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*For my final draft I intend on adding a substantial amount of information from the book Servilia and her Family by Triggiari. This will include content on her later life, family life, and more nuanced information on her relationships with other notable figures in the Republic*

Servilia (b. circa 104 BC, d. after 42 BC) was a Roman matron from a distinguished family, the Servilii Caepiones. She was the daughter of Quintus Servilius Caepio the Younger and Livia, thus the half-sister of Cato the Younger. She married Marcus Junius Brutus the Elder. They had a son, Brutus the Younger. After her first husband's death she married Decimus Junius Silanus, and had a son with him, as well as three daughters.

She gained fame as the mistress of Julius Caesar, whom her son Brutus and son-in-law Gaius Cassius Longinus, would assassinate in 44 BC. The relationship between Caesar and her seems to have been well known in Rome at the time and imperial historians characterized her as "the love of his life", "his only true love" and "his first love", Plutarch stated that she in turn was madly in love with him. When exactly their relationship began is unclear. Some historians believe it began when they were teenagers, while others think it started when they were in their 30s.

Biography

Early life

Servilia was a patrician who could trace her line back to Gaius Servilius Ahala, and was the eldest child of Livia and Quintus Servilius Caepio the Younger. Her parents had two other children, a younger Servilia and a Quintus Servilius Caepio. They divorced when she was young (c. 97 BC), and her mother then married Marcus Porcius Cato. From this union, Servilia's half-brother, Cato, and half-sister, Porcia, were born. However, her mother and stepfather both died before 91 BC. As a result, Servilia, her younger siblings, and her half-siblings were all brought up in the house of their maternal uncle, Marcus Livius Drusus. After the death of her mother and father, Servilia became legally independent and gained a considerable estate.

Servilia had great influence on her half-brother Cato the Younger. He was considered to be tough and wild as a child, which frames Servilia as his equal in those respects.

As a young girl belonging to Roman ruling class, Servilia would have been well educated. She likely would have been taught to read, write, sing, dance, and play an instrument. She would have read poetry, epics, and histories.

Servilia (Mother of Brutus)

Marriages and children

Servilia was married to Marcus Junius Brutus, tribune of the plebs and founder of a colony at Capua. They had one child, Marcus Junius Brutus, born about 85 BC. This was a profitable marriage for Brutus, who would gain fortune, stability, and political traction through Servilia. The elder Brutus was killed by Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus after the surrender of Mutina in 77 BC. After the death of the elder Brutus, Servilia's bond with her son grew.

Servilia subsequently married Decimus Junius Silanus (c. 76 BC), by whom she had three daughters: Junia Prima, Junia Secunda, and Junia Tertia. Her daughters were all married into prominent and politically active families. Junia Prima was married to Publius Servilius Isauricus. Junia Secunda was married to Marcus Aemilius Lepidus. Junia Tertia was married to Gaius Cassius Longinus. Servilia was well connected and facilitated these advantageous marriages herself.

It is speculated that either soon after she married Silanus, or after the births of her daughters, Servilia's notorious affair with Caesar began. Silanus is not depicted to have been against the affair. Servilia did not remarry after the death of Silanus in 57 BC, and remained unmarried for the rest of her life.

Political Involvement

Servilia worked extensively in 44BCE to ensure the safety of her family both attending senate meetings, and by contributing greatly to the discourses during their meetings. Cicero's letters detail other meetings of senate that Servilia had called to discuss what actions should be taken which would protect her son and sons-in-law. Cicero described her as a 'nervous lady', which could be understood as politically cautious.

Servilia's opinions were often held in higher esteem than that of Cicero during meetings with Brutus and other key members of the uprising. Due to women being unable to hold office or vote Servilia focused her political efforts on strategic marriages for her daughters and helping create her political career for her son Brutus.

In the aftermath of Caesar's assassination, the senate sought to send Cassius and Brutus to oversee grain commissions outside of Rome. Brutus was to go to Asia, but was reluctant to do so. The senatorial decree was, however, dropped, and Cicero claims that it was because of some action by Servilia.

During Brutus's exile, he was still the Urban Praetor. It is recorded that during his absence Servilia and Atticus took over his duties, with Servilia acting, essentially, as Brutus's substitute. During this time, Servilia organized the games in honour of Apollo. She was in charge of decisions concerning the ceremony, finances, and senatorial contacts.

Servilia led a council meeting to discuss the possible return of Brutus and Cassius from exile, which serves as the most explicit depiction of a woman overseeing a meeting in this period.

Relationship with Caesar

Caesar had numerous affairs with women married and unmarried, but none lasted as long, nor were they as passionate as his affair with Servilia. Their affair is speculated to have begun circa. 70 BCE, after the execution of her first husband, M. Junius Brutus, and continued until the death of Caesar. The affair was well known, and Servilia suffered to damage to her reputation because of this relationship, in fact it likely improved.

Plutarch only emphasized Servilia’s devotion for Caesar, claiming that she was madly in love with him, however it is widely accepted that Caesar held a deep affection for Servilia. Scholars speculate that it was Caesar’s affections which allowed the affair to continue for as long as it did.

