Tertulla (wife of Crassus)
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Tertulla | |
|---|---|
| Born | |
| Died | |
| Spouse(s) | Publius Crassus or the younger Crassus brother Marcus Licinius Crassus |
| Children | Marcus Licinius Crassus Publius Licinius Crassus |
Tertulla was the wife of Marcus Licinius Crassus, "the richest man in Rome", and the mother of his two sons.[1]
Tertulla had had a presumably childless marriage to one of Marcus Crassus' brothers before being widowed and subsequently married to him (either his elder brother Publius who died around 88 BC or his younger brother who died some time between 87 and 86 BC).[2][3] This was highly unusual at the time in Rome but reflected well on her husband as it was considered dutiful and selfless.[4] She and Crassus had two sons together, Marcus Licinius Crassus and Publius Licinius Crassus. Their marriage seems to have been a happy one despite her being a mistress of Julius Caesar.[5] Crassus seems to have either not minded the affair or supported it as it may have helped his political position.[4] He stayed faithful to her during their relationship.[6] She may have also had other lovers outside of Caesar, as she had a reputation for infidelity. There were frequent jokes in Rome that one of her and Crassus' sons looked like a man by the name Axius from Reate.[7]