Lucilla, the Augusta Who Tried to Seize the Empire (Hdn 1.8.4)

This article tries to demonstrate that the main instigator of the first conspiracy that threatened Commodus’ power was indeed, as our sources maintain, a woman, Lucilla, the new prince’s elder sister, actively supported by part of the Senate and Marcus Aurelius’ former Amici. By adding new arguments, it supports the hypothesis that she intended to confiscate the principate for the benefit of her second husband, Claudius Pompeianus, respected by the Senate and alternative heir to Commodus during the principate of Marcus Aurelius, in order to eventually ensure the Empire for the male offspring she had had with Pompeianus.

Keywords: Lucilla, Claudius Pompeianus, Commodus, Marcus Aurelius, Senatorial aristocracy, meritocracy, Augusta.