Ennia Thrasylla

Ennia Thrasylla, also known as Ennia Naeva or Ennia Naevia, Ennia the wife of Macro, Ennia and Eunia (about 15-38, Ennia in Greek Greek: Έννίας, Ennia Thrasylla in Greek Greek: Έννία Θράσυλλα) was a Roman noblewoman who lived in the 1st century in the Roman Empire.

Family background

Ennia was of Latin, Greek, Armenian and Median descent. She was the daughter and known child of Lucius Ennius from his unnamed wife and perhaps had a brother called Lucius Ennius who was the father of Lucius Ennius Ferox, a Roman Soldier who served during the reign of the Roman emperor Vespasian from 69 until 79.

Her father Lucius Ennius, was a Latin Roman Eques, who originally may have come from the Roman province of Creta et Cyrenaica, as he was a contemporary to the reign of the Roman emperor Tiberius who ruled from 14 until 37. Lucius Ennius was a relative of Quintus Ennius, a Poet that lived during the Roman Republic and Manius Ennius a Roman Soldier, that served with Germanicus in 14 on the Rhine River.

The unnamed wife of Ennius who was the mother of Ennia, was a Roman noblewoman from Alexandria, in the Roman Province of Egypt who was of Greek, Armenian and Median descent. She was the daughter and oldest child, born to Thrasyllus of Mendes and his wife, Aka II of Commagene. Thrasyllus was an Egyptian Greek Grammarian, Literary Commentator who served as the astrologer and became the personal friend of the Roman emperor Tiberius, while Aka II was a Princess of Armenian, Greek and Median descent from the Kingdom of Commagene. Her maternal uncle was Tiberius Claudius Balbilus, hence was a paternal cousin to Claudia Capitolina who would later marry into the Kingdom of Commagene.

As Ennia by birth, her nomen is Ennius while her Cognomen Thrasylla is the female name of the ancient Greek name Thrasyllus. She inherited the Cognomen, Thrasylla from her maternal grandfather, as evidently she is a granddaughter of Thrasyllus. Little is known on early life and life prior to marriage.

Marriage and imperial connections

By 31, Ennia married the Roman Vigiles Prefect Quintus Naevius Cordus Sutorius Macro, also known Naevius Sutorius Macro or simply Macro. After the downfall, death of the Praetorian Prefect Lucius Aelius Sejanus in Rome in 31, Macro was appointed by Tiberius to replace Sejanus. Macro now being the head Praetorian prefect of the Praetorian Guard in Rome, had become very ambitious in his role. Through his position, Ennia and Macro began to have considerable influence.

As Ennia’s husband being Prefect wielded considerable influence, this led to Ennia and Macro, befriending and coming into favor with Tiberius’ great-nephew and heir, Caligula. In 34, Caligula lost his first wife during childbirth as his wife and their child, didn’t survive the birth. The precise circumstances of Ennia and Caligula’s affair are obscure. Ennia’s affair with Caligula occurred on the island of Capri, where her grandfather presided with Tiberius. Caligula developed a close sexual relationship with Ennia in which she became one of Caligula’s mistresses.

Suetonius states that Caligula seduced Ennia; however Tacitus states that Macro induced Ennia to pretend to love Caligula. Ennia and Macro worked together as a team to assure their future position and sources vary as to Macro’s role in and the possible approval of Ennia having an affair with Caligula to ensure that Macro remained in favor with him.

After Ennia and Caligula’s affair in Capri in 34, he swore to marry Ennia if he became Emperor putting his oath in writing. Caligula may have done this, to secure the support of Macro and to expand the sphere of influence for Macro and Ennia. Caligula’s interaction between Ennia and Macro benefited him immensely in which assisted him in succeeding Tiberius as Roman emperor, when he died in early 37.

Caligula ruled as Roman emperor from 37 until 41. Ennia and Macro, proved very instrumental in the early days of Caligula’s reign. For his support to Caligula, Macro was appointed by Caligula as the Prefect of Egypt. In 38 when Ennia, Macro with their children were leaving the Italian mainland to head to Egypt for Macro to serve his prefectship, they fell out of favor with Caligula.[36] Before their departure, they were given an imperial order to kill themselves. Macro was able to leave enough money to provide an amphitheatre for his home town of Alba Fucens.

In popular culture

• 1979 – Adriana Asti in the theatrical film Caligula.

Source :

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ennia_Thrasylla

Eunia, sometimes known as Ennia, was a Greek woman who lived in the 1st century Roman Empire According to Suetonius she is known as Ennia Naeva (Greek: η Ευνία).

Eunia was of Greek and Armenian descent. She was the daughter and second child born to Egyptian Greek Thrasyllus of Mendes or Tiberius Claudius Thrasyllus and a Greek princess from the Kingdom of Commagene, Aka II of Commagene, who was either a granddaughter or great-granddaughter of King Antiochus I Theos of Commagene. Her father, an Alexandrian grammarian and editor of Plato and Democritus, was a noted astrologer, who became a friend to the future Roman Emperor Tiberius.

Her eldest brother was Tiberius Claudius Balbilus, who became a learned scholar, a Roman magistrate and later prefect of Egypt. Her niece was Claudia Capitolina who would marry into the Kingdom of Commagene. Eunia and her brother were most probably born and raised in their father’s house in Alexandria, Egypt.

Eunia married the Praetorian Prefect Naevius Sutorius Macro. After the downfall and death of the Praetorian Prefect Lucius Aelius Sejanus in Rome in 31, her husband was appointed by the then Roman Emperor Tiberius to replace the former. Macro’s new position gave considerable influence to both Eunia and himself.

Macro and Eunia came into favor with Tiberius’ great-nephew and heir, Caligula. According to Suetonius, Caligula seduced Eunia. Tacitus states that Macro induced Eunia to pretend to love Caligula.

After Eunia and Caligula’s affair in Capri in 34, Caligula swore to marry Eunia if he became Emperor, putting this oath in writing. The interaction between Macro, Eunia and Caligula assisted Caligula in succeeding Tiberius when the latter died in 37. Sometime in 38 Eunia and Macro fell out of favor with Caligula and they both committed suicide.

Sources

• Suetonius, The Twelve Caesars - Caligula
• Tacitus, The Annals of Imperial Rome Note these articles are partly based from the information of articles Thrasyllus of Mendes and Naevius Sutorius Macro from Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eunia