Livia Orestilla

Livia Orestilla (her cognomen is sometimes given as Orestina and her nomen was likely actually Cornelia)[1] was the second wife of the Roman Emperor Caligula in AD 37 or 38.

Livia Orestilla
Livia Orestilla from "Promptuarii Iconum Insigniorum
Empress of the Roman Empire
Tenure	A few months around 37 and 38
Spouse	Gaius Calpurnius Piso, then Emperor Caligula

Biography

Background and name

Orestilla's father may have been Publius Cornelius Scipio Orestinus. He was descended from a branch of the Scipiones who were adopted from the Cornelii Lentuli, he was also possibly descended from the Mucia gens and the rather obscure Livii Ocellae.[2] A relation to the Lentuli would help to explain why Orestilla was chosen to become the mother of Julian heirs.[3]

Her name is given in ancient sources in several variants like "Livia Orestina", "Cornelia Orestilla" and "Cornelia Orestina".[4] Christian Settipani has speculated that her mother may have been a Livia, and thus Orestilla chose to use the more imperial name "Livia" instead of "Cornelia" to identify herself, similar to Livia Medullina.[5]

Marriages

She was originally married to Gaius Calpurnius Piso (who was later involved in a conspiracy to overthrow the emperor Nero in AD 65).[6] However, Piso was persuaded or forced to annul the marriage so that Caligula could marry her. According to both Dio and Suetonius, this occurred during Piso and Orestilla's wedding celebrations. Suetonius claims that Caligula issued a proclamation the next day that he had acquired a new wife in the tradition of Romulus and Augustus, who had both stolen wives from other men. Orestilla was apparently an unwilling Empress, and remained loyal to her first husband.[7] On the next day Caligula divorced Orestilla; however, he also prohibited her from returning to her relationship with Piso .

Later both Orestilla and Piso were banished for adultery to a distant island. Piso returned to Rome, one year later, after Caligula's assassination.

See also

• List of Roman women
• Women in ancient Rome

Citations

1. https://www.academia.edu/2414827/The_Name_of_Cornelia_Orestina_Orestilla
2. Craven, Maxwell (2019). The Imperial Families of Ancient Rome. Fonthill Media.
3. Hurley, Donna W. (1993). An Historical and Historiographical Commentary on Suetonius' Life of C. Caligula. Scholars Press. p. 102. ISBN 9781555408800.
4. Dio Cassius. "8.7". Roman History. 59. Retrieved 4 August 2013.
5. C. Settipani, «Continuité gentilice et continuité sénatoriale dans les familles sénatoriales romaines à l’époque impériale», 2000, p. 50—52
6. Suetonius. "Life of Caligula, 25.1". Lives of the Twelve Caesars. Retrieved 4 August 2013.
7. Winterling, Aloys. (2011). Caligula : a biography. Schneider, Deborah Lucas., Most, Glenn W., Psoinos, Paul. Berkeley: University of California Press. p. 67. ISBN 9780520943148. OCLC 747413936.