Abstract
Dynastic marriages constituted an important element that strengthened the power structure of the late representatives of the Roman imperial dynasty of the Antonines (96-192 AD). Antoninus Pius, who gave the dynasty its name, was married to an aunt of his adopted son and successor Marcus Aurelius, whom he, in turn, married to his daughter. Official sources of in-formation (coins, honorary inscriptions, etc.) create a positive image of both Augustae, the two Faustinas. This image is in sharp contradiction with the messages of the narrative tradition, which records many rumors and gossip about the personal lives of the Augustae. A large selection of this category of sources is presented in the biographies of the emperors included in so-called Historia Augusta — collection of imperial biographies, known for its abundance of anachronisms and outright fiction. The article analyzes gossip collected by its author about the personal life and moral character of the two Faustinas; by comparing it with parallel tradition, the point is made that this information was of the same period as the time of the lives of the two Augustae and their husbands. Answering the question about the reasons for the inclusion of this block of information in his work by an an-cient author, the author of the article comes to the conclusion that the gossip denigrating Augustae, paradoxically, worked to strengthen the reputation of their husbands, who figured in Roman historical memory as the best emperors.
Published Version
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