Augusta (Greek: αὐγούστα)[1] was the imperial honorific title of empresses. It was given to the women of the Roman and Byzantine imperial families. In the third century, Augustae could also receive the titles of Mater castrorum ("Mother of the Camp") and Mater Patriae ("Mother of the Fatherland").The title implied the greatest prestige, with the Augustae able to issue their own coinage, wear imperial regalia, rule having their own courts.[1] Zenobia, Queen of Palmyra, took the title Augusta when she took Egypt from the Romans and declared herself Queen of Egypt.
Contents |
List of Augustae
Name | Date | Notes | References | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Livia | 14 | Wife of Emperor Augustus. | ||
Antonia Minor | 41 | Mother of Emperor Claudius. | ||
Agrippina the Younger | 50 | Wife of Emperor Claudius. | ||
Poppaea Sabina | 64 | Wife of Emperor Nero. | ||
Claudia Augusta | 64 | Daughter of Emperor Nero. | ||
Flavia Domitilla | before 80 | Daughter of Emperor Vespasian. | ||
Pompeia Plotina | 105 | Wife of Emperor Trajan. | ||
Ulpia Marciana | 105 | Sister of Emperor Trajan. | ||
Salonina Matidia | 112 | Niece of Emperor Trajan. | ||
Vibia Sabina | 128 | Wife of Emperor Hadrian. | ||
Faustina the Elder | 138 | Wife of Emperor Antoninus Pius. | ||
Faustina the Younger | 146 | Daughter of Emperor Antoninus Pius, wife of Emperor Marcus Aurelius, mother of Emperor Commodus. | ||
Lucilla | 164 | Daughter of Emperor Marcus Aurelius and wife of Emperor Lucius Verus. | ||
Bruttia Crispina | 177 | Wife of Emperor Commodus. | ||
Manlia Scantilla | 193 | Wife of Emperor Didius Julianus. | ||
Didia Clara | 193 | Daughter of Emperor Didius Julianus. | ||
Fulvia Plautilla | 210s | Wife of Emperor Caracalla. | ||
Julia Cornelia Paula | 219 | First wife of Emperor Elagabalus. | ||
Aquilia Severa | 220 | Second and fourth wife of Emperor Elagabalus. | ||
Julia Avita Mamaea | 220s | Mother of Emperor Alexander Severus. | ||
Sallustia Orbiana | 220s | Wife of Emperor Alexander Severus. | ||
Tranquillina | 238 | Wife of Emperor Gordian III. | ||
Marcia Otacilia Severa | 240s | Wife of Emperor Philip the Arab. | ||
Herennia Etruscilla | 240 | Wife of Emperor Trajan Decius, mother of Emperor Herennius Etruscus and Emperor Hostilian. | ||
Mariniana | 250s | Wife of Emperor Valerian. | ||
Cornelia Salonina | circa 250 | Wife of Emperor Gallienus. | ||
Cornelia Supra | 253 | Wife of Aemilianus. | ||
Sulpicia Dryantilla | 260 | Wife of Emperor Regalianus. | ||
Zenobia | 269 | A warrior queen who conquered Roman-occupied Egypt, becoming the Queen of Egypt under the title of Augusta. | ||
Ulpia Severina | 274 | Wife of Emperor Aurelian, possibly the only Augusta on her own right. | ||
Magnia Urbica | 283 | Wife of Emperor Carinus. | ||
Galeria Valeria | 308 | Daughter of Emperor Diocletian and wife of Emperor Galerius. | ||
Helena of Constantinople | after 312 | Mother of Emperor Constantine I. | ||
Constantina | after 312 | Daughter of Emperor Constantine I. | ||
Albia Domnica | between 364 and 378 | Wife of Emperor Valens. | ||
Aelia Flaccilla | before 385 | Wife of Emperor Theodosius I. | ||
Aelia Eudoxia | 400 | Wife of Emperor Arcadius. | ||
Aelia Pulcheria | 414 | Daughter of Emperor Arcadius, wife of Emperor Marcian | ||
Galla Placidia | circa 416? | Daughter of Emperor Theodosius I, wife of Emperor Constantius III, mother of Emperor Valentinian III. | ||
Licinia Eudoxia | 439 | Wife of Emperor Valentinian III. | ||
Justa Grata Honoria | circa 440 | Sister of Emperor Valentinian III. | ||
Zenonis | 475 | Wife of Emperor Basiliscus. | ||
Theodora | 527 | Wife of Emperor Justinian I. | ||
Sophia | 568 | Wife of Emperor Justin II. | ||
Ino Anastasia | 578 | Wife of Emperor Tiberius II. | ||
Constantina | 582 | Wife of Emperor Maurice. | ||
Leontia | 602 | Wife of Emperor Phocas. | ||
Augustina | 639 | Daughter of Emperor Heraclius. | ||
Martina | 639 | Second wife of Emperor Heraclius. | ||
Fausta | 642 | Wife of Emperor Constans II. | ||
Maria | 25 August 718 | Wife of Emperor Leo III the Isaurian. | ||
Anna | 741/742 | Wife of Artabasdos. | ||
Eudokia | 1 April 769 | Third wife of Emperor Constantine V. | ||
Irene of Athens | 17 December 769 | Wife of Emperor Leo IV the Khazar. | ||
Theodote | 795 | Second wife of Emperor Constantine VI. | ||
Prokopia | 12 October 811 | Daughter of Emperor Nikephoros I and wife of Michael I Rhangabe. | ||
Theodora | 830 | Wife of Emperor Theophilos and regent. | ||
Thekla | 830s | Daughter of Emperor Theophilos. | ||
Anna | 830s | Daughter of Emperor Theophilos. | ||
Anastasia | 830s | Daughter of Emperor Theophilos. | ||
Zoe Zaoutzaina | 898 | Third wife of Leo VI the Wise | ||
Theodora | 921 | Wife of Emperor Romanos I (died in 922). | ||
Helena Lekapene | February 922 | Wife of Emperor Constantine VII. | ||
Sophia | Ferbuary 922 | Wife of Emperor Christopher Lekapenos. | ||
Anna | 933 | Daughter of Gabalas and wife of Stephen Lekapenos. | ||
Eudokia Makrembolitissa | between 1059-1067 | Second wife of Emperor Constantine X Doukas and later became the wife of Emperor Romanos IV Diogenes. | ||
Anna Dalassena | 1081 | Mother of Emperor Alexios I Komnenos. |
See also
References
- ^ a b Kazhdan 1991, pp. 694–695.
Sources
- Kazhdan, Alexander Petrovich, ed. (1991). The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium. New York, New York and Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-504652-8.