Crispina married the sixteen-year-old Commodus in the summer of 178 and brought him, as a
dowry, a large number of estates. These, when added to the Imperial holdings, gave him control of a substantial part of
Lucania. The actual ceremony was modest but was commemorated on coinage, and largesse was distributed to the people. An
epithalamium for the occasion was composed by the sophist
Julius Pollux. Upon her marriage, Crispina received the title of
Augusta, As
Augusta, Crispina was extensively honoured with public images during the last two years of her father-in-law's reign and the initial years of her husband's reign. She did not seem to have any significant political influence over her husband during his reign. However, she was not exempted from court politics either, as her sister-in-law
Lucilla, herself a former empress, was reportedly ambitious and jealous of the empress Crispina due to her position and power. Crispina may have been pregnant in 182, possibly motivating Lucilla to instigate a conspiracy against her brother. The theory is mainly based on coins of Crispina which display imagery associated with empresses who gave birth to children and was originated from by J. Aymard in his article "La conjuration de Lucilla". On the matter O.J. Hekster stated "Nothing is known of any children of the marriage, but the types of Diana Lucifera and Iuno Lucina clearly indicate hope, and
Fecunditas, if rightly reported, should mean an actual birth".
Neonatal death was so common at the time that omitting mention of them was the norm in ancient writing. Crispina's marriage failed to produce an heir, which led to a dynastic succession crisis. In fact, both
Lucius Antistius Burrus (with whom Commodus had shared his first consulate as sole ruler) and
Gaius Arrius Antoninus, who were probably related to the imperial family, were allegedly put to death 'on the suspicion of pretending to the throne'. After ten years of marriage, Crispina was falsely charged with
adultery by her husband and was banished to the island of
Capri in 188, where she was later executed. After her banishment, Commodus did not marry again but took on a
mistress, a woman named
Marcia, who was later said to have conspired in his murder. == Death ==