Marcus Peducaeus Plautius Quintillus

Marcus Peducaeus Plautius Quintillus (died 205) was a Roman noble closely related by birth, adoption, and marriage to the Nerva-Antonine emperors. Through his marriage to Fadilla, the daughter of Emperor Marcus Aurelius and Empress Faustina the Younger, he became the brother-in-law to the future emperor, Commodus. Despite his position, he never became emperor himself. After Commodus was assassinated in 192, he fell out of favor with Septimus Severus during the Year of the Five Emperors. In 205, he committed suicide after Septimus Severus issued an order for his execution.

Early life

Plautius was the maternal grandson of Lucius Aelius, the first adoptive heir of Hadrian who had died before ascending to the throne. His maternal uncle was Lucius Verus--Marcus Aurelius' adoptive brother with whom he later jointly ruled. His mother, the noblewoman Ceionia Fabia, was at one time betrothed to Marcus Aurelius. After that arrangement was cancelled by Antoninus Pius, his mother married the consul Plautius Quintillus, Plautius' father. At some point, he was adopted as the heir of Marcus Peducaeus Stologa Priscinus, who was consul in 141. Plautius' birth name is unknown. Through his adopted father, as well as his natural father and mother, he could claim descent from families of the highest nobility. Plautius’ paternal grandfather could have been the consul and possible Roman priest Lucius Titius Epidius Aquilinus, and his paternal uncle could have been the consul Lucius Titius Plautius Aquilinus.

Antonine era

Lucius Verus's wife and Plautius' aunt by marriage was Lucilla, Marcus Aurelius' niece. when he married Fadilla, he became son-in-law to Marcus Aurelius and brother-in-law to Commodus. They had two children: a son (Plautius) Quintillus and a daughter Plautia Servilla. In 177, Plautius served as consul with Commodus and then again with Commodus at an unknown date in his reign 180-192. He was also an Augur. When Marcus Aurelius died in 180, Commodus succeeded him, and Plautius was one of his main advisers.

Year of the Five Emperors

After the assassination of Commodus, in December 192, the civil war that ensued saw 5 different men assume the throne. Plautius was not one of them. After Pertinax was murdered, the Praetorian Guard literally auctioned off the throne. Didius Julianus was the highest bidder and was emperor for 9 weeks until his own murder. As Septimus Severus advanced on Rome, Plautius' actions apparently put him out of favor with Severus.

Plautius remained a Senator and kept his country villa. In 205, Septimus Severus ordered his execution, and Plautius took his own life. It is unknown whether Fadilla was still alive then.

Nerva–Antonine family tree

Nerva–Antonine family tree
Q. Marcius Barea Soranus Q. Marcius Barea Sura Antonia Furnilla M. Cocceius Nerva Sergia Plautilla P. Aelius Hadrianus Titus (r. 79–81) Marcia Furnilla Marcia Trajanus Pater Nerva (r. 96–98) Ulpia Aelius Hadrianus Marullinus Flavia Marciana C. Salonius Matidius Trajan (r. 98–117) Plotina P. Acilius Attianus P. Aelius Afer Paulina Major Lucius Mindius (2) Libo Rupilius Frugi (3) Salonia Matidia L. Vibius Sabinus (1) Paulina Minor L. Julius Ursus Servianus Matidia Minor Sabina Hadrian (r. 117–138) Antinous C. Fuscus Salinator I Julia Serviana Paulina M. Annius Verus Rupilia Faustina Boionia Procilla Cn. Arrius Antoninus L. Ceionius Commodus Appia Severa C. Fuscus Salinator II L. Caesennius Paetus Arria Antonina Arria Fadilla T. Aurelius Fulvus L. Caesennius Antoninus L. Commodus Plautia unknown C. Avidius Nigrinus M. Annius Verus Calvisia Domitia Lucilla Fundania M. Annius Libo Faustina Antoninus Pius (r. 138–161) L. Aelius Caesar Avidia Cornificia Marcus Aurelius (r. 161–180) Faustina Minor C. Avidius Cassius Aurelia Fadilla Lucius Verus (r. 161–169) (1) Ceionia Fabia Plautius Quintillus Q. Servilius Pudens Ceionia Plautia Cornificia Minor M. Petronius Sura Commodus (r. 177–192) Fadilla M. Annius Verus Caesar Ti. Claudius Pompeianus (2) Lucilla M. Plautius Quintillus Junius Licinius Balbus Servilia Ceionia Petronius Antoninus L. Aurelius Agaclytus (2) Aurelia Sabina L. Antistius Burrus (1) Plautius Quintillus Plautia Servilla C. Furius Sabinus Timesitheus Antonia Gordiana Junius Licinius Balbus? Furia Sabina Tranquillina Gordian III (r. 238–244)
(1) = 1st spouse (2) = 2nd spouse (3) = 3rd spouse   Reddish-purple indicates emperor of the Nerva–Antonine dynasty   lighter purple indicates designated imperial heir of said dynasty who never reigned   grey indicates unsuccessful imperial aspirants   bluish-purple indicates emperors of other dynasties dashed lines indicate adoption; dotted lines indicate love affairs/unmarried relationships Small Caps = posthumously deified (Augusti, Augustae, or other)
Notes: Except where otherwise noted, the notes below indicate that an individual's parentage is as shown in the above family tree.
References: DIR contributors (2000). "De Imperatoribus Romanis: An Online Encyclopedia of Roman Rulers and Their Families". Retrieved 2015-04-14. Giacosa, Giorgio (1977). Women of the Caesars: Their Lives and Portraits on Coins. Translated by R. Ross Holloway. Milan: Edizioni Arte e Moneta. ISBN 0-8390-0193-2. Lambert, Royston (1984). Beloved and God: The Story of Hadrian and Antinous. New York: Viking. ISBN 0-670-15708-2. Levick, Barbara (2014). Faustina I and II: Imperial Women of the Golden Age. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-537941-9. Smith, William, ed. (1870). Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology.

Sources

• Septimius Severus: the African emperor, by Anthony Richard Birley Edition: 2 - 1999
• From Tiberius to the Antonines: a history of the Roman Empire AD 14-192, by Albino Garzetti, 1974
• The Cambridge ancient history, Volume 11 By Alan K. Bowman, Peter Garnsey, Dominic Rathbone Limited preview - Edition: 2 - Item notes: v. 11 – 2000
• Marcus Aurelius, by Anthony Richard Birley, Routledge, 2000
• de:Plautius Quintillus
• http://www.livius.org/di-dn/divi_fratres/fadilla.html
• http://img249.imageshack.us/img249/6756/gensadoptengbf2.swf