Manlia Scantilla

Manlia Scantilla was a notable Roman woman of the second century, born into the illustrious gens Manlia, suggesting a distinguished patrician lineage. She married Didius Julianus, a senator, prior to his rise to power.

In around one hundred fifty-three, Scantilla gave birth to their only child, Didia Clara, who was celebrated for her beauty. The family's fortunes changed dramatically when Julianus ascended to the throne on twenty-eight March nineteen hundred and ninety-three, during the tumultuous Year of the Five Emperors.

On the day of his accession, Scantilla and her daughter were honored with the title of Augusta by the Roman Senate, a status that brought them prestige and recognition. However, this elevation was short-lived, as Julianus was assassinated on first June nineteen hundred and ninety-three, just a few months later.

Following his death, the new emperor, Septimius Severus, stripped Scantilla and her daughter of their titles but allowed them to bury Julianus with dignity. They interred him alongside his great-grandfather, outside of Rome. Tragically, Scantilla passed away in obscurity within a month of Severus' rise to power, and the fate of Didia Clara remains unknown.