Julio-Claudian family tree

Around the start of the Common Era, the family trees of the gens Julia and the gens Claudia became intertwined into the Julio-Claudian family tree as a result of marriages and adoptions. Augustus, born Gaius Octavius and named primary heir of his grand-uncle Julius Caesar, would become the first Roman emperor and also the founder of the reigning Julio-Claudian dynasty in Rome.

Descendancy of the emperors of the Julio-Claudian dynasty

The Julio-Claudian dynasty was the first dynasty of Roman emperors. All emperors of that dynasty descended from Julii Caesares and/or from Claudii. Marriages between descendants of Sextus Julius Caesar and Claudii had occurred from the late stages of the Roman Republic, but the intertwined Julio-Claudian family tree resulted mostly from adoptions and marriages in Imperial Rome's first decades. Note that descendancy of the Julii Caesares before the generation of Julius Caesar's grandfather is in part conjectural, but as presented by scholars.

Julio-Claudian family tree
Sextus Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar Sextus Julius Caesar Postumus Gaius Julius Caesar Marcia Gaius Marius Julia Gaius Julius Caesar Aurelia Sextus Julius Caesar Lucius Julius Caesar 3 Calpurnia Julia Major Julia Minor Marcus Atius Balbus Sextus Julius Caesar Lucius Julius Caesar 2 Pompeia Gaius Julius Caesar Gaius Octavius Atia Sextus Julius Caesar 1 Cornelia Marcus Antonius Creticus Julia 2 Pompey Julia 1 Gaius Claudius Marcellus Octavia Minor 2 Mark Antony 2 Scribonia Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus Augustus (Gaius Octavius) 3 Livia Drusilla Augusta 1 Tiberius Claudius Nero 1 Claudius Marcellus 2 Julia the Elder 3 Tiberius Claudius Nero 1 Vipsania Agrippina Drusus the Elder Antonia Minor 2 Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa Drusus the Younger Livilla 1 Plautia Urgulanilla Julia the Younger Gaius Caesar Tiberius Gemellus Julia Livia Claudius Drusus Agrippa Postumus Lucius Caesar Agrippina the Elder Germanicus 2 Claudius 2 Aelia Paetina Lucius Cassius Longinus Julia Drusilla Drusus Caesar Julia Livilla 4 Agrippina the Younger 1 Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus Claudia Antonia Milonia Caesonia Gaius Caesar (Caligula) Nero Julius Caesar 3 Valeria Messalina 1 Claudia Octavia Britannicus Julia Drusilla 1 Otho 2 Poppaea Sabina 2 Nero 3 Statilia Messalina Claudia Augusta
Legend descent adoption marriage  1, 2  spouse order

Simplified

Simplified

Sextus Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar Sextus Julius Caesar Marcia Regia Gaius Julius Caesar Lucius Julius Caesar Popillia Aurelia Gaius Julius Caesar Lucius Julius Caesar Fulvia Gaius Julius Caesar Marcus Atius Balbus Julia Minor Julia Marcus Antonius Creticus Atia Gaius Octavius 2 Scribonia Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus Augustus (Gaius Octavius) 3 Livia Drusilla Augusta Tiberius Claudius Nero Octavia Minor Mark Antony 2 Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa Julia the Elder 3 Tiberius Claudius Nero Drusus the Elder Antonia Minor Antonia the Elder Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus Agrippina the Elder Germanicus Claudius 1 Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus Domitia Lepida the Younger Marcus Valerius Messalla Milonia Caesonia Gaius Caesar (Caligula) Agrippina the Younger Valeria Messalina Julia Drusilla Otho 2 Poppaea Sabina 3 Statilia Messalina Nero 1 Claudia Octavia Britannicus Claudia Augusta

By generation

In the Julio-Claudian dynasty of Roman emperors, the lineage of the Julii Caesares was separated from those of the Claudii up to Augustus' generation. The next generation had both Claudii with a Julia as ancestor, as Claudii adopted into the Julii Caesares family. After Tiberius, the remaining three emperors of the dynasty had, outside adoptions, ancestors in both the Julian and the Claudian families.

