M. Peducaeus Plautius Quintillus: Adoption, Marriage, and the Manipulation of Imperial Propinquity

Abstract

M. Peducaeus Plautius Quintillus was the son-in-law of Marcus Aurelius and, through his mother, the nephew of Lucius Verus. Due to his rare nomen, he is usually assumed to have been adopted by Peducaeus Stloga. However, there is epigraphic, textual, and onomastic evidence that strongly suggests that he simply inherited his striking nomen, or that his father was the adoptee. These alternative explanations for Peducaeus’ nomenclature are worth close analysis. If true, they would mean that Peducaeus retained a direct connection to Lucius’ family. An analysis of the timing and purpose of Peducaeus’ marriage to Marcus’ daughter, Fadilla, must therefore take into account the possibility that Peducaeus was not adopted. In the dynastic and political context of the late 170s, as Marcus worked to ensure the succession of Commodus and the primacy of his own family, Peducaeus’ marriage may represent the co-option of one of the few remaining male relatives of Lucius. Such a marriage, and the possible adoption of Peducaeus, have implications for our understanding of Marcus’ dynastic planning in the last decade of his life, and more broadly for how we interpret the function of marriages and adoptions involving members of the Imperial family in the Antonine period.