Which wife did Caesar divorce after the Bona Dea scandal?

Caesar divorced Pompeia after the Bona Dea scandal. Pompeia was Julius Caesar’s second or third wife, and she hosted the women-only Bona Dea rites at Caesar’s official residence in 62 BC.

According to ancient accounts, the young politician Publius Clodius Pulcher entered the ceremony disguised as a woman, apparently hoping to meet or seduce Pompeia. Because men were forbidden from attending the rites, his presence was treated as a serious religious violation. Clodius was prosecuted for sacrilege but was eventually acquitted, amid allegations of political influence and jury manipulation.

Caesar did not testify against Clodius, yet he divorced Pompeia. Ancient writers report that Caesar explained his decision with the principle that “Caesar’s wife must be above suspicion.” The remark did not necessarily accuse Pompeia of having an affair; it emphasized that the wife of a prominent religious and political leader had to remain beyond even the appearance of scandal.

Pompeia should not be confused with Calpurnia, Caesar’s final wife, whom he married after divorcing Pompeia. Little reliable information survives about Pompeia’s later life.