Plautia Urgulanilla

The murder in which Urgulanilla is supposed to have participated was that of her sister-in-law, Apronia, who was the second wife of Urgulanilla's brother, Marcus Plautius Silvanus. However, none of the existing ancient writings makes clear how she was involved, and the details provided by Tacitus seem to imply she could not have been personally involved at all.[2] Plautius Silvanus was first married to Fabia Numantina; however, at some time before 24 AD, they had divorced, and he had married Apronia, a daughter of Lucius Apronius. In 24 AD, Plautius Silvanus was accused of murdering Apronia "for reasons not ascertained" by throwing her out of a window in that year. Silvanus responded by claiming that he was asleep when the event had occurred, and was totally unaware of the circumstances leading to her death, saying that she had perhaps committed suicide. The murder was investigated by the Emperor Tiberius who, having investigated the couple's bedroom, discovered proof of a scuffle, and therefore referred the case to the Senate for trial, thus implying that he believed Silvanus to be guilty. However, Silvanus' grandmother, Urgulania, sent him a dagger, encouraging him to commit suicide, which he duly did. Shortly after the murder of Apronia, Fabia Numantina was "charged with having caused her husband's insanity by magical incantations and potions" but was acquitted.[3][4]

Urgulanilla was a member of the Plautia gens. She was of Etruscan descent.[5]

Her grandmother was Urgulania, after whom Urgulanilla was named; she was a close friend of the Empress Livia Drusilla.[6][7]

Her father was Marcus Plautius Silvanus, the consul for the year 2 BC, and a decorated general, honoured with triumphal ornaments for his successes in the Bellum Batonianum or Great Illyrian Revolt in 12 AD.[8][7]

Urgulanilla had three attested siblings:

• Marcus Plautius Silvanus, mentioned above. It is probable that he adopted Tiberius Plautius Silvanus Aelianus, who was consul in 45 AD and in 74 AD.
• Aulus Plautius Urgulanius, who died at the age of nine.[9]
• Publius Plautius Pulcher, friend and companion of his nephew Claudius Drusus. Quaestor to Tiberius, and augur; governor of Sicilia.[10] He was made a patrician by Claudius.

Urgulanilla had two attested children:

• A son with Claudius, named Claudius Drusus, whose betrothal to a daughter of Sejanus instilled great expectations in the prefect,[11] left unfulfilled when Drusus died in early childhood.
• A daughter, Claudia, who was born five months after her divorce from Claudius. Claudius claimed that she had been fathered by his freedman Boter and thus repudiated the child and he had her laid at Urgulanilla's doorstep.[12]

Urgulanilla appears as a significant character in I, Claudius by Robert Graves. She was played by Jennifer Croxton in the BBC TV adaptation.