Generation of Julius Caesar's grandfather

Gaius Julius Caesar II and Lucius Julius Caesar II may have had Sextus Julius Caesar, the military tribune of 181 BC, as a common ancestor.

Generation of Julius Caesar's grandfather
Julii Caesares Marcii Reges Julii Caesares Popilii Laenates Gaius Julius Caesar Marcia Lucius Julius Caesar Popillia Gaius Julius Caesar Julia Sextus Julius Caesar Lucius Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar Strabo Vopiscus Julia

Generation of Julius Caesar's father

This generation of Julii Caesares has two consuls: Sextus Julius Caesar in 91 BC, and Lucius Julius Caesar the next year. This generation has also two female descendants very close to the centers of power by their marriages: Julia, the daughter of Gaius Julius Caesar II was married to seven-times consul Gaius Marius, while Julia, the daughter of Lucius Julius Caesar II was married to the two-times consul and Roman dictator Lucius Cornelius Sulla, who had successfully challenged Marius' power. For ensuing generations, Gaius Julius Caesar (proconsul of Asia), married to a consul's daughter, and Lucius Julius Caesar proved to be quintessential ancestors of those who held Imperial power in the Julio-Claudian dynasty.

Generation of Julius Caesar's father

Gaius Julius Caesar Lucius Aurelius Cotta Gaius Julius Caesar Marii Gaius Julius Caesar Lucius Julius Caesar Fulvii Flacci Lucius Julius Caesar Lucius Julius Caesar Cornelii Sullae Lucius Caecilius Metellus Delmaticus Gaius Julius Caesar Aurelia Julia Gaius Marius Sextus Julius Caesar Lucius Julius Caesar Fulvia Gaius Julius Caesar Strabo Julia possibly identical to Ilia a.k.a. Julia Cornelia 1 Sulla 4 Caecilia Metella Julia Major Julia Minor Julius Caesar Gaius Marius the Younger Sextus Julius Caesar Lucius Julius Caesar Julia Cornelia Lucius Cornelius Faustus Cornelius Sulla Fausta

Julius Caesar's generation

Following Sulla's example Julius Caesar's and Pompey's first marriages were with women of their own generation, later marrying women of a younger generation. After being betrothed to Cossutia, Julius Caesar's first wife was Cornelia, the mother of Julia. The younger of Caesar's two sisters married Marcus Atius Balbus: they were ancestors of all the Julio-Claudian emperors, apart from Tiberius.

This is also the generation of Mark Antony's parents. Mark Antony's mother Julia was the daughter of Lucius Julius Caesar: she was an ancestor of the last three emperors of the Julio-Claudian dynasty.

Generation of Julius Caesar

Gaius Julius Caesar Marcus Atius Balbus Gaius Julius Caesar Lucius Cornelius Cinna Gaius Marius Quintus Mucius Scaevola Pontifex Pompeius Strabo Sextus Julius Caesar (or his son) Lucius Julius Caesar Marcus Antonius Lucius Julius Caesar Cornelii Lentuli Sulla Quintus Pompeius Rufus Julia Minor Marcus Atius Balbus Julius Caesar 1 Cornelia Gaius Marius the Younger 1 Mucia Tertia 3 2 Pompey Sextus Julius Caesar Lucius Julius Caesar Marcus Antonius Creticus 1 Julia 2 Publius Cornelius Lentulus Sura Cornelia Quintus Pompeius Rufus Marcus Atius Balbus Atia Atia Minor Julia Gnaeus Pompeius Pompeia Magna Sextus Pompey Lucius Julius Caesar Mark Antony Gaius Antonius Lucius Antonius Pompeia Quintus Pompeius Rufus

Generation of Julius Caesar's daughter

By this time marriages with a political agenda among the powerful families were in full swing, however not yet between Julii Caesares and Claudii. Pompey married Julius Caesar's daughter Julia. Julius Caesar's second wife Pompeia, possibly a great-granddaughter of Lucius Julius Caesar II, was a granddaughter of Sulla. His third wife Calpurnia is said to be younger than his daughter. His son Caesarion resulted from his relation with Cleopatra.

