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 120 B.C. - 0054 B.C.
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| Name |
Aurelia Cotta |
| Birth |
120 B.C. |
| Gender |
Female |
| Death |
0054 B.C. |
| Notes |
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aurelia_Cotta
«b»Aurelia Cotta«/b» or «b»Aurelia«/b» (120 BC-54 BC) was the mother of dictator Gaius «u»Julius Caesar «/u». She was a daughter of Rutilia and Lucius Aurelius Cotta. Her father was «u»consul «/u» in 119 BC and her paternal grandfather of the same name was consul in 144 BC. The «u»Aurelii «/u» Cottae family were prominent during the «u»Roman «/u» Republican era. Her mother Rutilia, was a member of the «i»gens«/i» «u»Rutilius «/u» cognominated Rufus. They were of consular rank.
Three of her half-brothers were consuls: «u»Gaius Aurelius Cotta «/u» in 75 BC, Marcus Cotta in 74 BC and «u»Lucius Cotta «/u» in 65 BC; they were the sons of her mother, Rutilia's second marriage with her paternal uncle Gaius Aurelius Cotta.
Aurelia married a «u»praetor «/u» «u»Gaius Julius Caesar «/u». Her husband died 85 BC-84 BC. Their children were:
«tab»«u»Julia Caesaris Major «/u»
«u»«tab»Julia Caesaris Minor «/u» (101 BC-51 BC)
«u»«tab»Gaius Julius Caesar «/u» (100 BC-44 BC)
The historian «u»Tacitus «/u» considers her an ideal Roman matron and thinks highly of her. «u»Plutarch «/u» describes her as a "strict and respectable" woman. Highly intelligent, independent and renowned for her beauty and common sense, Aurelia was held in high regard throughout Rome.
Aurelia and her family were very influential in her son's upbringing and security. Her husband, the elder Gaius Caesar, was often away, so the task of raising their son fell mostly on Aurelia's shoulders. When the younger Caesar was about 18, he was ordered by the then dictator of Rome, Lucius Cornelius Sulla, to divorce his young wife Cornelia. Young Caesar firmly refused, and by so doing, put himself at great risk from Sulla. Aurelia became involved in the petition to save her son and along with her brother «u»Gaius Cotta «/u», defended young Caesar against the «i»dictator«/i» «u»Lucius Cornelius Sulla «/u».
During the «u»Bona Dea «/u» festival, held at Caesar's house, it was she who discovered «u»Publius Clodius «/u» disguised as a woman, ostensibly in order to start or continue an affair with her second daughter-in-law Pompeia Sulla (see, «u»Pompeia (wife of Julius Caesar) «/u». Although Caesar himself admitted her possible innocence, he divorced her shortly after saying, "Caesar's wife must be above suspicion."
After her first daughter in law «u»Cornelia Cinna minor «/u» died young, Aurelia raised her young granddaughter «u»Julia Caesaris «/u» in her stead and presided as mistress over her son's households.
Retrieved from "«u»<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aurelia_Cotta>«/u»"
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| Person ID |
I61228 |
Glenn Cook Family |
| Last Modified |
19 Jun 2013 |
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