Domitia Lepida the Elder

Domitia (c. 19 BC, † 59 AD ) was a Roman noblewoman.

Life

Domitia was the eldest child of Antonia the Elder and Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus of the consul; besides, she was the great-niece of the Emperor Augustus, and the sister of Domitia Lepida Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus and who was the father of the young Emperor Nero and his wife Agrippina. This Domitia was also an aunt of Nero.

It is believed that Domitia received several marriages; so it is likely the Consul Decimus Haterius Agrippa († 32 AD) have married and have been by him the mother of Quintus Haterius Antoninus, the 53 AD should be consul. What is certain is attested only their (probably AD 33 closed ) marriage with a great-grandnephew of the historian Sallust, the rich and influential consul Gaius Crispus Sallust Passienus, who advocated it in a trial against her brother, which was for a lot of money went. The 40 AD Agrippina had become widow came back 41 AD from exile and courted Passienus Crispus. This therefore was probably divorced in the same year of Domitia to marry Agrippina can, thus, there was a strong and long-standing hatred between the two women. Therefore AD 55 led Domitia two of her freedmen, Atimetus ( with whom she is said to have had an affair ), and the dancers Lucius Domitius Paris to raise serious accusations against Agrippina, but without achieving anything.

Domitia was very wealthy and owned large estates in Baiae and Ravenna. It belonged to her probably also situated across the Tiber in Rome "Gardens Domitias " ( horti Domitiae ), where Emperor Hadrian later build his tomb. There namely the part of a water pipe tube was found, bearing the name of her husband Passienus Crispus. Nero aspired to the riches of his aunt and let her therefore allegedly poisoned 59 AD. At that time suffered from the already quite old Domitia constipated and was seriously ill and bedridden, as Nero visited. She said that she could die peacefully if he would shave his beard. Nero joked that he would shave the same, allegedly instructed the doctors, his aunt to administer an overdose of laxatives and seized their enormous treasures while she was dying.

On the Ara Pacis, one originating from the era of Augustus altar, Domitia is shown with her brother and her parents.