Editing Sejanus (section)

== Family ==
Sejanus was born around 20 BC at [[Volsinii]], [[Etruria]], into the [[Seia gens]]. His father was [[Lucius Seius Strabo]].<ref name="tacitus-annals-iv-1">Tacitus, ''Annals'' [[wikisource:The Annals (Tacitus)/Book 4#1|IV.1]]</ref><ref name=Adams1955>{{cite journal | author = Adams, Freeman | year = 1955 | title = The Consular Brothers of Sejanus. | journal = The American Journal of Philology | volume = 76 | issue = 1  | pages = 70–76 | doi = 10.2307/291707 | jstor = 291707}}</ref> The Seii were Romans of the [[Equites]] class (or knights), the second-highest [[social class]] of the [[Roman Republic]] and the early [[Roman Empire]]. Sejanus's grandfather maintained relations with senatorial families through his marriage with Terentia, a sister of the wife of [[Gaius Maecenas]], who was one of Emperor [[Augustus]]' most powerful political allies.<ref name=Adams1955/>{{rp|p. 76}}

Strabo married into equally illustrious families. One of his wives was Cosconia Gallita, sister of [[Servius Cornelius Lentulus Maluginensis]] (suffect consul in AD 10) and [[Publius Cornelius Lentulus Scipio]] (suffect consul in AD 2).<ref name=Adams1955/>{{rp|p. 76}} Sejanus was once thought to have possibly been a child of this marriage, but [[Ronald Syme]] has argued that Sejanus's mother was a [[Junia Blaesa]],<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Augustan Aristocracy|last=Syme|first=Ronald|publisher=Clarendon Press|year=1989|isbn=9780198147312|pages=486|edition=illustrated and revised}}</ref> sister of [[Junius Blaesus]].

Sejanus's brother [[Lucius Seius Tubero]], who became [[Consul suffectus|suffect consul]] in AD 18, was thought to have been a paternal half-brother, from his father Strabo marrying a daughter of [[Quintus Aelius Tubero (consul)|Quintus Aelius Tubero]]<ref name=Adams1955/>{{rp|p. 76}} but Syme has rejected this, instead he believes that Lucius Seius Tubero was Junia Blaesa's son from a marriage to Quintus Aelius Tubero whom Strabo adopted upon marrying Junia.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Augustan Aristocracy|last=Syme|first=Ronald|publisher=Clarendon Press|year=1989|isbn=9780198147312|pages=307|edition=illustrated and revised}}</ref>

Sejanus was later adopted into the [[Aelia gens]], possibly by [[Gaius Aelius Gallus]] the prefect, or [[Sextus Aelius Catus]] his [[sibling|half-brother's half-brother]], and by [[Roman naming conventions#Adoptive cognomina|Roman custom]] became known as Lucius Aelius Seianus or simply as Seianus.<ref name=Adams1955/>

The adoptive family of Sejanus counted two consuls among their ranks: [[Quintus Aelius Tubero (consul)|Quintus Aelius Tubero]] (consul in 11 BC) and [[Sextus Aelius Catus]] (consul in AD 4), who was the father of [[Aelia Paetina]], the second wife of the future Emperor [[Claudius]]. Sejanus's uncle, Junius Blaesus, distinguished himself as a military commander; he became [[proconsul]] of [[Africa Province|Africa]] in AD 21 and earned [[Roman triumph|triumphal honors]] by crushing the rebellion of [[Tacfarinas]].<ref>Tacitus, ''Annals'' [[wikisource:The Annals (Tacitus)/Book 3#72|III.72]], [[wikisource:The Annals (Tacitus)/Book 3#73|III.73]]</ref>

According to the ancient historian [[Tacitus]], Sejanus was also a former favourite of the wealthy [[Marcus Gavius Apicius]], whose daughter may have been Sejanus's first wife [[Apicata]].<ref name="tacitus-annals-iv-1"/> With Apicata, Sejanus had two sons, Strabo and Capito Aelianus, and a daughter, Junilla.<ref name=Adams1955/><ref name="tacitus-annals-iv-3">Tacitus, ''Annals'' [[wikisource:The Annals (Tacitus)/Book 4#3|IV.3]]</ref>