Cornelia (wife of Caesar)
Cornelia (died c. 69 BC), daughter of the Roman statesman Lucius Cornelius Cinna, was the first wife of Gaius Julius Caesar and the mother of his daughter Julia (daughter of Caesar). Her marriage to Caesar became politically significant during the dictatorship of Lucius Cornelius Sulla, who attempted to force Caesar to divorce her because of her family's political associations. Caesar refused, suffering the confiscation of his wife's dowry and the loss of his priesthood and family property. Cornelia is also remembered for the funeral oration Caesar delivered in her honour.
| Cornelia | |
|---|---|
| Wife of Gaius Julius Caesar | |
| Born | Unknown |
| Died | c. 69 BC (sometimes dated to 68 BC) |
| Father | Lucius Cornelius Cinna |
| Spouse | Gaius Julius Caesar |
| Children | Julia (daughter of Caesar) |
| Known for | First wife of Caesar; refusal of Sulla's divorce demand; mother of Julia |
Family and Marriage
Cornelia was the daughter of Lucius Cornelius Cinna, a leading Roman politician and supporter of Gaius Marius. Cinna had held the consulship four times and exercised dominant political influence in Rome during the period following Marius's return to power. His political position made his family closely associated with the Marian faction during the civil conflicts of the late Roman Republic.[1]
Following the death of his father, Caesar broke off his earlier engagement to Cossutia, a wealthy woman from the Roman equestrian order, and married Cornelia. The marriage is generally placed in the mid-80s BC, when Caesar was still a young man. According to Suetonius, Cornelia subsequently gave birth to their daughter Julia (daughter of Caesar).[2]
The marriage established a direct family connection between Caesar and Cinna, whose political influence and association with Marius would become especially important during the subsequent ascendancy of Sulla.
Conflict with Sulla
Following his victory in the civil war, Lucius Cornelius Sulla sought to consolidate his political authority and suppress the remaining influence of the Marian faction. Caesar's family connections, both through his aunt Julia, who had married Marius, and through his marriage to Cornelia, placed him in an uncomfortable political position.
Sulla demanded that Caesar divorce Cornelia. Caesar refused, despite the threats and financial consequences. According to Plutarch, Sulla was unable to induce Caesar to put away his wife either by promises or threats, and consequently confiscated her dowry.[3]
Suetonius provides further details of the consequences. Caesar lost his priesthood, his wife's dowry and his family inheritance. He was also regarded as a political opponent of the new regime and was forced into hiding, moving between various hiding places to evade Sulla's agents. Suetonius records that Caesar eventually secured forgiveness through the intervention of the Vestal Virgins and influential family connections.[4]
Plutarch similarly records that Caesar took refuge in the countryside of the Sabines. When Sulla's soldiers eventually encountered him, Caesar's situation remained precarious. His relatives and influential supporters intervened on his behalf. The episode became associated with Sulla's reported observation that there were many Mariuses in the young Caesar.[5]
Caesar's refusal to abandon Cornelia consequently became an important episode in his early career, demonstrating his determination to maintain his family relationships despite the considerable political and financial risks.
Daughter and Family
Cornelia and Caesar had one known daughter, Julia (daughter of Caesar), who subsequently became an important figure in Roman political history.
Julia married Pompey the Great in 59 BC, creating a family connection between Pompey and Caesar that helped strengthen their political alliance. Their marriage became an important personal bond between the two leading men of the First Triumvirate. Julia died in childbirth in 54 BC, and the death of both Julia and Marcus Licinius Crassus contributed to the eventual breakdown of the political alliance between Caesar and Pompey.[6]
Cornelia's daughter therefore became a significant figure in the political history of the late Roman Republic, although she died long before Julia's marriage to Pompey.
Death and Funeral Oration
Cornelia died during the early part of Caesar's political career, before his departure to Spain as quaestor. Her death is generally dated to approximately 69 BC, although some chronological accounts place it in 68 BC.
Both Plutarch and Suetonius record that Caesar delivered a public funeral oration in her honour. Suetonius states that, during his quaestorship, Caesar pronounced funeral speeches from the rostra in praise of both his aunt Julia and his wife Cornelia.[7]
Plutarch provides a particularly interesting observation concerning the circumstances. It was customary among the Romans to deliver public funeral orations for elderly women, but this was not normally done for younger women. Caesar was therefore the first to make such an oration for his own young wife. Plutarch records that this action won Caesar considerable popular affection, presenting him as a man of gentleness and feeling.[8]
Following Cornelia's death, Caesar subsequently married Pompeia, granddaughter of Sulla, whom he later divorced. He eventually married Calpurnia, who remained his wife until his assassination in 44 BC.[9]
Historical Significance
Although comparatively little is known about Cornelia's personal life, her marriage to Caesar provides an important insight into the political divisions of the late Roman Republic.
Her father, Cinna, had been one of the principal political opponents of Sulla, while Caesar's own family was connected to Marius through his aunt Julia. Caesar's refusal to divorce Cornelia illustrates the importance of these family relationships in the political struggles of the period.
The ancient accounts also preserve an unusual indication of Caesar's personal attachment to his wife. His decision to deliver a public funeral oration for Cornelia, despite the fact that such speeches were not customary for younger women, was remembered by both Plutarch and Suetonius.
Cornelia is consequently significant not only as Caesar's first wife and the mother of Julia, but also as a figure associated with the political circumstances that shaped Caesar's early career.
References
- ↑ Suetonius, The Twelve Caesars, Divus Julius, 1.1; Plutarch, Life of Caesar, 1.1. See also T. P. Wiseman, "Caesar [Gaius Julius Caesar]: (100–44 bc), politician, author, and military commander," Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, 2004.
- ↑ Suetonius, Divus Julius, 1.1; T. P. Wiseman, "Caesar [Gaius Julius Caesar]," Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.
- ↑ Plutarch, Life of Caesar, 1.1, trans. Bernadotte Perrin, Plutarch's Lives, Volume VII (Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann Ltd., 1919).
- ↑ Suetonius, Divus Julius, 1.1–3. Online text.
- ↑ Plutarch, Life of Caesar, 1.1–2; Suetonius, Divus Julius, 1.2–3.
- ↑ Guy Edward Farquhar Chilver, "Iulia (2), daughter of Iulius Caesar (2), d. 54 BCE," Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Classics, Oxford University Press, 2015.
- ↑ Suetonius, Divus Julius, 6.1. Online Latin text and English translation.
- ↑ Plutarch, Life of Caesar, 5.2–3, trans. Bernadotte Perrin. See also Original Source: Plutarch - Lives - Caesar.
- ↑ Suetonius, Divus Julius, 6.1; Macquarie University, "Caesar: A Historical Overview," Australian Centre for Ancient Numismatic Studies.