Livia Augusta

[Pompieus]

BBC America ran "I CLAUDIUS" last nite and Sian Phillips is great as the wicked Livia (although her character is probably more indicative of Graves state of mind than of history). I tried to look up Livias family connections. Her father, M Livius Drusus Claudianus (pr 50) was apparently an Appius Claudius Pulcher adopted as an infant by the ill-fated tribune of 91 BC. Is it known if he was a son of App Claudius Pulcher (cos 79) and thus a brother of Clodius (tr 58) and the various Claudias, or the son of C Claudius Pulcher (cos 92)? Was it normal to adopt infants?

[Bryaxis Hecatee]

Adoption was very, very common, in the nobles family in order to allow heirless families to keep going on, the name being more important than the rest (amongst other so that the cult of the ancestor could be kept going). It was also a kind of favor one could do to a political allie, thus strenghtening the links between two families.

 

As for the specific origin of this Drusus, you'd have to look in TRS Broughton's magistrates of the roman republic or hope our member Nephele finds this thread for I don't have the relevant information here

[Pompieus]

You are quite right about adoption among the aristocratic families. But was it not unusual to adopt an infant? Due to the high child mortality rate if nothing else. And wouldn't special dispensations be required for a patrician Claudius to be adopted into the plebeian Livii(viz Clodius)?

[Bryaxis Hecatee]

Adoption of adults is also well known, although the best exemples are from the imperial period and imperial family itself (early second century emperors are one of the best exemple). But the exemple of Claudius/Clodius is another exemple of this practice in the republican period (although made for other reasons). For going from patrician to plebeian a specific grant by the Pontifex Maximus could have been necessary, as shown once more by the Clodius exemple, but I don't remember if it was always necessary.