Licinia Cornelia Volusia Torquata

Licinia Cornelia Volusia Torquata also known as Cornelia Volusia Torquata Licinia^[1] was a noble Roman woman who lived in the Roman Empire in the second half of the 1st century and first half of the 2nd century.

Family Background & Early Life

Torquata was the daughter and only known child born to the distinct, wealthy Romans Volusia Cornelia and Senator Marcus Licinius Scribonianus Camerinus.^[2] Her mother was a daughter of the Politician Quintus Volusius Saturninus from his wife Nonia Torquata.^[3] Her father was a son of Marcus Licinius Crassus Frugi, consul of 64 from his wife Sulpicia Praetextata.^[4][5] She was born and raised in Rome. Her name reveals that she was related to the gens, Licinia, gens Volusia, the Patrician gens Cornelia and her cognomen Torquata shows she may had some relations to the gens, Junia.

Marriage & Issue

Torquata married her mother’s paternal first cousin Lucius Volusius Saturninus.^[6][7] He served as an Augur and a Suffect consul who lived in ca. 80.^[8]

Torquata bore Saturninus two daughters:

• Volusia, married Marcus Aquilius Regulus.^[9] Their possible relative could have been Marcus Metilius Aquillius Regulus Nepos Volusius Torquatus Fronto who served as a consul in 157.
• Volusia Torquata, married Lucius Pomponius Bassus, Suffect consul of 118.^[10]

Inscriptional Evidence

The name of Torquata has been found in a funerary inscription in Rome. The inscription is dated from the second half of the 1st century til the first half of the 2nd century, is now on display at the National Museum of Rome.^[11] The inscription which reads in Latin is translated in English:

Licinia Cornelia/M(arci) f(ilia) Volusia/Torquata/L(uci) Volusi co(n)s(ulis)/auguris

Licinia Cornelia Volusia Torquata, the daughter of Marcus, the wife of Lucius Volusius, consul, augur.^[12]

References

1. Biographischer Index der Antike, p.535
2. Genealogy of Volusius Saturninus by D.C. O’Driscoll
3. Genealogy of Volusius Saturninus by D.C. O’Driscoll
4. Rudich, Political Dissidence Under Nero: The Price of Dissimulation
5. Romeins Imperium – Marcus Licinius Crassus Frugi translated from Dutch to English
6. Genealogy of Volusius Saturninus by D.C. O’Driscoll
7. Elsner, Life, Death and Representation: Some New Work on Roman Sarcophagi, p.26
8. Genealogy of Volusius Saturninus by D.C. O’Driscoll
9. Genealogy of Volusius Saturninus by D.C. O’Driscoll
10. Genealogy of Volusius Saturninus by D.C. O’Driscoll
11. Funerary inscription of Licinia Cornelia Volusia Torquata
12. Funerary inscription of Licinia Cornelia Volusia Torquata

Sources

• Genealogy of Volusius Saturninus by D.C. O’Driscoll
• Romeins Imperium – Marcus Licinius Crassus Frugi translated from Dutch to English
• Funerary inscription of Licinia Cornelia Volusia Torquata
• Biographischer Index der Antike (Google eBook), Walter de Gruyter, 2001
• J. Elsner & J. Huskinson Life, Death and Representation: Some New Work on Roman Sarcophagi, Walter de Gruyter, 2011
• V. Rudich, Political Dissidence Under Nero: The Price of Dissimulation, Routledge, 2013