Salonia

Salonia was a Roman slave, and later freedwoman who lived during the mid-2nd century BC, and who was the second wife of Cato the Elder. She was the young daughter of the slave Salonius who was an under-secretary to Cato the Elder.[1] Following the death of his first wife, Cato began taking solace with a slave girl who secretly visited his bed.[2]

However, his son Marcus Porcius Cato Licinianus and his son's wife disapproved of the relationship, so Cato decided to marry Salonia in order to solve the problem.[3][4] However, when Licinianus found out about it he complained that now his problem was with his father's marriage to Salonia.[5] Cato replied that he loved his son, and for that reason, wished to have more sons like him.[6]

In 154 BC, Salonia gave birth to Marcus Porcius Cato Salonianus[7] who was only five when his father died. Through her son, Salonia was grandmother of Lucius Porcius Cato and Marcus Porcius Cato, the great-grandmother of Cato the Younger.