Cornelia Postuma or Postuma Cornelia[1] (born 78 or 77 BC) was the only daughter of Roman dictator Sulla and his fifth wife, Valeria Messalla. She was Sulla's fifth and final known child.[a]
Postuma was delivered some months after Sulla's death. It is uncertain whether her name, Postuma, was a praenomen or cognomen, as the usage of the name Postuma as a female praenomen is unattested in epigraphical evidence for the Roman Republic period but it would have been unusual to give a cognomen at such an early date.[2] The male-equivalent praenomen Postumus is well attested.[3] Her birth was highly significant, as it unified Sulla's family with that of her mother's.[4]
She had three surviving older half-siblings – Cornelia Silla and the twins Faustus Cornelius Sulla and Fausta Cornelia – as well as a half-brother who died young. Her oldest sister, Silla, had already had children by the time Postuma was born.[5]
T. F. Carney presumes that she died young since there is no further mention of her in literature; he states that a member of such a notorious household could not have failed to be mentioned somewhere if she had been old enough to marry.[6] He assumes both she and her half-brother died in congenital infection, perhaps contracted by her mother from Sulla, who himself died of infected ulcers.[7]
Cultural depictionsedit
In Colleen McCullough's book Fortune's Favourites Postuma's mother Valeria expresses doubt that she is actually Sulla's child, believing that she was instead fathered by her lover Metrobius.[8]
^McCullough, Colleen (2013) [1993]. Fortune's Favourites. London: Head of Zeus. ISBN9781781857939 – via Google Books.
Bibliographyedit
Carney, Thomas F (1961). "The death of Sulla". Acta Classica: Proceedings of the Classical Association of South Africa. 4 (1): 64–79. JSTOR 24591114.
Kajava, Mika (1995). "Roman Female Praenomina: Studies in the Nomenclature of Roman Women". Acta Instituti Romani Finlandiae. Institutum Romanum Finlandiae. ISSN 0538-2270.
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cornelia, postuma, postuma, cornelia, born, only, daughter, roman, dictator, sulla, fifth, wife, valeria, messalla, sulla, fifth, final, known, child, contents, life, cultural, depictions, also, notes, references, bibliographylife, editpostuma, delivered, some. Cornelia Postuma or Postuma Cornelia 1 born 78 or 77 BC was the only daughter of Roman dictator Sulla and his fifth wife Valeria Messalla She was Sulla s fifth and final known child a Contents 1 Life 2 Cultural depictions 3 See also 4 Notes 5 References 6 BibliographyLife editPostuma was delivered some months after Sulla s death It is uncertain whether her name Postuma was a praenomen or cognomen as the usage of the name Postuma as a female praenomen is unattested in epigraphical evidence for the Roman Republic period but it would have been unusual to give a cognomen at such an early date 2 The male equivalent praenomen Postumus is well attested 3 Her birth was highly significant as it unified Sulla s family with that of her mother s 4 She had three surviving older half siblings Cornelia Silla and the twins Faustus Cornelius Sulla and Fausta Cornelia as well as a half brother who died young Her oldest sister Silla had already had children by the time Postuma was born 5 T F Carney presumes that she died young since there is no further mention of her in literature he states that a member of such a notorious household could not have failed to be mentioned somewhere if she had been old enough to marry 6 He assumes both she and her half brother died in congenital infection perhaps contracted by her mother from Sulla who himself died of infected ulcers 7 Cultural depictions editIn Colleen McCullough s book Fortune s Favourites Postuma s mother Valeria expresses doubt that she is actually Sulla s child believing that she was instead fathered by her lover Metrobius 8 See also editPosthumously born notable people List of Roman women Roman naming conventions for femalesNotes edit Three surviving children from her father Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix s previous marriages are known Cornelia Silla Faustus Cornelius Sulla and Fausta Cornelia but another son who died young is attested to by Sulla s autobiography References edit Kajava 1995 p 285 Kajava 1995 p 181 Kajava 1995 p 111 Carney 1961 p 74 Historical Reflections Reflexions Historiques History Department University of Waterloo 1987 p 42 Carney 1961 p 75 Carney 1961 p 73 McCullough Colleen 2013 1993 Fortune s Favourites London Head of Zeus ISBN 9781781857939 via Google Books Bibliography editCarney Thomas F 1961 The death of Sulla Acta Classica Proceedings of the Classical Association of South Africa 4 1 64 79 JSTOR 24591114 Kajava Mika 1995 Roman Female Praenomina Studies in the Nomenclature of Roman Women Acta Instituti Romani Finlandiae Institutum Romanum Finlandiae ISSN 0538 2270 nbsp This ancient Roman biographical article is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Cornelia Postuma amp oldid 1210670907, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