A popular rumor during their affair was that Servilia was prostituting her daughter to Caesar. At an estate auction where Caesar received several properties at a low rate to give to Servilia, Cicero remarked, "It's a better bargain than you think, for there is a third (tertia) off," alluding to his supposed affair with Junia Tertia.

A similar rumour held that Servilia's son, Marcus Junius Brutus, was Caesar's son, but this is unlikely on chronological grounds, as Caesar was only fifteen years old when Brutus was born.

In 63 BC, Servilia contributed to a scandalous incident during a debate in the senate over the fate of those who had conspired with Catiline. Caesar and Cato, Servilia's half-brother, were on opposing sides in the debate, and when someone handed Caesar a letter, Cato accused him of corresponding with the conspirators, and demanded it be read aloud. The missive proved to be a love letter from Servilia. Cato was greatly displeased to find out about Caesar's correspondence with his half-sister. Modern scholars have made use of this incident to indicate the passion between Servilia and Caesar, noting that Servilia maintained long-distance contact while Caesar was away. Servilia's loyalties were torn during the Civil War, as both Cato and Brutus espoused the side of Pompeius, despite the latter's role in the death of the elder Brutus. Perhaps out of a desire to avoid offending Servilia, Caesar gave orders that Brutus should not be harmed if encountered after the Pompeian defeat at Pharsalus.

Brutus's actions during her later life

A rift developed between Servilia and her son in 45 BC, when Brutus unexpectedly, and some thought unreasonably, divorced Claudia Pulchra, in order to marry his cousin, Porcia, the daughter of Cato. Servilia seems to have worried that Porcia would exert too strong an influence on her son, and she may well have been jealous of the affection that Brutus showed his new bride.

After Caesar's assassination in 44 BC, in a conspiracy headed by Servilia's son and son-in-law, the conspirators met at Servilia's house. Apart from Servilia, the only women in attendance were Porcia and Junia Tertia. Despite her connections with the conspirators, Servilia escaped the purges of the second triumvirate unscathed, probably due to the fact that she was Lepidus' mother-in-law. After Brutus' death, her son's ashes were sent to her from Philippi. While Porcia died soon after her husband, Servilia lived out the remainder of her life in relative comfort and affluence under the care of Cicero's friend, Titus Pomponius Atticus.

Marriages and issue

• Marcus Junius Brutus the Elder
  • Marcus Junius Brutus
• Decimus Junius Silanus, the consul of 62 BC
  • Marcus Junius Silanus, the consul of 25 BC
  • Junia Prima (married Publius Servilius Isauricus, the consul of 48 BC)
  • Junia Secunda (married Marcus Aemilius Lepidus, the future triumvir of the Second Triumvirate)
  • Junia Tertia (married Gaius Cassius Longinus, another prominent assassin of Julius Caesar.)

Brutus family tree
Salonia (2) Cato the Elder Licinia (1) Marcus Porcius Cato Salonianus Marcus Porcius Cato Licinianus Marcus Livius Drusus Marcus Porcius Cato (2) Livia Quintus Servilius Caepio (1) Marcus Livius Drusus Atilia (1) Cato the Younger Marcus Livius Drusus Claudianus, adopted son Marcus Junius Brutus (1) Servilia Decimus Junius Silanus (2) Servilia Gnaeus Servilius Caepio Marcus Porcius Cato Porcia Marcus Junius Brutus† Junia Prima Junia Tertia Gaius Cassius Longinus x Junia Secunda Marcus Aemilius Lepidus (triumvir) Descendant of Pompey and Sulla son Manius Aemilius Lepidus Aemilia Lepida II
(1): 1st spouse (2): 2nd spouse †: assassin of Caesar
Notes:

Cultural depictions

Literature

Servilia is the subject of a poem by John Dryden. A fictionalized Servilia appears in the Emperor series of novels by Conn Iggulden, who has portrayed her as a courtesan. Servilia is a character in Colleen McCullough's Masters of Rome series.

Television and film

A fictionalised version of Servilia was a main character in the 2005 HBO television series Rome, played by Lindsay Duncan. A similarly fictionalised Servilia makes an appearance in the 2005 six-part mini series Empire, here played by Trudie Styler. Natalie Medlock portrays Servilia in the 2018 Netflix television docudrama series Roman Empire.

See also

• Servilia (gens)
• List of Roman women

Sources

• Suetonius, Julius Caesar 50
• Plutarch, Cato the Younger, Brutus
• Appian, Civil Wars
• Cicero, Letters F 12.7, A 14.21, A 15.11, A 15.12
• Cornelius Nepos, Atticus

CLAS 2673 Annotated Bibliography

Name: Abby Secord

Wikipedia Topic: Servilia (Mother of Brutus

Hallett, Judith P.. Fathers and Daughters in Roman Society: Women and the Elite Family. Princeton University Press, 1984.

