Annia Galeria "The Elder" Faustina Verus

<p><font color="#000000"><strong>Annia Galeria Faustina</strong>, more familiarly referred to as <strong>Faustina the Elder</strong> (</font><font color="#000000">Latin</font><font color="#000000">: <strong>Faustina Major</strong>; born </font><font color="#000000">September 21</font><font color="#000000"> about </font><font color="#000000">100</font><font color="#000000">, died </font><font color="#000000">141</font><font color="#000000">), was a Roman Empress and wife of </font><font color="#000000">Roman Emperor</font><font color="#000000"> </font><font color="#000000">Antoninus Pius</font><font color="#000000">.</font></p><p><font color="#000000">Faustina was the only daughter of consul and prefect </font><font color="#000000">Marcus Annius Verus</font><font color="#000000"> and </font><font color="#000000">Rupilia</font><font color="#000000"> Faustina. Her younger brothers were consul </font><font color="#000000">Marcus Annius Libo</font><font color="#000000"> and </font><font color="#000000">praetor</font><font color="#000000"> Marcus Annius Verus. Her maternal aunts were </font><font color="#000000">Matidia Minor</font><font color="#000000">, Roman Empress </font><font color="#000000">Vibia Sabina</font><font color="#000000"> and Rupilia Annia. Her paternal grandfather had the same name as her father and her maternal grandparents were </font><font color="#000000">Salonina Matidia</font><font color="#000000"> (niece of Roman Emperor </font><font color="#000000">Trajan</font><font color="#000000">) and consul Lucius Scribonius Libo Rupilio Frugi or Bonus. As far it is known, she seems to be the only known granddaughter to Salonina Matidia. Faustina was born and raised in </font><font color="#000000">Rome</font><font color="#000000">.</font></p><p><font color="#000000">As a private citizen, she married Antoninus Pius between </font><font color="#000000">110</font><font color="#000000"> and </font><font color="#000000">115</font><font color="#000000">. Faustina and Antoninus had a very happy marriage. Faustina bore Antoninus four children, two sons and two daughters. They were:</font></p><ul><li><font color="#000000">Marcus Aurelius Fulvius Antoninus (died before </font><font color="#000000">138</font><font color="#000000">); his sepulchral inscription has been found at the Mausoleum of Hadrian in Rome. </font></li><li><font color="#000000">Marcus Galerius Aurelius Antoninus (died before </font><font color="#000000">138</font><font color="#000000">); his sepulchral inscription has been found at the Mausoleum of Hadrian in Rome. His name appears on a Greek Imperial coin. </font></li><li><font color="#000000">Aurelia Fadilla (died in </font><font color="#000000">135</font><font color="#000000">); she married Aelius Lamia Silvanus or Syllanus. She appears to have had no children with her husband and her sepulchral inscription has been found in </font><font color="#000000">Italy</font><font color="#000000">. </font></li><li><font color="#000000">Annia Galeria Faustina Minor or </font><font color="#000000">Faustina the Younger</font><font color="#000000"> (between </font><font color="#000000">125</font><font color="#000000">-</font><font color="#000000">130</font><font color="#000000">-</font><font color="#000000">175</font><font color="#000000">), a future Roman Empress; she married her maternal cousin, future Roman Emperor </font><font color="#000000">Marcus Aurelius</font><font color="#000000">. She was the only child who survived to adulthood. </font></li></ul><p><font color="#000000">On </font><font color="#000000">July 10</font><font color="#000000">, </font><font color="#000000">138</font><font color="#000000">, her uncle emperor </font><font color="#000000">Hadrian</font><font color="#000000"> had died and her husband became the new emperor. Antoninus was Hadrian&#39;s adopted son and heir. Faustina became Roman Empress and the senate accorded her the title of <em><font color="#000000">Augusta</font></em><font color="#000000">. Faustina as an empress was well respected and this beautiful woman was renowned for her wisdom. The <em>Augustan History</em></font> impugned her character, criticizing her as having &quot;excessive frankness&quot; and &quot;levity&quot;. However, this doesn&rsquo;t appear to be the case with her character. Throughout her life, Faustina &ndash; as a private citizen and an empress &ndash; was involved in assisting with charities, assisting the poor, and sponsoring and assisting in the education of Roman children, particularly of Roman girls.</font></p><div><div style="width: 282px"><font color="#000000"></font><font color="#000000"> </font><div><div><font color="#000000"></font></div><font color="#000000">Faustina on this coin celebrating </font><font color="#000000">Juno</font><font color="#000000">.</font></div></div></div><p><font color="#000000">She can be viewed as one of the most moral, stable and respected empresses in the history of the </font><font color="#000000">Roman Empire</font><font color="#000000">. When Faustina died, Antoninus was in complete mourning for Faustina.</font></p>