Marriages & Children
His wives and marriage details remain unknown, and he may not have married until after returning from the eastern wars.
No sons survived to adulthood, but he had at least two daughters Claudiae neither of whom are mentioned directly by name, but only in the context of their relationships by marriage: the younger to Pompey the younger (born ca.79 BC), while the elder was the first wife of Marcus Junius Brutus (born 85). The terminus ante quem for both marriages is spring 51 BC (calendar Iunius). Most likely Claudia maior married Brutus ca.59 (when he turned 26) while her minor sister's match with Magnus' son was probably arranged around the time of the Luca and Ravenna conferences (spring 56 BC), with the marriage taking place in Pompeius' second consulate after Appius returned from Sardinia.
It was an interesting choice of in-laws (adfines) since Brutus refused to speak to Pompeius Magnus until the Civil War, detesting him as a tyrant and the murderer of his father.
As he had no living sons, he adopted his nephew Gaius Claudius Pulcher, who changed his name to Appius Claudius Pulcher, and who became consul in 38 BC.
Read more about this topic: Appius Claudius Pulcher (consul 54 BC)
Famous quotes containing the words marriages and/or children:
“If common sense had been consulted, how many marriages would never have taken place; if uncommon or divine sense, how few marriages such as we witness would ever have taken place!”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“If you tell children they are bad, that’s what they believe they are—and that’s probably what they will become.”
—Louise Hart (20th century)