Ulpia Severina
Encyclopedia
Ulpia Severina was a Roman Empress, the wife of the emperor Aurelian
. There is evidence that she reigned in her own right for some period after Aurelian's death in 275, which would make her the only woman to have ruled over the entire Roman Empire
by her own power. Very little is known about her, as there are no literary sources mentioning her existence. Almost everything known about her, including her name, is gathered from coins and inscriptions.
. It has been suggested that she was the daughter of Ulpius Crinitu, a figure appearing in the Historia Augusta. This Ulpius is said to have been a descendant of the line of Trajan
and to have supported and adopted Aurelian. However, the Historia Augusta is notoriously unreliable, and the story, and perhaps Ulpius himself, may have been invented by propagandists trying to connect Aurelian with the "Good Emperor" Trajan. Some scholars believe that Ulpia Severina was from Dacia
, where the nomen
Ulpius
was common due to the influence of Trajan.
At any rate, Ulpia Severina married Aurelian probably before he became emperor in 270. It is known they had a daughter. According to coinage depicting her, Ulpia gained the title Augusta
in the autumn of 274, though it is possible she had the title even before that. She also received the titles of Pia ("pious") and mater castrorum et senatus et patriae ("mother of the barracks (armies), senate, and country").
There is considerable numismatic evidence for Ulpia Severina ruling in her own right between the death of Aurelian and the election of Marcus Claudius Tacitus
. Sources mention an interregnum
between Aurelian and Tacitus, and some of Ulpia's coins appear to have been minted after Aurelian's death.
The Western Roman Empire produced no known empresses regnant, though the obscure Ulpia Severina probably ruled in her own right for some time after the death of her husband Aurelian.
275 Sole Regent Dowager Empress Ulipia Serverina of The Roman Empire (March-September)
Reigned alone after her husband, Aurelianus' death until Tacitus was named emperor.
Aurelian
Aurelian , was Roman Emperor from 270 to 275. During his reign, he defeated the Alamanni after a devastating war. He also defeated the Goths, Vandals, Juthungi, Sarmatians, and Carpi. Aurelian restored the Empire's eastern provinces after his conquest of the Palmyrene Empire in 273. The following...
. There is evidence that she reigned in her own right for some period after Aurelian's death in 275, which would make her the only woman to have ruled over the entire Roman Empire
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....
by her own power. Very little is known about her, as there are no literary sources mentioning her existence. Almost everything known about her, including her name, is gathered from coins and inscriptions.
Life
Nothing certain is known of Ulpia Severina before her marriage to AurelianAurelian
Aurelian , was Roman Emperor from 270 to 275. During his reign, he defeated the Alamanni after a devastating war. He also defeated the Goths, Vandals, Juthungi, Sarmatians, and Carpi. Aurelian restored the Empire's eastern provinces after his conquest of the Palmyrene Empire in 273. The following...
. It has been suggested that she was the daughter of Ulpius Crinitu, a figure appearing in the Historia Augusta. This Ulpius is said to have been a descendant of the line of Trajan
Trajan
Trajan , was Roman Emperor from 98 to 117 AD. Born into a non-patrician family in the province of Hispania Baetica, in Spain Trajan rose to prominence during the reign of emperor Domitian. Serving as a legatus legionis in Hispania Tarraconensis, in Spain, in 89 Trajan supported the emperor against...
and to have supported and adopted Aurelian. However, the Historia Augusta is notoriously unreliable, and the story, and perhaps Ulpius himself, may have been invented by propagandists trying to connect Aurelian with the "Good Emperor" Trajan. Some scholars believe that Ulpia Severina was from Dacia
Dacia
In ancient geography, especially in Roman sources, Dacia was the land inhabited by the Dacians or Getae as they were known by the Greeks—the branch of the Thracians north of the Haemus range...
, where the nomen
Roman naming conventions
By the Republican era and throughout the Imperial era, a name in ancient Rome for a male citizen consisted of three parts : praenomen , nomen and cognomen...
Ulpius
Ulpia (gens)
The gens Ulpia was a Roman family, which rose to prominence during the 1st century AD The gens is best known from the emperor Marcus Ulpius Trajanus, who reigned from AD 98 to 117. The Thirtieth Legion took its name, Ulpia, in his honor....
was common due to the influence of Trajan.
At any rate, Ulpia Severina married Aurelian probably before he became emperor in 270. It is known they had a daughter. According to coinage depicting her, Ulpia gained the title Augusta
Augusta (honorific)
Augusta was the imperial honorific title of empresses. It was given to the women of the Roman and Byzantine imperial families. In the third century, Augustae could also receive the titles of Mater castrorum and Mater Patriae .The title implied the greatest prestige, with the Augustae able to...
in the autumn of 274, though it is possible she had the title even before that. She also received the titles of Pia ("pious") and mater castrorum et senatus et patriae ("mother of the barracks (armies), senate, and country").
There is considerable numismatic evidence for Ulpia Severina ruling in her own right between the death of Aurelian and the election of Marcus Claudius Tacitus
Marcus Claudius Tacitus
Tacitus , was Roman Emperor from 275 to 276. During his short reign he campaigned against the Goths and the Heruli, for which he received the title Gothicus Maximus.-Biography:Tacitus was born in Interamna , in Italia...
. Sources mention an interregnum
Interregnum
An interregnum is a period of discontinuity or "gap" in a government, organization, or social order...
between Aurelian and Tacitus, and some of Ulpia's coins appear to have been minted after Aurelian's death.
The Western Roman Empire produced no known empresses regnant, though the obscure Ulpia Severina probably ruled in her own right for some time after the death of her husband Aurelian.
275 Sole Regent Dowager Empress Ulipia Serverina of The Roman Empire (March-September)
Reigned alone after her husband, Aurelianus' death until Tacitus was named emperor.