ABSTRACT
The function of women of the women of domus Augusta (the imperial family) had been evolving since emperor Augustus, but further functions developed during the era of Faustina Major (the Elder), wife of the Emperor Antoninus Pius, and her daughter Faustina Minor (the Younger), married to the emperor Marcus Aurelius. The picture of the Faustinas presented to us by the sources differs extremely depending on the genre of the source. While imperial propaganda makes use of the two Faustinas positively, for dynastic purposes, especially by means of coins, the literary tradition, particularly in the case of Faustina Minor, paints a negative picture. While we can explain the background of these different presentations, the person and personality of each of the two empresses is basically hidden from us.
