daughter of Caius Octavius and sister to Augustus Caesar. See the following article. She was one of the most illustrious ladies of ancient Rome; her virtues and her beauty were equally conspicuous. Plutarch says she was much handsomer than Cleopatra. She married Claudius Marcellus, and after his death M. Antony. Her marriage with Antony was a political match, to reconcile her brother and him together. Antony proved for some time attentive to her; but when he had seen Cleopatra, he neglected and despised her; and when she attempted to withdraw him from this illegal amour by going to meet him at Athens, she was rebuked and totally banished from his presence. This affront was highly reflected by her brother; and though Octavia endeavoured to pacify him by palliating Antony's behaviour, yet he resolved to revenge her cause by arms. After the battle of Actium and the death of Antony, Octavia, forgetful of her own injuries, took into her house all the children of her husband, and treated them with extraordinary tenderness. Marcellus, her son by her first husband, was married to a niece of Augustus, and openly intended as a successor to his uncle. His sudden death plunged all the family into the greatest grief. Virgil, whom Augustus patronized, undertook of himself to pay a melancholy tribute to the memory of a young man whom Rome had looked upon as her future father and patron. He was desired to repeat his composition in the presence of the emperor and his sister. Octavia burst into tears even when the poet began; but when he mentioned Tu Marcellus Octavia, eris, she swooned away. This tender and pathetic encomium upon the merit and the virtues of young Marcellus she liberally rewarded, and Virgil received 10,000 sesterces, according to some L.78:2:6, for every one of the verses. Octavia had two daughters by Antony, Antonia Major and Antonia Minor. The elder married L. Domitius Ahenobarbus, by whom she had Cn. Domitius, who was the father of the Emperor Nero by Agrippina the daughter of Germanicus. Antonia Minor, who was as virtuous and as beautiful as her mother, married Drusus the son of Tiberius, by whom she had Germanicus and Claudius, who reigned before Nero. The death of Marcellus constantly preyed upon the mind of Octavia, who died of grief or melancholy, about 11 years before the Christian era. Her brother paid great regard to her memory, and pronounced her funeral oration himself. The Roman people also showed their regard for her virtues, by wishing to pay her divine honours.—A daughter of the Emperor Claudius by Messalina. She was betrothed to Silanus, but by the intrigues of Agrippina, she was married to the Emperor Nero in the 16th year of her age. She was soon after divorced under pretence of barrenness; and the emperor married Poppaea, who exercised her enmity upon Octavia by procuring her to be banished into Campania. She was afterwards recalled by the people; but Poppaea, who was determined on her ruin, caused her again to be banished to an island, where she was ordered to kill herself by opening her veins. Her head was cut off and carried to Poppaea.