- Caecilia Paulina
Caecilia Paulina (died in 235/236) was the Empress of Rome and wife of Emperor
Maximinus Thrax , who ruled in 235-238.Name
Her full name, Diva Caecilia Paulina Pia Aug [usta] , was preserved on an inscription (CIL 10,5054).
On the coins she is called simply Diva Paulina, but these were not struck during her life, but some time later, probably after she was deified. No sculptural likenesses of her survive. [ [http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/bmcr/2005/2005-04-10.html Bryn Mawr Classical Review 2005.04.10 ] ]
Life
Almost nothing is known about her life. Ancient writers never mention her by name. The 4th century historian,
Ammianus Marcellinus wrote about Paulina in his book about the Gordians but this was lost. In a later passage Marcellinus refers to the Empress as the good wife of the truculent Maximinus who tried to "led him back into the paths of truth and mercy, by feminine gentleness". [ [http://www.tertullian.org/fathers/ammianus_14_book14.htm Ammianus Marcellinus, Roman History. London: Bohn (1862) Book 14. pp.1-45 ] ]She had one son,
Gaius Julius Verus Maximus , who was appointed Caesar by his father, but both men were murdered by the soldiers in May 238.Paulina probably died around late 235 or early 236. The city of
Anazarbus inCilicia struck coins in the name of "Thea Paulina" (the Greek equivalent of "Diva Paulina"), and dated it to the year 254 of that city’s era which equals 235/236 in our modern calendar. The fact that Paulina is called divine means that she was dead when the coins were produced. [ [http://ansmagazine.com/spring05/provincial.html Roman Provinicial Coins and Imperial Chronology from Elagabalus to Valerian ] ]Joannes Zonaras claims that Maximinus have executed her wife but that accusation is unproven, indeed highly improbable if she was deified by her husband.References
Pauly-Wissowa: Realencyclopädie der Classischen Altertumswissenschaft, III. p. 1236
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
