Sempronia (sister of the Gracchi)
Sempronia | |
---|---|
Born | |
Died | |
Spouse | Scipio Aemilianus |
Sempronia (170 BC – after 101 BC) was a Roman noblewoman living in the Middle and Late Roman Republic, who was most famous as the sister of the ill-fated Tiberius Gracchus (died 133 BC) and Gaius Gracchus (died 121 BC), and the wife of a Roman general Scipio Aemilianus.
Background
Sempronia was the oldest surviving child and only surviving daughter of
Sempronia was born in Rome around 170 BC, and was raised and educated there by her mother. Her father died suddenly in 154 BC, however it is probable that she was engaged while he was still alive. Her mother's maternal first cousin,
Marriage
Certain historical accounts state that Sempronia and Scipio had a very unhappy marriage. They did not show any affection towards each other, and Scipio complained of her lack of beauty and sterility.
In 133 BC, Tiberius Gracchus and some of his followers were clubbed to death in Rome. The conservative mob which attacked them was led by a close relative, Sempronia and Scipio's cousin
Scipio was held indirectly responsible for his brother-in-law's death, or at least, for his failure to prosecute those responsible for the murder of Roman citizens in the vicinity of the Senate. This, together with his want of tact in speaking to the people henceforth, led to a drop in his popularity among the Roman voters.[citation needed] However, he was still an influential and effective speaker in the Senate.[citation needed]
Around that same time, some translations assert that Scipio had made a comparison between himself and Tiberius Gracchus to Agamemnon and Aegisthus, respectively. The public at the time would have been able to extrapolate this comparison to come to the conclusion that Tiberius Gracchus and his sister Sempronia had shared an adulterous and incestuous relationship.[2] While there is no evidence to support this rumor, it is possible it influenced the later scandal between Sempronia and Lucius Equitus.
Death of Scipio Aemilianus
In 129 BC, Scipio told allies of Gracchus, notably the tribune Gaius Papirius Carbo, that he intended to formally denounce Tiberius Gracchus' reforms, notably the agrarian proposals.[citation needed] Carbo, then a tribune of the plebs, had been a long-time supporter of Tiberius Gracchus, and at that time he was a bitter enemy of Scipio. Scipio returned home and went to bed early, planning to make his crucial speech the next day in the Senate. The following morning, he was found dead in his bed.
There had been no history of illness. His body was hastily cremated, rather than interred as customary among the Scipios.
Modern scholars suggest that if Scipio was murdered, it was probably
Later years
Sempronia lived quietly after her husband's death with her mother.[citation needed] After her younger brother also died in 121 BC, his property was confiscated by a vindictive Senate. Her mother Cornelia Africana died later that year, leaving her property by special exemption to her infant granddaughter Sempronia (below).
Years after the death of Sempronia's husband Scipio, she was embroiled in another public scandal. Around 100 BC, one Roman politician quickly gained a reputation by claiming to be the bastard son of Sempronia's brother, Tiberius Gracchus. This Roman politician was named Lucius Equitus. It is possible that this scandal was influenced by the prior rumor that Sempronia and her brother had shared an incestuous relationship while Scipio was still alive, implying that Equitus was the result of this union.[2]
Regardless of whether the rumor of incest had taken hold, one tribune did seek confirmation from Sempronia that Lucius Equitus was indeed the direct descendant of her brother. It was demanded that Sempronia kiss Lucius Equitus in the Forum to provide proof of his claim as only surviving child of Tiberius Gracchus.[3] The general public was elated at the prospect of Tiberius Gracchus having a surviving descendant, but Sempronia would not confirm the rumor, indignantly denying it. Now, it is widely accepted that Lucius Equitus was not related to the Gracchus family in any way.[2]
Cultural depictions
Sempronia is featured in the painting Cornelia, Mother of the Gracchi, Pointing to her Children as Her Treasures by
See also
Notes
- ^ The family had a tomb, rediscovered in the eighteenth century, and now in the Vatican.
References
- ^ Chrystal, Paul (2017-05-17). "Roman Women: The Women who influenced the History of Rome".
- ^ ISSN 0066-4774.
- ^ ISBN 9781351871723.
Sources
- Sallust, De coniuratione Catilinae xxv
- Plutarch, Makers of Rome, Tiberius Gracchus.
- Valerius Maximus, Factorum et dictorum memorabilium libri iii.8.6, ix.15.1