Arrecina Tertulla Explained

Arrecina Tertulla
Native Name:ARRECINA TERTVLLA
Native Name Lang:Latin
Known For:first wife of Titus
Spouse:Titus
Children:Julia Flavia
Mother:Julia Ursa
Father:Marcus Arrecinus Clemens

Arrecina Tertulla was a Roman woman who lived in the 1st century. She was the first wife of Titus and mother of his daughter Julia Flavia.

Biography

Early life

Tertulla came from an Equestrian-rank family of obscure origin. Her mother was Julia Ursa and her father was Marcus Arrecinus Clemens, who served as Emperor Caligula's praetorian prefect in 38 A.D. Tertulla's brother Marcus Arrecinus Clemens also served as a praetorian prefect in 70 under the Emperor Vespasian.

Her name "Tertulla", is a nickname for the female cognomen Tertia.

Marriage

In 62 Tertulla married Vespasian's first son, the future Emperor Titus. This marriage could have been arranged by the fathers of Tertulla and Titus, to promote Titus' political and military career, and to provide financial relief from the debt incurred by Vespasian's proconsulship. She bore Titus his first child, Julia Flavia.[1] The marriage did not last long, as Tertulla was either divorced or dead by 63, when Titus married for the second time to Marcia Furnilla.

Sources

Notes and References

  1. Book: W. Jones, Brian. The Emperor Domitian. Taylor & Francis. 1993. 9780415101950. 38.