Chapters
Bruttia Crispina – an empress not only forgotten by history, but above all the wife of Caesar Commodus.
Wife of the crown prince
Bruttia Crispina came from the aristocratic Bruttii family, one of the oldest and most influential families in Rome. Her father, Gaius Bruttius Praesens, was a two-time consul and a close associate of Emperor Marcus Aurelius. His daughter’s union with the young Commodus, the emperor’s only surviving son, was therefore not only a political alliance but also an element of carefully orchestrated dynastic policy.
The wedding took place in 178 CE, when Commodus was already co-emperor. Bruttia Crispina immediately gained the title of Augusta, making her official empress. The young woman’s image appeared on coins, and her presence at Commodus’s side was meant to symbolize the stability and continuity of the Antonine dynasty.
Silence about Crispina
Despite her high position, historical sources are almost completely silent about Crispina. No records of her activities or political influence have survived. It’s possible she was a symbolic figure—a representative of order in a world increasingly descending into chaos.
However, this lack of information is also telling. Bruttia Crispina was useful as long as she fulfilled her role—and when she ceased, she was removed.
Accuse and sentence
In 188 CE, Bruttia Crispina was accused of adultery—a crime that in Rome could result in exile or even death. Historians still debate whether the charge was true or merely a convenient excuse to get rid of her wife, who had failed to produce an heir for Commodus.
She was exiled to the island of Capri—a place that had previously served as a prison for inconvenient members of the imperial family. There, she was most likely murdered, although the details of her death remain unknown. She disappeared from history as quietly as she had appeared.
Rivals – Bruttia Crispina vs. Lucilla
Although historical sources are sparse, everything suggests that Bruttia Crispina had a difficult life at the imperial court. One of the main figures with whom she may have come into conflict was Lucilla – the elder sister of Commodus, widow of Emperor Lucius Verus, and a woman with enormous political ambitions.
Although no longer empress, Lucilla still enjoyed enormous prestige and influence at court. Called by some the “true Augusta,” she had a strong sense of her position and—it seems—little sympathy for her brother’s young wife. Although formally empress, Crispina had to share a sphere of power with a woman who was not about to leave the stage without a fight.
Some historians suggest that Lucilla may have viewed Crispina as a threat—not only to her own influence but also to her dynastic ambitions. Her hatred for Commodus was well-known; in 182 CE, she was implicated in a plot against the emperor to assassinate him. Did she plan to replace her brother with someone else—perhaps her own son—and did she fear that Crispina would produce an heir who would strengthen Commodus’s position?
Although there is no evidence of open warfare between them, the atmosphere at court was filled with intrigue, eavesdropping, and mutual distrust. Crispina, young and seemingly defenseless, could have been an easy target. And Lucilla—intelligent, experienced, and ruthless—was certainly not someone anyone would want as an adversary.
In the end, neither prevailed. First, Lucilla was executed for her role in the plot, then Crispina was exiled and likely murdered. Two women whose fates intertwined in a tragic power game that ended in their downfall.