Claudia Pulchra - Daughters of Appius Claudius Pulcher (praetor 57 BC)

Daughters of Appius Claudius Pulcher (praetor 57 BC)

Claudia Pulchra Major was the elder daughter of Appius Claudius Pulcher (consul 54 BC), praetor of 57 BC, elder brother of Publius Clodius. She was the first wife of Marcus Junius Brutus, who was praetor of 44 BC and the most famous of Julius Caesar's assassins. This marriage was very useful to Claudia's father as Brutus was very wealthy and it allied him with the leader of Optimates, Cato the Younger, who was Brutus' uncle. When Claudia's father was accused of bribery by Publius Cornelius Dolabella in 50 BC, Brutus was part of the faction that helped have him acquitted. In 45 BC Brutus divorced Claudia, without stating his reasons, in order that he could marry Porcia Catonis, who was the daughter of Cato and his first cousin. Claudia is not mentioned again.

Claudia Pulchra Minor was the younger daughter of Appius Claudius Pulcher. She was married to Gnaeus Pompeius who was the son of Pompey the Great and his third wife Mucia Tertia. Little is known of her life.