Paccia Marciana

Paccia Marciana
Paccia Marciana
Known for	first wife of Septimius Severus
Spouse	Septimius Severus (ca. 175-ca. 186)
Children	Septimia Major (possibly); Septimia Minor (possibly)

Paccia Marciana was the first wife of Septimius Severus, who later became Roman emperor. They married around 175 and she died of natural causes around 186.[1]

Posthumous inscription honoring Paccia

Name and marriage

Her name shows her links to two Roman gentes, the Paccia and the Marcia - the latter also included Marcia, mother of the emperor Trajan and his sister Ulpia Marciana.[2] She originated in Leptis Magna and was of Punic or Libyan origin, but virtually nothing else is known of her. Severus probably met her during his tenure as legate under his uncle - he does not mention her in his autobiography, though he later commemorated her with statues when he became Emperor.

Disputed issue

The Historia Augusta claims that Marciana and Severus had two daughters but their existence is nowhere else attested. It appears that the marriage produced no surviving children, despite lasting for more than ten years.[3] Aurelius Victor, Eutropius and the unknown author of Epitome de Caesaribus state that she and not Severus' second wife Julia Domna was the mother of Caracalla, though this is now disregarded and thought to be linked to their claims that Julia married Caracalla.[4] Julia Domna is widely accepted to be the mother of both Caracalla and his younger brother Geta.

Severan dynasty family tree

Septimius Macer

Gaius Claudius Septimius Aper

Fulvius Pius

Lucius Septimius Severus

Publius Septimius Aper

Gaius Septimius Aper

Fulvia Pia

Publius Septimius Geta

Septimia Polla

Julius Bassianus

Septimius

Publius Septimius Geta

Septimia Octavilla

Paccia Marciana (1)

Septimius Severus
(r. 193–211)[lower-roman 1]

Julia Domna (2)

Julia Maesa

Gaius Julius Avitus Alexianus

Gaius Septimius Severus Aper

Fulvia Plautilla

Caracalla
(r. 197–217)[lower-roman 2]

Geta
(r. 209–211)[lower-roman 3]

Julia Soaemias

Sextus Varius Marcellus

Julia Avita Mamaea

Unknown[lower-roman 4] (2)

Julia Cornelia Paula (1)

Aquilia Severa (2 and 4)

Elagabalus
(r. 218–222)[lower-roman 5]

Annia Faustina (3)

Sallustia Orbiana

Severus Alexander
(r. 222–235)[lower-roman 5]

(1) = 1st spouse
(2) = 2nd spouse
(3) = 3rd spouse
(4) = 4th spouse
Dark green indicates an emperor of the Severan dynasty

Notes:

Except where otherwise noted, the notes below indicate that an individual's parentage is as shown in the above family tree.

Birley, Anthony R. (1999). Septimius Severus: The African Emperor. London: Routledge. p. i.
Burrell, Barbara (2004). Neokoroi: Greek Cities and Roman Emperors. p. 216.
Burrell, Barbara (2004). Neokoroi: Greek Cities and Roman Emperors. p. 247.
Icks, Martijn (2011). The Crimes of Elagabalus: The Life and Legacy of Rome's Decadent Boy Emperor. London: I.B. Tauris & Co. Ltd. p. 57–58. ISBN 978-1-84885-362-1.
Gibbon, Edward; Smith, William (1889). The Student's Gibbon: The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. pp. 45–47.

Bibliography:

Birley, Anthony R. (1999). Septimius Severus: The African Emperor. London: Routledge. ISBN 0415165911.
Gibbon, Edward; Smith, William (1889). The Student's Gibbon: The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. London: Murray. OCLC 993285639.

References

Birley, Anthony R. (1999) [1971]. Septimius Severus: The African Emperor. London: Routledge. ISBN 0415165911, page 75
Birley, Anthony R. (1999) [1971]. Septimius Severus: The African Emperor. London: Routledge. ISBN 0415165911
Birley, Anthony R. (1999) [1971]. Septimius Severus: The African Emperor. London: Routledge. ISBN 0415165911, page 52
Aurelius Victor 21: 2-3; Eutropius 8,20,1; Epitome de Caesaribus 21.5.

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[5] Birley, Anthony R. (1999). Septimius Severus: The African Emperor. London: Routledge. p. i.

[6] Burrell, Barbara (2004). Neokoroi: Greek Cities and Roman Emperors. p. 216.

[7] Burrell, Barbara (2004). Neokoroi: Greek Cities and Roman Emperors. p. 247.

[8] Icks, Martijn (2011). The Crimes of Elagabalus: The Life and Legacy of Rome's Decadent Boy Emperor. London: I.B. Tauris & Co. Ltd. p. 57–58. ISBN 978-1-84885-362-1.

[gibbon-9] Gibbon, Edward; Smith, William (1889). The Student's Gibbon: The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. pp. 45–47.

[1] Birley, Anthony R. (1999) [1971]. Septimius Severus: The African Emperor. London: Routledge. ISBN 0415165911, page 75

[2] Birley, Anthony R. (1999) [1971]. Septimius Severus: The African Emperor. London: Routledge. ISBN 0415165911

[3] Birley, Anthony R. (1999) [1971]. Septimius Severus: The African Emperor. London: Routledge. ISBN 0415165911, page 52

[4] Aurelius Victor 21: 2-3; Eutropius 8,20,1; Epitome de Caesaribus 21.5.