Marcus Annius Verus

This article is about the Roman senator and praetor. For his son the praetor, see Marcus Annius Verus (praetor). For his grandson the emperor, see Marcus Aurelius.

Marcus Annius Verus (c. 50 – 138 AD) was a Roman man who lived in the 1st and 2nd centuries. He was the son of an elder Marcus Annius Verus, who gained the rank of senator and praetor. His family originated from Uccibi (modern Espejo) near Corduba (modern Córdoba) in the Roman province of Hispania Baetica. The family came to prominence and became wealthy through olive oil production in Spain. He was close friends with the emperor Hadrian.

He was prefect of Rome and was enrolled as a patrician when Vespasian and Titus were censors. Verus was three times consul. The first under the Emperor Domitian, then in 121 and finally in 126.

Verus married Rupilia Faustina, a daughter of the niece of Trajan, Matidia, and had three children:

• Annia Galeria Faustina or Faustina the Elder, a future Roman Empress who married future Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius;
• Marcus Annius Libo, a future consul; and,
• Marcus Annius Verus, a praetor who married Domitia Lucilla and became father to future Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius (also named Marcus Annius Verus at birth) and his sister Annia Cornificia Faustina.

After his son Marcus Annius Verus died in 124, the elder Verus adopted and, together with their mother Domitia, raised Marcus Aurelius and his sister Annia Cornificia Faustina. Marcus Annius Verus died in 138, nearly aged ninety. In his elder years, he had a mistress. Marcus Aurelius says in his "Meditations": "From my grandfather Verus, [I learned] a kindly disposition and sweetness of temper" but expresses gratitude that "I wasn’t raised by my grandfather's mistress for longer than I was".

References

• Marcus Aurelius on Roman Empire.net
• Historia Augusta on Marcus Aurelius
• Meditations by Marcus Aurelius

Political offices
Preceded by Lucius Catilius Severus Julianus Claudius Reginus and Antoninus Pius	Consul of the Roman Empire with Cnaeus Arrius Augur 121	Succeeded by Marcus Acilius Aviola and Lucius Corellius Neratius Pansa
Preceded by Marcus Lollius Paulinus Decimus Valerius Asiaticus Saturninus and Lucius Titius Epidius Aquilinus	Consul of the Roman Empire with Gaius Eggius Ambibulus 126	Succeeded by Titus Atilius Rufus Titianus and Marcus Gavius Squilla Gallicanus