Catilia (gens)
Encyclopedia
The gens Catilia was a Roman
family of imperial times
. It is best known from Lucius Catilius Severus, consul
in AD 120, and subsequently praefectus urbi
. He was the maternal proavus, or great-grandfather, of the emperor Marcus Aurelius. At one time he hoped to obtain the empire himself, but he was removed from his office after expressing his disapprobation at the adoption of Antoninus Pius
, who had been his colleague in the consulship.
Another Catilius Severus was a relative of the emperor Alexander Severus
, and a member of his consilium. He is described by the historian Lampridius
as a vir omnium doctissimus, "the most learned of men."
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
family of imperial times
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
. It is best known from Lucius Catilius Severus, consul
Roman consul
A consul served in the highest elected political office of the Roman Republic.Each year, two consuls were elected together, to serve for a one-year term. Each consul was given veto power over his colleague and the officials would alternate each month...
in AD 120, and subsequently praefectus urbi
Praefectus urbi
The praefectus urbanus or praefectus urbi, in English the urban prefect, was prefect of the city of Rome, and later also of Constantinople. The office originated under the Roman kings, continued during the Republic and Empire, and held high importance in late Antiquity...
. He was the maternal proavus, or great-grandfather, of the emperor Marcus Aurelius. At one time he hoped to obtain the empire himself, but he was removed from his office after expressing his disapprobation at the adoption of Antoninus Pius
Antoninus Pius
Antoninus Pius , also known as Antoninus, was Roman Emperor from 138 to 161. He was a member of the Nerva-Antonine dynasty and the Aurelii. He did not possess the sobriquet "Pius" until after his accession to the throne...
, who had been his colleague in the consulship.
Another Catilius Severus was a relative of the emperor Alexander Severus
Alexander Severus
Severus Alexander was Roman Emperor from 222 to 235. Alexander was the last emperor of the Severan dynasty. He succeeded his cousin Elagabalus upon the latter's assassination in 222, and was ultimately assassinated himself, marking the epoch event for the Crisis of the Third Century — nearly fifty...
, and a member of his consilium. He is described by the historian Lampridius
Augustan History
The Augustan History is a late Roman collection of biographies, in Latin, of the Roman Emperors, their junior colleagues and usurpers of the period 117 to 284...
as a vir omnium doctissimus, "the most learned of men."