Hallett’s text discusses the circumstances under which Servilia was raised, and the dynamics of her family and relationships with her siblings. On pages 49-52 Hallett discusses her childhood and her affair with Caesar. On page 210 the text also discusses her relationship and influence on her brother Cato. With this information I will supplement the Wikipedia article’s content on her early life and family, as well as provide more information on her relationship with Cato.

Servilia had great influence on her half-brother Cato the Younger. She also influences Caesar during their affair, convincing him to spare the life of Brutus at Pharsalus. And it is assumed that she had great influence on the second triumvirate, being that it consisted of her son and Cassius, her son-in-law.

Respect and power over Brutus and Cato.

Dixon, Suzanne. The Roman Mother. Routledge, 2013.

Dixon discusses Servilia’s relationship with her son Brutus. The text includes how their relationship compares with typical relationships between a Roman mother and her son. On page 29 of the text, Dixon explains the amount of respect Servilia received from all of her children, and the people around her. On page 194, Servilia’s political involvement is briefly touched on. I will use the information provided by this text to go into more detail on how much Servilia was or was not a typical Roman mother, in order to better contextualize her life and behaviour.

Servilia opposed Brutus' marriage to Porcia. Servilia was strategic in her political involvement and relationships, remaining on Caesar's good side, while looking out for the safety of her son, and building support for Brutus.

Osgood, Josiah. Turia: A Roman Woman’s Civil War. Oxford University Press, 2014.

Osgood provides a lot of information on Servilia’s involvement in her son’s political career. Throughout the pages 48 to 59, the text provides information on her political involvement in Caesar’s civil war, and her role in keeping her son Brutus out of trouble. I will use this information to create a new section on Servilia’s page outlining her role in Roman politics.

Servilia's children were all married out to prominent and politically active families.

During the civil war at Pharsalus, Brutus sided against Caesar, but Plutarch wrote that it was as a favour to Servilia that Brutus was spared by Caesar.

Cassius married to Tertia. Worked extensively in 44BCE to ensure the safety of her family bob attending senate meetings, and contributing greatly to the discourses during their meetings. Cicero's letters detail other meetings of senate that Servilia had called to discuss what actions should be taken which would protect her son and sons-in-law. Cicero describing her as a 'nervous lady' which could be understood as politically cautious.

Goldsworthy, Adrian. Caesar: Life of a Colossus. Yale University Press, 2006.

Goldsworthy’s text provides a lot of detail on Servilia’s affair with Caesar and the extent of their connection. On pages 85-86, the text is focused on when the affair with Caesar started, and several details concerning their relationship. On page 141, Goldsworthy goes into detail on a note Caesar received from Servilia, which Cato saw. This scene is first depicted in Plutarch’s Life of Brutus, which I am using as well, but Goldsworthy makes this anecdote easier to understand. This scene is not discussed at all in the Wikipedia article, so I will include it. I will also use the information from this text to supplement what is already available on the affair between Servilia and Caesar.

Caesar had several affairs with married women, but none lasted as long as his affair with Servilia, and none contained as much passion.

Servilia's opinions were often held in higher esteem than that of Cicero during meetings with Brutus and other key members of the uprising. Because women were not able to hold office or vote, it is unsurprising that Servilia focused her political efforts on strategic marriages of her daughters and the political career of her son Brutus. She remained faithful to her husbands apart from her affair with Caesar, and did not let her passionate relationship with him get in the way of her relationship with her family.

Caesar received a note during a senate meeting, an anecdote which was imparted by Plutarch. Cato assumed this note was a secret correspondence with the enemy, but Cato soon realised, after making Caesar share the message, that it was a correspondence from Servilia, Cato's own half-sister. This displeased Cato greatly, but also indicated that Servilia and Caesar's relationship was very passionate, and indignant to the opinions of those closest to the Roman mother.

Bauman, Richard A.. Women and Politics in Ancient Rome. Routledge, 1994.

Bauman’s text provides vast detail concerning Servilia’s political involvement. On pages 73-87, the text discusses her influence on several politicians, as well as her own political activity. I will use the information provided from this text to supplement the section that I am creating on Servilia’s political involvement.

James, Sharon L. and Sheila Dillon. A Companion to Women in the Ancient World. John Wiley & Sons, 2012.

James and Dillon’s text goes into detail on the assertive and powerful qualities Servilia displayed, and how they presented themselves at a young age, after the death of her parents. The text goes into detail on her agency in the domestic sphere, which is discussed on page 361, as well as her power in the political realm. On page 375 of the text, they discuss Servilia’s involvement in politics after the death of Caesar, which is not touched on as much in the other sources. I will use this source to strengthen my section on her political involvement, as well as supplementing what the article has written on her early life and childhood.

Plutarch. Plutarch's Lives. with an English Translation by. Bernadotte Perrin. Cambridge, MA. Harvard University Press. London. William Heinemann Ltd. 1918.

Servilia traced her lineage back to Servilius Ahala. Sister of Cato the philosopher. Caesar said not to kill Brutus after he sided with Pompey. Plutarch attributes this to his regard for Servilia. According to Plutarch, Caesar was intimate with Servilia, and she was in love with him. Plutarch also says that Brutus was born at the height of their affair.