Atia, the daughter of Julius Caesar's sister, married Gaius Octavius: they became the parents of the first emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, then still called Octavianus. Their daughter Octavia the Younger became an ancestor to the last three emperors of that dynasty. In this generation Mark Antony had children by, among others, Antonia Hybrida Minor, and Fulvia.

Generation of Julius Caesar's daughter

Ancharii Octavii Marcus Atius Balbus Sulla Pompey Gaius Antonius Hybrida Marcus Antonius Creticus Marcus Fulvius Bambalio Appius Claudius Pulcher Quintus Pompeius Rufus Gaius Julius Caesar Lucius Calpurnius Piso Caesoninus Ancharia 1 Gaius Octavius 2 Atia Faustus Cornelius Sulla 1 Pompeia Magna Antonia Hybrida Minor 2 Mark Antony 3 3 Fulvia 1 Publius Clodius Pulcher Pompeia 2 Julius Caesar 3 Calpurnia Octavia the Elder Octavia the Younger Octavianus Faustus Cornelius Sulla Cornelia Sulla Antonia Marcus Antonius Antyllus Iullus Antonius Publius Clodius Pulcher Claudia (by Cleopatra:) Caesarion

Generation of Julius Caesar's daughter (2)
Julius Caesar Pompeius Strabo Quintus Caecilius Metellus Pius Scipio Nasica Julia 4 Pompey 2 5 Cornelia Metella

Generation of the Octavias

The Claudii were a powerful gens with consuls and other high ranking politicians in several of its families across several generations. In this generation the first marriages between Claudii and descendants of the Julii Caesares took place. This however didn't mean yet that the dynastic family trees of both gentes got merged into a single one: that didn't happen until the adoption of Claudii by (adopted) Julii Caesares in the generations to come.

Octavia the Younger's first husband was a Claudius from the Marcelli family. Claudia, descending from Claudii, became the first wife of Octavian, who by then was adopted in the Julii Caesares family by the testament of his uncle Julius Caesar. After her first husband's death, Octavia married Mark Antony, who besides the offspring of his first three marriages had had children by Cleopatra.

Augustus daughter Julia the Elder's first marriage was to Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa; their daughter Julia the Younger married Lucius Aemilius Paullus; their youngest child was Junia Lepida married to Gaius Cassius Longinus (consul AD 30). Junia and Gaius granddaughter Domitia Longina married twice: 1) Lucius Aelius Lamia Plautius Aelianus and 2) Emperor Domitian of the Flavian dynasty. Issue from Domitia Longina first marriage was Lucius Fundanius Lamia Aelianus and Plautia, their children married into the Antonine dynasty.

Generation of the Octavias

Gaius Octavius Appuleii Claudii Marcelli Gaius Octavius Marcus Antonius Creticus Julius Caesar Gaius Octavius Publius Clodius Pulcher Gaius Sentius Scribonii Pompey Lucius Cornelius Cinna Octavia the Elder Sextus Appuleius Gaius Claudius Marcellus 1 Octavia the Younger Mark Antony Octavianus 1 Claudia Sentia Lucius Scribonius Libo Pompeia Magna 2 Lucius Cornelius Cinna Sextus Appuleius Marcus Claudius Marcellus Claudia Marcella Major Claudia Marcella Minor (by Cleopatra:) Alexander Helios (by Cleopatra:) Cleopatra Selene II (by Cleopatra:) Ptolemy Philadelphus Scribonia Lucius Scribonius Libo Gnaeus Cornelius Cinna Magnus Magna

Generation of the Octavias (2)

Cornelii Lentuli Lucius Scribonius Libo Julius Caesar Gaius Octavius Marcus Antonius Creticus Quintus Caecilius Pomponianus Atticus Vipsanii Gaius Claudius Marcellus Mark Antony Sextus Appuleius Sextus Quinctilius Varus Gnaeus Cornelius Lentulus Marcellinus 2 Scribonia 3 Augustus Octavia the Younger 4 2 Mark Antony Pomponia Caecilia Attica 1 Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa 1 2 Claudia Marcella Major 2 Iullus Antonius Sextus Appuleius Quinctilla Varilla Cornelius Lentulus Marcellinus Cornelia Julia the Elder Antonia the Elder Antonia the Younger Vipsania Agrippina Vipsania Marcella Lucius Antonius Iullus Antonius Iulla Antonia Sextus Appuleius

Antonia Major's generation

Octavianus, becoming Augustus the first Roman emperor, married Scribonia who gave him a daughter (Julia the Elder). His last marriage was with Livia, a Claudia who had been married to a Claudius. Their son Tiberius, by birth a Claudius, was later adopted by Augustus, thus, like his stepfather Augustus, becoming one of the Julii Caesares by adoption.

