Pomponia Caecilia Attica or Caecilia Pomponia Attica (born 51 BC) was the daughter

of Cicero's Epicurean friend and eques, knight, Titus Pomponius Atticus. Her mother, Caecilia
Pilea/Pilia (before ca 75 BC 46 BC), daughter of Pileus/Pilius, was a maternal granddaughter
of Marcus Licinius Crassus, a member of the First Triumvirate. Atticus and Pilea/Pilia were
married in 58 BC/56 BC, when Atticus was already 53/54 years old, and she died after 12 years
of happy marriage.[1] Caecilia's aunt, Pomponia, married Cicero's younger brother Quintus Tullius
Cicero around 70 BC.[2] She also had an older brother named after his father, Titus Pomponius
Atticus.

Contents
[hide]

1Name

2Relationship to Cicero

3Education

4Marriage and children

5See also

6References

7Sources

Name[edit]
In history Caecilia Attica is often called Pomponia Attica. This confusion arises from the fact that
her father Titus Pomponius Atticus was at a relatively advanced age adopted by his
uncle, Quintus Caecilius Metellus. This meant according to the Roman custom that his name
changed to Quintus Caecilius Pomponianus Atticus, and Pomponia Attica's name into Caecilia
Attica.

Relationship to Cicero[edit]
Caecilia Attica is several times mentioned in the letters between her father and Cicero. Cicero
was very fond of this little girl, whom he would never see growing into an adult as he was
murdered in 43 BC. He gave her the pet name Attica, the feminine equivalent to her father's
cognomen Atticus. (In Rome women generally did not have a cognomen; their name was just the
feminine form of their father's surname, in Caecilia's case Caecilius). In his letters
to Atticus Cicero often sent greetings to her, and often asked if she had one of her bouts of high
fever that caused distress to him.[3] In one letter in the beginning of the 40s BC Cicero tells him
not to reprimand Attica, who was sulking and angry at Cicero. He said that she was quite right in
insisting that Cicero on his last visit had not said goodbye to her properly.[4]

Education[edit]
Caecilia Attica was given a broad literary education. [5] Her education started at the early age of
five or six.[6] Her father procured her a private tutor, one of his freedmen. (Having a private tutor
and education at home was considered to be the proper way to educate women in Rome). There
was gossip that she had had an affair with this tutor. However, Roman historians were very fond
of scandals and used sources that modern historians would consider unreliable.
Marriage and children[edit]
Around 37 BC, she married Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, Octavian's right-hand man and trusted
friend.[7] Octavian and Agrippa were childhood friends and had studied together in Apollonia,
Illyria (modern Albania) before Gaius Julius Caesar had adopted Octavian. This was socially a
very fortunate marriage for Attica, as Augustus had secretly planned to make Agrippa his
successor and heir.[citation needed] This was disclosed when Augustus, during a serious illness, handed
over his seal ring to Agrippa. However, Agrippa died before Augustus in 12 BC.
The marriage was negotiated by Mark Antony. Caecilia Attica's and Agrippa's daughter Vipsania
Agrippina was born in 36 BC. Caecilia Attica was thus the mother-in-law of the
emperor Tiberius, Gaius Asinius Gallus, and grandmother to Julius Caesar Drusus and his half-
brothers.
In 28 BC Agrippa married for a second time the Emperor Augustus' niece Claudia Marcella Major
in a political alliance. It is unknown if Agrippa divorced Attica or if she had already died.

See also[edit]
Caecilia (gens)

References[edit]
1. Jump up^ Rawson, E.:"Cicero, a portrait" (1975) p.141

2. Jump up^ see: Quintus Tullius Cicero

3. Jump up^ Everitt, A.:"Cicero:A turbulent life" (2001)

4. Jump up^ Marcus Tullius Cicero:"Samtliga brev"/"Collected letters"d.u.

5. Jump up^ Rawson,"Cicero, A Portrait"(1975) p.197

6. Jump up^ Everitt, A.: "Cicero:A turbulent life" (2001) p.235

7. Jump up^ see: Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa