The Emperor’s Mother
Had Julia Agrippina Minor (Agrippina the Younger, 15 CE-59 CE) known that her son Nero would ultimately have her killed, she might have reconsidered giving […]
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Caligula’s Sisters in the Plot of the Three Daggers
At long last, Tiberius was dead. After twenty-three long years marked by fear, mistrust, and paranoia, the grim and utterly unlikable Emperor Tiberius met
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The Forgotten Exile: Julia the Younger
Born into a life of privilege, Julia’s world was sent into a tailspin when Augustus executed her husband, accusing him of conspiring to overthrow his rule. Without the protection and political backing of a husband, Julia was vulnerable; elite women in Ancient Rome were expected to rely on a male guardian or husband to protect their interests and reputations.
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The Madness of Messalina
At the legendary nuptials, the aroma of exotic spices and the sound of raucous laughter filled the air as guests were feted on savory
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Fulvia: The “Fourth” Triumvir
History has long been unkind to Fulvia (85/80 BCE-40 BCE)—the notoriously jilted wife whom Mark Antony abandoned for the Queen of the Nile. The
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Cleopatra Selene: A Dynasty’s Last Breath
The streets of Rome were drunk and riotous with delight in the summer of 29 BCE on the final, most opulent day of Octavian’s three-day-long
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Augustus’ Draconian Marriage Laws And The Banishment Of Julia Augusti
“Let her be banished for life,” Augustus (63 BC-14 AD) is recorded as saying about the harsh exile of his only biological child, Julia, to
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Agrippina the Elder: The Woman Who Would Be Empress
Long before her boat docked at the port of Brundisium in the winter of 19 CE, Agrippina (the Elder—14 BCE- 33 CE) might have known
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The Last Priestesses
When the executioners came for her on that otherwise bright and sunny day, Cornelia (50-91 CE) was many things, but penitent was not one
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Saint Theodora
When we consider the pious lives of saints, images of self-sacrificing martyrs come to mind, devout adherents passionately immolating themselves for a higher cause. So