Servilia (mother of Brutus)

Servilia was a patrician who could trace her line back to Gaius Servilius Ahala,[6] and was the eldest child of Livia and Quintus Servilius Caepio the Younger. Her parents had two other children, a younger Servilia and a Gnaeus Servilius Caepio, her father also likely had another son named Quintus Servilius Caepio from an earlier marriage.[7] They divorced when she was young (c. 97 BC), and her mother then married Marcus Porcius Cato. From this union, Servilia's half-brother, Cato, and half-sister, Porcia, were born. However, her mother and stepfather both died before 91 BC. As a result, Servilia, her younger siblings, and her half-siblings were all brought up in the house of their maternal uncle, Marcus Livius Drusus. He was assassinated during his tribunate in 91 BC, when Servilia would have been around 13 years of age. After the death of her mother and father, Servilia became legally independent and gained a considerable estate.[8]

Servilia had great influence on her half-brother Cato the Younger.[9] He was considered to be tough and wild as a child, which frames Servilia as his equal in those respects.[8]

As a young girl belonging to Roman ruling class, Servilia would have been well educated. She likely would have been taught to read, write, sing, dance, and play an instrument.[8] She would have read poetry, epics, and histories.[8]

Servilia was married to Marcus Junius Brutus, tribune of the plebs (c. 76 BC) and founder of a colony at Capua. They had one child, Marcus Junius Brutus, born about 85 BC. This was a profitable marriage for Brutus, who would gain fortune, stability, and political traction through Servilia.[8] The elder Brutus was killed by Pompey after the surrender of Mutina in 77 BC.[10][11][12] After the death of the elder Brutus, Servilia's bond with her son grew.[8]

Servilia subsequently married Decimus Junius Silanus, by whom she had one son Marcus Junius Silanus[13] and three daughters: Junia Prima, Junia Secunda, and Junia Tertia. Her daughters were all married into prominent and politically active families,[14] Junia Prima was married to Publius Servilius Vatia Isauricus,[8] Junia Secunda was married to Marcus Aemilius Lepidus[8] and Junia Tertia married Gaius Cassius Longinus.[8] Servilia was well connected and facilitated these advantageous marriages herself.[8]

It is speculated that either soon after she married Silanus, or after the births of her daughters, Servilia's notorious affair with Caesar began.[8] Silanus is not depicted to have been against the affair.[8] Servilia did not remarry after the death of Silanus in 57 BC, and remained unmarried for the rest of her life.[8]

Servilia worked extensively in 44 BC to ensure the safety of her family both by attending senate meetings, and by contributing greatly to the discourses during their meetings. Cicero's letters detail other meetings of the senate that Servilia had called to discuss what actions should be taken which would protect her son and sons-in-law. Cicero described her as a 'nervous lady', which could be understood as politically cautious.[14]

Servilia's opinions were often held in higher esteem than those of Cicero during meetings with Brutus and other key members of the uprising. Due to women being unable to hold office or vote Servilia focused her political efforts on strategic marriages for her daughters and helping create her political career for her son Brutus.[9]

In the aftermath of Caesar's assassination, the senate sought to send Cassius and Brutus to oversee grain commissions outside of Rome. Brutus was to go to Asia, but was reluctant to do so. The senatorial decree was, however, dropped, and Cicero claims that it was because of some action by Servilia.[8]

During Brutus's exile, he was still the Urban Praetor. It is recorded that during his absence Servilia and Titus Pomponius Atticus took over his duties, with Servilia acting, essentially, as Brutus's substitute. During this time, Servilia organized the games in honour of Apollo. She was in charge of decisions concerning the ceremony, finances, and senatorial contacts.[8]

Servilia led a council meeting to discuss the possible return of Brutus and Cassius from exile, which serves as the most explicit depiction of a woman overseeing a meeting in this period.[8]

Caesar had numerous affairs with women married and unmarried, but none lasted as long, nor were they as passionate as his affair with Servilia.[15] Their affair is speculated to have begun circa 70 BC, after the execution of her first husband, M. Junius Brutus, and continued until the death of Caesar.[15] The affair was well known, and Servilia suffered no damage to her reputation because of this relationship, in fact it likely improved.[8]

Plutarch only emphasized Servilia's devotion for Caesar, claiming that she was madly in love with him,[16] however it is widely accepted that Caesar held a deep affection for Servilia. Scholars speculate that it was Caesar's affections which allowed the affair to continue for as long as it did.[15]

A popular rumor during their affair was that Servilia was prostituting her daughter to Caesar or that Tertia was Caesar's own illegitimate child. At an estate auction where Caesar received several properties at a low rate to give to Servilia, Cicero remarked, "It's a better bargain than you think, for there is a third (tertia) off," alluding to the rumours regarding Tertia.[17] A similar rumour held that Servilia's son, Marcus Junius Brutus, was Caesar's son,[18] but this is unlikely on chronological grounds, as Caesar was only fifteen years old when Brutus was born.

In 63 BC, Servilia contributed to a scandalous incident during a debate in the senate over the fate of those who had conspired with Catiline. Caesar and Cato, Servilia's half-brother, were on opposing sides in the debate, and when someone handed Caesar a letter, Cato accused him of corresponding with the conspirators, and demanded it be read aloud. The missive proved to be a love letter from Servilia.[19] Cato was greatly displeased to find out about Caesar's correspondence with his half-sister. Modern scholars have made use of this incident to indicate the passion between Servilia and Caesar, noting that Servilia maintained long-distance contact while Caesar was away.[15] Servilia's loyalties were torn during the Civil War, as both Cato and Brutus espoused the side of Pompeius, despite the latter's role in the death of the elder Brutus. Perhaps out of a desire to avoid offending Servilia, Caesar gave orders that Brutus should not be harmed if encountered after the Pompeian defeat at Pharsalus.[16]

A rift developed between Servilia and her son in 45 BC, when Brutus unexpectedly, and some thought unreasonably, divorced Claudia Pulchra, in order to marry his cousin, Porcia, the daughter of Cato.[20] Servilia seems to have worried that Porcia would exert too strong an influence on her son, and she may well have been jealous of the affection that Brutus showed his new bride.[21]

After Caesar's assassination in 44 BC, in a conspiracy headed by Servilia's son and son-in-law, the conspirators met at Servilia's house. Apart from Servilia, the only women in attendance were Porcia and Junia Tertia.[22] Despite her connections with the conspirators, Servilia escaped the purges of the second triumvirate unscathed, probably due to the fact that she was Lepidus' mother-in-law. After Brutus' death, her son's ashes were sent to her from Philippi. Servilia lived out the remainder of her life in relative comfort and affluence under the care of her friend, Atticus.

Very little is known about Servilia's life after the death of Brutus. She is suspected to have died a natural death between 27 and 23 BC.[8]

Servilia is the subject of a poem by John Dryden.[24] A fictionalized Servilia appears in the Emperor series of novels by Conn Iggulden, who has portrayed her as a courtesan. Servilia is a character in Colleen McCullough's Masters of Rome series.[25]

A fictionalised version of Servilia was a main character in the 2005 HBO television series Rome, played by Lindsay Duncan.[26] A similarly fictionalised Servilia makes an appearance in the 2005 six-part mini series Empire, played by Trudie Styler.[27] Natalie Medlock portrays Servilia in the 2018 Netflix television docudrama series Roman Empire.[28]