate the crime scene, and Silvanus was implicated, and tried to claim that his ex-wife had cursed him. Before the trial could begin, Urgulania (perhaps at Livia's behest) sent her grandson a dagger. He used it on himself, saving himself (and her) the disgrace of being convicted of murder.[5]

Claudius divorced her granddaughter Urgulanilla due to a possible role in the murder.[6] Urgulanilla was also put away for adultery, and gave birth to an illegitimate daughter shortly after the divorce.[7] Urgulania's marriage connection with the imperial family was severed.

Understandably, Urgulania is not written of again after these events.

References

  1. ↑ Taylor, "Trebula Suffenas and the Plautii Silvani", Memoirs of the American Academy in Rome, 24 (1956), p. 26 n. 52
  2. ↑ Syme, The Roman Revolution (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1939) p. 422; Taylor, "Trebula Suffenas", pp. 26f
  3. ↑ Taylor, "Trebula Suffenas", p. 28
  4. ↑ Tacitus, Annals 2.34.
  5. ↑ Tacitus, Annals 4.22.
  6. ↑ Suetonius, Life of Claudius 26.
  7. ↑ Suetonius, Life of Claudius 27.
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