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Augusta (Greek: αὐγούστα)[1] was the feminine form of the title Augustus. It was usually given to the wives or relatives of the Roman Emperors and the Byzantine Emperors. In the third century, Augustae could also receive the titles of Mater castrorum and Mater patriae. During the Dominate however, the title was used more sparingly: only 9 of 30 imperial consorts during the period 324-527 were acclaimed as such. The title enjoyed great prestige, with the Augustae able to issue their own coinage, wore imperial regalia, and had their own parallel courts.[1]
Exceptionally, Zenobia, Queen of Palmyra, took the title Augusta when she took Egypt from the Romans and declared herself Queen of Egypt.
List of Augustae
- 14: Livia, wife of Augustus.
- 41: Antonia Minor, mother of Claudius.
- 50: Agrippina the Younger, wife of Claudius.
- 64: Poppaea Sabina and Claudia, wife and daughter of Nero.
- before 80: Flavia Domitilla, daughter of Vespasian.
- 105: Pompeia Plotina and Ulpia Marciana, wife and sister of Trajan.
- 112: Salonina Matidia, niece of Trajan.
- 128: Vibia Sabina, wife of Hadrian.
- 138: Faustina the Elder, wife of Antoninus Pius.
- 146: Faustina the Younger, daughter of Antoninus Pius, wife of Marcus Aurelius, mother of Commodus.
- 164: Lucilla, daughter of Marcus Aurelius and wife of Lucius Verus.
- 177: Bruttia Crispina, wife of Commodus.
- 193: Manlia Scantilla and Didia Clara, wife and daughter of Didius Julianus.
- 210s: Fulvia Plautilla, wife of Caracalla
- 220: Aquilia Severa, second and fourth wife of Elagabalus.
- 220s: Julia Avita Mamaea and Sallustia Orbiana, mother and wife of Alexander Severus.
- 238: Tranquillina, wife of Gordian III.
- 240s: Marcia Otacilia Severa, wife of Philip the Arab.
- 240: Herennia Etruscilla, wife of Trajan Decius, mother of Herennius Etruscus and Hostilian.
- 250s: Mariniana, wife of Valerian.
- c. 250: Cornelia Salonina, wife of Gallienus.
- 253: Cornelia Supra, wife of Aemilianus.
- 260: Sulpicia Dryantilla, wife of Regalianus.
- 269: Zenobia, a warrior queen who conquered the Roman-occupied Egypt, becoming the Queen of Egypt under the title of Augusta
- 274: Ulpia Severina, wife of Aurelian, possibly the only Augusta on her own right.
- 283: Magnia Urbica, wife of Carinus.
- 308: Galeria Valeria, daughter of Diocletian and wife of Galerius.
- after 312: Helena of Constantinople and Constantina, mother and daughter of Constantine I.
- between 364 and 378: Albia Domnica, wife of Valens.
- before 385: Aelia Flaccilla, wife of Theodosius I.
- ca 416?: Galla Placidia, daughter of Theodosius I, wife of Constantius III, mother of Valentinian III.
- 439: Licinia Eudoxia, wife of Valentinian III
- c. 440: Justa Grata Honoria, sister of Valentinian III.
- 475: Zenonis, wife of Basiliscus
- 527: Theodora, wife of Justinian I
- 1081: Anna Dalassena, mother of Alexios I Komnenos
References
- ^ a b Kazhdan, Alexander (Ed.) (1991). Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium. Oxford University Press. pp. 694–695. ISBN 978-0-19-504652-6.
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