FAUSTINA II Junior 128-175 AD- Marcus Aurelius Wife – Ancient Silver Denarius
Specifications
| All Returns Accepted | ReturnsNotAccepted |
| Denomination | Denarius |
| Coin Type | Ancient Roman |
| Composition | Silver |
| Year | 128 AD |
| Era | Ancient |
| Grade | Ungraded |
| Ruler | Faustina II |
| Certification | Uncertified |
Annia Galeria Faustina the Younger(born probably 21 Septemberc.130AD, 175/176 AD) wasRoman empressfrom 161 to her death as the wife of EmperorMarcus Aurelius,her maternal cousin. Faustina was the youngest child of EmperorAntoninus Piusand EmpressFaustina the Elder. She was held in high esteem by soldiers and her husband asAugustaandMater Castrorum('Mother of the Camp') and was given divine honours after her death. Early life Marble statue of Faustina the Younger (165 AD) Palazzo Massimo alle Terme, Rome. Faustina, named after her mother, was her parents' fourth and youngest child and second daughter; she was also their only child to survive to adulthood. She was born and raised inRome. Her second cousin three times removed, emperorHadrian, had arranged with her father for Faustina to marryLucius Verus. On 25 February 138, she and Verus were betrothed.Verus' fatherwas 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. Imperial heiress In April or May 145,Faustina and Marcus Aurelius were married, as had been planned since 138. Since Aurelius was, by adoption, Antoninus Pius' son, under Roman law he was marrying his sister; Antoninus would have had to formally release one or the other from his paternal authority (hispatria potestas) for the ceremony to take place. Little is specifically known of the ceremony, but it is said to have been "noteworthy". Coins were issued with the heads of the couple, and Antoninus, asPontifex Maximus, would have officiated. Marcus makes no apparent reference to the marriage in his surviving letters, and only sparing references to Faustina. Faustina was given the title ofAugustaon 1 December 147 after the birth of her first child, Domitia Faustina. Empress When Antoninus died on 7 March 161, Marcus and Lucius Verus ascended to the throne and became co-rulers. Faustina then became empress. Following the birth of her first child in 147, Faustina obtained the title of Augusta granted to her by the Senate, before her husband Marcus Aurelius became Augustus himself in 161. Not much has survived from the Roman sources regarding Faustina's life, but what is available does not give a good report.Cassius Dioand the unreliableHistoria Augustaaccuse Faustina of ordering deaths by poison and execution; she has also been accused of instigating the revolt ofAvidius Cassiusagainst her husband. TheHistoria Augustamentions adultery with sailors, gladiators, and men of rank; however, Faustina and Aurelius seem to have been very close and mutually devoted. Faustina accompanied her husband on various military campaigns and enjoyed the excessive love and reverence of Roman soldiers. Aurelius gave her the title ofMater Castrorumor Mother of the Camp. She attempted to make her home out of an army camp. Between 170 and 175, she was in the north, and in 175, she accompanied Aurelius to the east. Revolt of Avidius Cassius and death That same year, 175, Aurelius's generalAvidius Cassiuswas proclaimedRoman emperorafter the erroneous news of Marcus's death; the sources indicate Cassius was encouraged by Marcus' wife Faustina, who was concerned about her husband's failing health, believing him to be on the verge of death, and felt the need for Cassius to act as a protector in this event, since her sonCommodus, aged 13, was still young. She also wanted someone who would act as a counter-weight to the claims ofTiberius Claudius Pompeianus, who was in a strong position to take the office ofPrincepsin the event of Marcus's death.The evidence, including Marcus's ownMeditations, supports the idea that Marcus was indeed quite ill, but by the time Marcus recovered, Cassius was already fully acclaimed by the Egyptian legions ofII Traiana FortisandXXII Deiotariana. "After a dream of empire lasting three months and six days", Cassius was murdered by acenturion; his head was sent to Marcus Aurelius, who refused to see it and ordered it buried. Egypt recognized Marcus as emperor again by 28 July 175. The facts concerning the death of Faustina are not definite. She died in the winter of 175 at the military camp inHalala(a city in theTaurus MountainsinCappadocia). The causes of her death are of speculation of scholars and range from death from natural causes, suicide, an accident, or even possibly assassination in retaliation for her alleged affair with Cassius earlier that year, depending on the source. Aurelius grieved much for his wife and buried her in the Mausoleum of Hadrian in Rome. She wasdeified: 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 toFaustinopolisand Aurelius opened charity schools for orphan girls calledPuellae Faustinianaeor 'Girls of Faustina'.The Baths of Faustina inMiletusare named after her.
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