Bruttia Crispina

Bruttia Crispina (164-191?) was the Empress of Rome and wife of Roman Emperor Commodus.

Crispina’s mother is unknown and her father was twice consul Gaius Bruttius Praesens. Crispina’s paternal grandparents were consul and senator Caius Bruttius Praesens and rich heiress Laberia Hostilia Crispina, who was the daughter of another twice consul, Manius Laberius Maximus. Crispina's brother was future consul Lucius Bruttius Quintius Crispinus. Her father’s family originally came from Volceii, Lucania, Italy and were closely associated with the Roman Emperors Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius and Marcus Aurelius. Crispina was born and raised in Rome or Volceii.

Crispina married Commodus, in the summer of 178 (probably July). The actual ceremony was modest but it was commemorated on coinage and largesse was distributed to the people. An epithalamium for the occasion was composed by the sophist Julius Pollux. Like many marriages of young members of the upper orders, it was an arranged marriage: Crispina's father and Marcus Aurelius (Commodus’ father) had arranged for it to occur. Commodus disliked Crispina, presumably due to her character - she was a beautiful woman, but said to be vain and haughty. She received the title of Augusta.

On the basis of a misreading of SHA Commodus 5.9 and Dio 73.4.6 her fall is sometimes wrongly associated with the conspiracy of Lucilla in 181 or 182. Her name continues to appear in inscriptions until as late as 191 (CIL 8.2366). Her eventual exile and death may instead have been associated with the fall of Marcus Aurelius Cleander or her inability to help Commodus ensure the dynastic succession.^[1]

Notes

^ Hekster, O. (2002), Commodus: An Emperor at the Crossroads, Gieben, pp. 71-72

Sources

Royal titles
Preceded by Annia Galeria Faustina Minor	Empress of Rome 178–182	Succeeded by Flavia Titiana

[1] Hekster, O. (2002), Commodus: An Emperor at the Crossroads, Gieben, pp. 71-72

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