Aemilia Lepida
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Aemilia Lepida is the name of several Roman women, belonging to the gens Aemilia. Four of them are particulary noteworthy.
Daughter of Vipsania Julia
Aemilia Lepida (4/3 BC - 53) was the eldest daughter to Vipsania Julia and her father Lucius Aemilius Paullus. She was the first great-grandchild of Augustus and a descendant of the triumvir Marcus Aemilius Lepidus. She had a younger brother named Marcus Aemilius Lepidus (6-39) who married Caligula's sister Drusilla.
In her younger years, she was betrothed to Claudius, but Aemilia's parents fell out of favour with Augustus, so Augustus broke it off. She married Marcus Junius Silanus Torquatus, a member of the ancient Junia family. Their children were
- Marcus Junius Silanus Torquatus
- Junia Calvina
- Decimus Junius Silanus Torquatus
- Lucius Junius Silanus Torquatus
- Junia Lepida
Daughter to Lepidus the Younger
Aemilia Lepida was the daughter to Lepidus the Younger and sister to Manius Aemilius Lepidus. She married the wealthy Roman Governor Publius Sulpicius Quirinius. In her younger years, she was engaged to Augustus’ heir Lucius Caesar. She had borne a son to senator Mamercus Aemilius Scaurus.
In 20, she was charged with adultery, poisoning, consulting astrologers, falsely to claim to bear a son to her ex-husband and attempting to poison her ex-husband. At her trial her brother defended her. During her trial, the Games were held. Other distinguished ladies, accompanied her into the theatre and protested her innocence to Tiberius. She was found guilty and was executed.
Wife of Drusus
Aemilia Lepida (d. 36) was daughter of Marcus Aemilius Lepidus, consul in 6. She married her second cousin Drusus Caesar. Tacitus reports that during their marriage "she had pursued her husband with ceaseless accusations". In 36, she was charged with adultery with a slave and committed suicide, "since there was no question about her guilt" (Annals 6.40).
Wife of Galba
Aemilia Lepida was daughter of Manius Aemilius Lepidus. Married the future Roman Emperor Galba. He took their marriage very seriously. She had borne him two sons. After her and their son’s death, he never remarried.
When Lepida lived, Agrippina the Younger (then a widower after Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus death) tried to make shameless advances on him. Galba was never interested. On one occasion Lepida’s mother gave Agrippina the Younger in a whole bevy of married women a public reprimand and slapped her in the face.
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