Statilia Messalina (?), third wife of Nero

Statilia Messalina (c. AD 35- after 68). Roman patrician woman and third wife to Emperor Nero (from 66 to 68). The ancient sources say little of her family; however, Suetonius states that she was a great granddaughter of Titus Statilius Taurus, a Roman General who won a triumph and was twice consul. She may have been the daughter of T. Statilius Taurus who was consul in AD 44 and who was forced to commit suicide in AD 53. Her grandmother was possibly Valeria Messalina (not to be confused with the third wife of the emperor Claudius), a daughter of Marcus Valerius Messala Corvinus, consul in 31 BC. Her first husband was the consul Marcus Julius Vestinus Atticus to whom she may have bore a son (who died in AD 88). Around AD 65, she became Nero's mistress. After the death of Nero's second wife Poppaea Sabina, Vestinus was forced to commit suicide in AD 66, so Nero could marry Statilia. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (529x757, 113 KB)Portrait bust of a neronian patrician lady. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (529x757, 113 KB)Portrait bust of a neronian patrician lady. ... The Julio-Claudian dynasty was the series of the first five Roman Emperors. ... For the honorific title, see Augustus (honorific). ... Tiberius Caesar Augustus, born Tiberius Claudius Nero (November 16, 42 BC – March 16 AD 37), was the second Roman Emperor, from the death of Augustus in AD 14 until his own death in 37 AD. Tiberius was by birth a Claudian, son of Tiberius Nero and Livia. ... Caligula Gaius Julius Caesar Germanicus (August 31, 12 – January 24, 41), most commonly known as Caligula, was the third Roman Emperor and a member of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, ruling from 37 to 41. ... For other uses, see Claudius (disambiguation). ... Nero Claudius Cæsar Augustus Germanicus (December 15, 37–June 9, 68), born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus, also called Nero Claudius Drusus Germanicus, was the fifth and last Roman Emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty (54–68). ... For alternate uses, see Number 35. ... Centuries: 1st century BCE - 1st century - 2nd century Decades: 10s 20s 30s 40s 50s - 60s - 70s 80s 90s 100s 110s Years: 63 64 65 66 67 - 68 - 69 70 71 72 73 Events June 9 - Roman Emperor Nero commits suicide. ... Nero Claudius Cæsar Augustus Germanicus (December 15, 37–June 9, 68), born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus, also called Nero Claudius Drusus Germanicus, was the fifth and last Roman Emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty (54–68). ... For other uses, see number 66. ... Centuries: 1st century BCE - 1st century - 2nd century Decades: 10s 20s 30s 40s 50s - 60s - 70s 80s 90s 100s 110s Years: 63 64 65 66 67 - 68 - 69 70 71 72 73 Events June 9 - Roman Emperor Nero commits suicide. ... This article is about the Roman historian. ... Consul (abbrev. ... For alternate uses, see Number 44. ... For other uses, see number 53. ... For other uses, see Claudius (disambiguation). ... Marcus Valerius Messalla Corvinus (64 BC - AD 8) was a Roman general, author and patron of literature and art. ... Centuries: 2nd century BC - 1st century BC - 1st century Decades: 80s BC 70s BC 60s BC 50s BC 40s BC - 30s BC - 20s BC 10s BC 0s 10s 20s Years: 36 BC 35 BC 34 BC 33 BC 32 BC 31 BC 30 BC 29 BC 28 BC 27 BC... Centuries: 1st century BC - 1st century - 2nd century Decades: 0s BC - 0s - 10s - 20s - 30s - 40s - 50s - 60s - 70s - 80s - 90s - 100s Years: 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 Events Pope Clement I succeeded Pope Anacletus I Han Hedi succeeded Han Zhangdi as emperor of... For other uses, see number 65. ... Poppaea Poppaea Sabina (died 65) was the second wife of the Roman Emperor Nero. ... For other uses, see number 66. ...

Although witty and scheming, she was far less flamboyant than her predessor and kept a rather low profile in the public eye. She was one of the few of Nero's courtiers who survived the fall of his reign.

After Nero's death, Otho promised her to marry her, before his suicide in 69 AD. Emperor Otho. ...

Roman coinage of her can seen at http://www.wildwinds.com/coins/ric/statilia_messalina/t.html

See also

• Julio-Claudian Family Tree

The Julio-Claudian dynasty of the early Roman Empire has a family tree complicated by multiple marriages between the members of the gens Julia and the gens Claudia. ...

References

Biography:

• Griffin, Miriam, Nero. The End of a Dynasty. Batsford, London, 1984
• Raepsaet-Charlier M.-Th., Prosopographie des femmes de l'ordre sénatorial (Ier-IIe siècles), 2 vol., Louvain, 1987, 360 ff.

Portraiture:

• Zanker, P, Fittschen, K., Katalog der römischen Porträts in den Capitolinischen Museen und den anderen kommunalen Sammlungen der Stadt Rom, Mainz am Rhein, 1983, 75, Taf.93.94.

Ancient

• Tacitus
• Suetonius
• Juvenal