Servilia (wife of Marcus Aemilius Lepidus)

Servilia was the daughter of Caesarian consul Publius Servilius Vatia Isauricus[1] and Junia Prima, the eldest daughter of Servilia Caepionis, a mistress of Julius Caesar and prominent woman of the late republic. This made her the niece of Junia Secunda, Junia Tertia, Marcus Junius Silanus and Marcus Junius Brutus, Caesar's assassin.[2]

Servilia was engaged to Octavian. This was likely a politically-motivated betrothal, since her father was one of Octavian's supporters and her mother, Junia Prima, was a sister-in-law of the triumvir Lepidus (married to Junia Secunda), thus the marriage would have strengthened Octavian's bonds with the two. Nonetheless, he eventually rejected her and married Clodia Pulchra instead. She went on to marry Lepidus Minor instead. This union was possibly proposed by her mother and Lepidus in an attempt to soothe any ill feelings created by Octavian's rejection.[3]

In 31 BC, her husband led a plot to assassinate Octavian, motivated by the banishment of his father (and possibly the scorning of his wife). He had tried to restore his exiled father to a position of authority but was caught and condemned to death.[3] When her husband was killed, she committed suicide, the method of which is stated in ancient sources to have been swallowing hot coals[4][5] or alternatively drinking to death, possibly due to coal-eating being regarded as too Gothic.[6] Suicide by a widow was considered a great sign of devotion in Rome at the time.[7] It has been propossed that her manner of death might have been misatributed to her cousin-once-removed Porcia historically.[8]