FAUSTINA II Jr. Marcus Aurelius wife Ancient Roman Coin Thunderbolt i22658

Item: i22658

Authentic Ancient Coin of:

Faustina II – Roman Empress & Wife
of Emperor Marcus Aurelius – 161-175 A.D. –
Bronze 25mm (10.93 grams) Struck in Macedonia
ΦAVCTINA CEBACTH, Draped bust right.
KOINON MAKEΔONWN,
Thunderbolt of Zeus, with wings.

You

Authenticity.

Annia

Galeria Faustina Minor (Minor Latin for

the younger), Faustina Minor or Faustina

the Younger

(February

16 between 125 and 130-175) was a daughter of

Roman Emperor

Antoninus Pius

and Roman Empress

Faustina the Elder

. She was a Roman Empress and wife

to her maternal cousin Roman Emperor

Marcus Aurelius

. Though Roman sources give a

generally negative view of her character, she was held

in high esteem by soldiers and her own husband and was

given divine honours after her death.

//

 Biography

Faustina, named after her mother, was

her parents’ fourth and youngest child and their second

daughter; she was also their only child to survive to

adulthood. She was born and raised in

Rome

.

Her great uncle, the Emperor

Hadrian

, had arranged with her father for Faustina

to marry

Lucius Verus

. On February 25, 138, she and Verus

were betrothed.

Verus’ father

was Hadrian’s first adopted son and

his intended heir. However when Verus’ father died,

Hadrian chose Faustina’s father to be his second adopted

son, and eventually, he became Hadrian’s successor.

Faustina’s father ended the engagement between his

daughter and Verus and arranged for Faustina’s betrothal

to her maternal cousin,

Marcus Aurelius

; Aurelius was also adopted by her

father. On May 13, 145, Faustina and Marcus Aurelius

were married. When her father died on March 7, 161, her

husband and Lucius Verus succeeded to her father’s

throne and became co-rulers. Faustina was given the

title of

and became Empress.

Unfortunately, not much has survived

from the Roman sources regarding Faustina’s life, but

what is available does not give a good report.

Cassius Dio

and the

accuse Faustina of ordering

deaths by poison and execution; she has also been

accused of instigating the revolt of

Avidius Cassius

against her husband. The Augustan

History mentions adultery with sailors, gladiators,

and men of rank. However, Faustina and Aurelius seem to

have been very close and mutually devoted. Her husband

trusted her and defended her vigorously against

detractors.

Faustina accompanied her husband on

various military campaigns and enjoyed the love and

reverence of Roman soldiers. Aurelius gave her the title

of Mater Castrorum or Mother of the Camp.

Between 170-174, she was in the north, and in 175, she

accompanied Aurelius to the east. However, these

experiences took their toll on Faustina, who died in the

winter of 175, after an accident, at the military camp

in Halala (a city in the

Taurus Mountains

in

Cappadocia

).

Aurelius grieved much for his wife

and buried her in the Mausoleum of Hadrian in Rome. She

was deified: her statue was placed in the Temple of

Venus in Rome and a temple was dedicated to her in her

honor. Halala’s name was changed to Faustinopolis

and Aurelius opened charity schools for orphan girls

called Puellae Faustinianae or ‘Girls of

Faustina’.

The Baths of Faustina in

Miletus

are named after her.

In their thirty years of marriage,

Faustina bore Marcus Aurelius thirteen children:

1. Annia Aurelia Galeria Faustina

   (147-after 165)

2. Gemellus Lucillae (died around

   150), twin brother of Lucilla

3. Annia Aurelia Galeria

   Lucilla

   (148/50-182), twin sister of Gemellus,

   married her father’s co-ruler

   Lucius Verus

4. Titus Aelius Antoninus (born

   after 150, died before 7 March 161)

5. Titus Aelius Aurelius (born after

   150, died before 7 March 161)

6. Hadrianus (152-157)

7. Domitia Faustina (born after 150,

   died before 7 March 161)

8. Fadilla

   (159-after 211)

9. Annia Cornificia Faustina Minor

   (160-after 211)

10. Titus Aurelius Fulvus Antoninus

    (161-165), twin brother of Commodus

11. Commodus

    (161-192), twin brother of Titus

    Aurelius Fulvus Antoninus, later emperor

12. Marcus Annius Verus Caesar

    (162-169)

13. Vibia Aurelia Sabina (170-died before 217)