Antonia Maior's generation

Fabii Sextus Appuleius Sextus Quinctilius Varus Gnaeus Cornelius Lentulus Marcellinus Aemilii Lepidi Gaius Claudius Marcellus Appius Claudius Pulcher Marcus Valerius Messalla Tiberius Claudius Nero Marcus Livius Drusus Claudianus Octavii (by birth) - Julii Caesares (by adoption) Mark Antony Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus Fabia Numantina 1 2 Sextus Appuleius 3 Quinctilla Varilla Cornelia 1 Paullus Aemilius Lepidus 1 2 Claudia Marcella Minor 2 Marcus Valerius Messalla Appianus Tiberius Claudius Nero 1 Livia 3 2 Augustus Antonia Maior Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus Sextus Appuleius Appuleia Varilla Lucius Aemilius Paullus Marcus Aemilius Lepidus Aemilia Paulla Paullus Aemilius Regulus Claudia Pulchra Marcus Valerius Messalla Barbatus Tiberius Drusus the Elder Domitia Lepida the Elder Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus Domitia Lepida the Younger

Antonia Minor's generation

Antonia Minor's husband Nero Claudius Drusus, a.k.a. Drusus the Elder, was a Claudian like his brother emperor Tiberius: they were the sons of Tiberius Claudius Nero, the praetor of 42 BC.

Antonia Minor's generation

Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa Augustus Tiberius Claudius Nero Mark Antony Gaius Claudius Marcellus Augustus Vipsanii Marcus Valerius Messalla Appianus Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus Quintus Haterius Vipsania Agrippina 1 1 Tiberius Drusus the Elder Antonia Minor Marcus Claudius Marcellus 1 Julia the Elder 3 2 Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa Marcus Valerius Messalla Barbatus 1 Domitia Lepida the Younger Domitia Lepida the Elder 1 Decimus Haterius Agrippa Drusus the Younger Germanicus Livilla Claudius Gaius Caesar Julia the Younger Lucius Caesar Agrippina the Elder Agrippa Postumus Messalina Quintus Haterius Antoninus

Agrippina the Elder's generation

Without son, Augustus had adopted his grandsons (by his only daughter Julia) Gaius, Lucius and Postumus, and his stepson Tiberius, in order to ensure an heir and successor. Around the time of his death only Tiberius remained and he became the next emperor. Tiberius, a Claudius by birth had become one of the Julii Caesares by adoption: from this moment this first dynasty of Roman emperors was both Julian and Claudian. The further emperors of this dynasty had both Julian and Claudian ancestors.

Agrippina the Elder's generation

Tiberius Claudius Nero Augustus Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa Drusus the Elder Tiberius Drusus the Elder Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa Paullus Aemilius Lepidus (grandmother: Urgulania) Drusus the Elder Sextus Aelius Catus Tiberius 3 2 Julia the Elder Gaius Caesar 1 Livilla 2 Drusus the Younger Germanicus Agrippina the Elder Julia the Younger Lucius Aemilius Paullus Plautia Urgulanilla 1 Claudius 2 Aelia Paetina Tiberillus Julia Livia Germanicus Gemellus Tiberius Gemellus Nero Julius Caesar Drusus Caesar Caligula Agrippina the Younger Julia Drusilla Julia Livilla Aemilia Lepida Claudius Drusus Claudia Antonia

Agrippina the Younger's generation

Caligula was the last emperor adopted into the family of the Julii Caesares. He was a Claudius by descendance, although he had Julii Caesares among his ancestors, from both his mother's and his father's side.

