Annia Cornificia Faustina

Annia Cornificia Faustina (123-152) was the younger child and only daughter to praetor Marcus Annius Verus and Domitia Lucilla. Her elder brother would be future Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius. She was born in Rome and raised in Italy. Her parents came from wealthy, senatorial families who were of consular rank.

Cornificia’s father died in 124. She and her brother were raised by their mother and adopted by her paternal grandfather Marcus Annius Verus. Her grandfather died in 138. Relations between her and her brother appeared to be good.

Before she married, she settled her paternal inheritance with her brother. Cornificia married Marcus Ummidius Quadratus, a man of consular rank. Their children were a son, a younger Marcus Ummidius Quadratus (consul in 167) and a daughter, Ummidia Cornificia Faustina. Her children were involved in a failed plot to kill their cousin the emperor Commodus in 182 and Commodus ordered their deaths.

Nervan–Antonine family tree

• (1) = 1st spouse
• (2) = 2nd spouse (not shown)
• (3) = 3rd spouse
• SMALL CAPS = posthumously deified (Augusti, Augustae, or other)
• dotted lines indicate adoption or (in the case of Hadrian and Antinous) lovers

Sources

• Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
• Historia Augusta on Marcus Aurelius
• http://perso.orange.fr/publie/pison/frugi.htm#53