Publius Aelius Hadrianus Afer

Publius Aelius Hadrianus Afer was a distinct and wealthy Roman Senator and soldier who lived in the Roman Empire during the 1st century. Hadrianus Afer was originally from Hispania; however, he was of Roman descent. He was born and raised in the grand city of Italica (near modern Seville, Spain) in the Roman Province of Hispania Baetica. He came from a well-established, wealthy and aristocratic family of Praetorian rank. He was the son of the noble Roman woman called Ulpia and his father was a Roman Senator called Publius Aelius Hadrianus Marullinus. Hadrianus Afer’s maternal uncle was the Roman General and Senator Marcus Ulpius Traianus, the father of Ulpia Marciana and her younger brother Emperor Trajan. Ulpia Marciana and Trajan were his maternal cousins.

P. A. Hadrianus Afer from Promptuarii Iconum Insigniorum

Throughout his life, Hadrianus Afer spent various amounts of his time in Rome. His surname Afer is Latin for African. He received the surname Afer as a nickname, due to his outstanding service in Mauretania. Hadrianus Afer married Domitia Paulina, a Spanish Roman woman from a distinguished senatorial family who came from Gades (modern Cádiz, Spain). Their children were a daughter, Aelia Domitia Paulina (75–130) and a son, Emperor Publius Aelius Hadrianus (76–138). After reaching the praetorship, Afer and his wife died in 86. His son and daughter were put in the guardianship of his cousin Trajan and the Roman officer Publius Acilius Attianus.

Nerva–Antonine family tree

Nerva–Antonine family tree
Q. Marcius Barea Soranus Q. Marcius Barea Sura Antonia Furnilla M. Cocceius Nerva Sergia Plautilla P. Aelius Hadrianus Titus (r. 79–81) Marcia Furnilla Marcia Trajanus Pater Nerva (r. 96–98) Ulpia[lower-roman 1] Aelius Hadrianus Marullinus Julia Flavia[lower-roman 2] Marciana[lower-roman 3] C. Salonius Matidius[lower-roman 4] Trajan (r. 98–117) Plotina P. Acilius Attianus P. Aelius Afer[lower-roman 5] Paulina Major[lower-roman 6] Lucius Mindius (2) Libo Rupilius Frugi (3) Matidia[lower-roman 7] L. Vibius Sabinus (1)[lower-roman 8] Paulina Minor[lower-roman 6] L. Julius Ursus Servianus[lower-roman 9] Matidia Minor[lower-roman 7] Suetonius?[lower-roman 10] Sabina[lower-roman 3] Hadrian[lower-roman 5][lower-roman 11][lower-roman 6] (r. 117–138) Antinous[lower-roman 12] Julia Balbilla?[lower-roman 13] C. Fuscus Salinator I Julia Serviana Paulina M. Annius Verus[lower-roman 14] Rupilia Faustina[lower-roman 15] Boionia Procilla Cn. Arrius Antoninus L. Ceionius Commodus Appia Severa C. Fuscus Salinator II L. Caesennius Paetus Arria Antonina Arria Fadilla[lower-roman 16] T. Aurelius Fulvus L. Caesennius Antoninus L. Commodus Fundania Plautia ignota[lower-roman 17] C. Avidius Nigrinus M. Annius Verus[lower-roman 15] Domitia Calvilla[lower-roman 18] Fundania[lower-roman 19] M. Annius Libo[lower-roman 15] FAUSTINA[lower-roman 16] Antoninus Pius (r. 138–161)[lower-roman 16] L. Aelius Caesar[lower-roman 17] Avidia Plautia[lower-roman 17] Cornificia[lower-roman 15] MARCUS AURELIUS (r. 161–180)[lower-roman 20] FAUSTINA Minor[lower-roman 20] C. Avidius Cassius[lower-roman 21] Aurelia Fadilla[lower-roman 16] LUCIUS VERUS (r. 161–169)[lower-roman 17] (1) Ceionia Fabia[lower-roman 17] Plautius Quintillus[lower-roman 22] Q. Servilius Pudens Ceionia Plautia[lower-roman 17] Cornificia Minor[lower-roman 23] M. Petronius Sura COMMODUS (r. 177–192)[lower-roman 20] Fadilla[lower-roman 23] M. Annius Verus Caesar[lower-roman 20] Ti. Claudius Pompeianus (2) Lucilla[lower-roman 20] M. Plautius Quintillus[lower-roman 17] Junius Licinius Balbus Servilia Ceionia Petronius Antoninus L. Aurelius Agaclytus (2) Aurelia Sabina[lower-roman 23] L. Antistius Burrus (1) Plautius Quintillus Plautia Servilla C. Furius Sabinus Timesitheus Antonia Gordiana Junius Licinius Balbus? Furia Sabina Tranquillina GORDIAN III (r. 238–244)
(1) = 1st spouse (2) = 2nd spouse (3) = 3rd spouse   Reddish purple indicates emperor of the Nerva-Antonine dynasty   lighter purple indicates designated imperial heir of said dynasty who never reigned   grey indicates unsuccessful imperial aspirants   bluish purple indicates emperors of other dynasties dashed lines indicate adoption; dotted lines indicate love affairs/unmarried relationships small caps = posthumously deified (Augusti, Augustae, or other)
Notes: Except where otherwise noted, the notes below indicate that an individual's parentage is as shown in the above family tree. Sister of Trajan's father: Giacosa (1977), p. 7. Giacosa (1977), p. 8. Levick (2014), p. 161. Husband of Ulpia Marciana: Levick (2014), p. 161. Giacosa (1977), p. 7. DIR contributor (Herbert W. Benario, 2000), "Hadrian". Giacosa (1977), p. 9. Husband of Salonia Matidia: Levick (2014), p. 161. Smith (1870), "Julius Servianus". Suetonius a possible lover of Sabina: One interpretation of HA Hadrianus 11:3 Smith (1870), "Hadrian", pp. 319–322. Lover of Hadrian: Lambert (1984), p. 99 and passim; deification: Lamber (1984), pp. 2–5, etc. Julia Balbilla a possible lover of Sabina: A. R. Birley (1997), Hadrian, the Restless Emperor, p. 251, cited in Levick (2014), p. 30, who is sceptical of this suggestion. Husband of Rupilia Faustina: Levick (2014), p. 163. Levick (2014), p. 163. Levick (2014), p. 162. Levick (2014), p. 164. Wife of M. Annius Verus: Giacosa (1977), p. 10. Wife of M. Annius Libo: Levick (2014), p. 163. Giacosa (1977), p. 10. The epitomator of Cassius Dio (72.22) gives the story that Faustina the Elder promised to marry Avidius Cassius. This is also echoed in HA "Marcus Aurelius" 24. Husband of Ceionia Fabia: Levick (2014), p. 164. Levick (2014), p. 117.
References: DIR contributors (2000). "De Imperatoribus Romanis: An Online Encyclopedia of Roman Rulers and Their Families". Retrieved 2015-04-14. Giacosa, Giorgio (1977). Women of the Caesars: Their Lives and Portraits on Coins. Translated by R. Ross Holloway. Milan: Edizioni Arte e Moneta. ISBN 0-8390-0193-2. Lambert, Royston (1984). Beloved and God: The Story of Hadrian and Antinous. New York: Viking. ISBN 0-670-15708-2. Levick, Barbara (2014). Faustina I and II: Imperial Women of the Golden Age. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-537941-9. William Smith, ed. (1870). Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology.

Sources

• Historia Augusta - Life of Hadrian
• Roman-emperors.org
• Library.thinkquest.org
• Romans-inbritain.org.uk