Agrippina the Younger's generation

Drusus the Younger Germanicus Tiberius Marcus Aemilius Lepidus Marcus Junius Silanus Germanicus Lucius Calpurnius Piso Cassii Germanicus Lucius Aemilius Paullus Germanicus Publius Vinicius Julia Livia Nero Julius Caesar Drusus Caesar Aemilia Lepida Junia Claudilla 1 Caligula 2 2 Livia Orestilla 1 1 Gaius Calpurnius Piso Lucius Cassius Longinus 1 Julia Drusilla 2 Marcus Aemilius Lepidus Julia Livilla Marcus Vinicius

Most marriages remained childless and many potential successors in the dynasty were eliminated after rampant accusations.

Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus Germanicus Lucius Aemilius Paullus Junii Silani Marcus Licinius Crassus Frugi Claudius Faustus Cornelius Sulla Memmii Marcus Lollius Drusus the Younger Germanicus Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus 1 Agrippina the Younger Aemilia Lepida Marcus Junius Silanus Torquatus Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus 1 Claudia Antonia 2 Faustus Cornelius Sulla Felix Publius Memmius Regulus 1 Lollia Paulina 3 2 Caligula 4 Milonia Caesonia Nero Marcus Junius Silanus Torquatus Junia Calvina Decimus Junius Silanus Torquatus Lucius Junius Silanus Torquatus Junia Lepida unnamed son Gaius Memmius Regulus Tiberius Gemellus Julia Drusilla

Claudius, the fourth emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, was a brother to Caligula's father Germanicus. He belonged to the gens Claudia with, from his mother's side, Julian ancestors.

Claudius, the fourth emperor
Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus Sallustii Germanicus Drusus the Elder Marcus Valerius Messalla Barbatus Domitia Lepida the Elder 1 2 Gaius Sallustius Crispus Passienus 2 2 Agrippina the Younger 4 3 Claudius 3 Messalina Nero 1 Claudia Octavia Britannicus

Poppaea Sabina's generation

Nero, the last emperor of the dynasty, was by birth a Domitius with as well Julian ancestors (from both his mother's as his father's side), as Claudian (from his mother's side). He became a Claudian himself, by adoption by his stepfather emperor Claudius, a brother to his grandfather from his mother's side, or, from his father's side, a son of his grandmother's sister.

Poppaea Sabina's generation
Lucius Otho Titus Ollius Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus Claudius Statilii Otho 2 Poppaea Sabina 2 3 Nero 2 3 Statilia Messalina Claudia Augusta

Citations

1. Smith 1870, Vol. 1 p. 536 ff.
2. Napoleon III 1865, Vol. 1 p. 253
3. Wurts 1945, Vol. 4 p. 627
4. Meijer 1990, pp. 511, 532, 576–577
5. Kamm 2006, pp. 156–157
6. Griffin 2009, p. 13 ff.
7. Plutarch. "Life of Sulla" in Parallel Lives
8. Historia Augusta, Antoninus Pius 1.7; translated by Anthony Birley, Lives of the Later Caesars (Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1976), p. 96

General and cited sources

• Miriam Griffin. A Companion to Julius Caesar, p. 13 ff. John Wiley & Sons, 2009. ISBN 9781444308457. (Julius Caesar's descendancy.)
• Antony Kamm. Julius Caesar: A Life, pp. 156 (Genealogical chart of the family of Julius Caesar) and 157 (Simplified genealogical chart of the emperors from Augustus to Nero). Routledge, 2006. ISBN 9781134220335.
• J. W. Meijer (translator). Tacitus: Jaarboeken (Ab excessu divi Augusti Annales). Ambo, 1990. ISBN 902631065X ISBN 9789026310652 – pp. 511 (Julia the Elder's family tree), 532 (Tiberius' family tree), 576–577 (from Gaius Julius Caesar the Elder to Nero)
• Napoleon III. Histoire de Jules César Volume 1, p. 253. Paris: H. Plon 1865. (Julius Caesar's family tree.)
• William Smith. Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. 1870. Volume 1 p. 536 ff. (Julii Caesares up to the generation before the adoptions started.)
• John S. Wurts. Magna Charta. Brookfield Publishing Company, 1945. Vol. 4 p. 627. (Ordinals for the Julii Caesares with the same praenomen.)