Livilla Guide, Meaning , Facts, Information and Description
| Portrait of Livilla (often attributed to Livia) |
Livia Julia, also known as Livilla or Julia Livilla the Elder (circa 13 BC–AD 31) was the only daughter of Nero Claudius Drusus and Antonia. Her chief role in the history of the Julio-Claudian dynasty was as a bride for potential successors to the principate during the reigns of Augustus and her uncle Tiberius.
She was a sister of Germanicus and Claudius, daughter-in-Law of Agrippa and Tiberius, and aunt of Caligula, Agrippina the Younger and Britannicus. See also: Julio-Claudian family tree.
She was married twice, first in 1 BC to Gaius Caesar, grandson of Augustus and potential successor. Her husband died in 4 and Livilla married her cousin Drusus, son of Tiberius. Her daughter Claudia Julia was born shortly after this second wedding.
In 19 she gave birth to twin sons, Tiberius Gemellus and Germanicus Gemellus, though only Tiberius Gemellus survived infancy. In this time it appears she was seduced by Sejanus, the praetorian prefect of Tiberius. Sejanus had plans of his own and needed to remove Drusus as a potential successor. He was able to convince Livilla to help him murder her husband by poisoning him. This was done so skillfully that Drusus' death in 23 seemed natural and caused no suspicion. Sejanus' request to marry Livilla a few years later was however rejected by Tiberius.
In 31, Tiberius received evidence from his sister-in-law Antonia that Sejanus planned to overthrow him. Tiberius had Sejanus arrested and executed. Shortly before her own suicide, Sejanus' wife revealed the murder of Drusus and the complicity of Livilla, who was executed that same year.
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