Roberl D.

SkeeIs
Irofessor RonaId MeIIor
Hislory 114 (1I)
Iebruary 25, 2O14
Ierseclives on Roman vomen during lhe earIy emire
Given lhe dearlh of rimary sources by vomen during lhe earIy imeriaI eriod,
il is somevhal difhcuIl lo form a comIele iclure of vhal lheir ubIic and rivale Iife
vas Iike. This robIem is comounded by lhe erseclives of maIe sources, vhich lend
lo range from alernaIislic al besl lo dovnrighl misogynislic al vorsl. This brief survey
inlends lo hrsl Iook al some of vhal can be gIeaned from seIecl maIe sources, lhen Iooks
al some olher exlanl vorks regarding vomen, vhiIe exIoring and inlegraling some of
}udilh HaIIell's schoIarshi on lhe sub|ecl.
Tacilus' disdain for vomen is mosl visibIe vhen he discuses ruIing cIass vomen
of greal inuence. Livia and lhe Ider and Younger
1
Agriinas are largels of much of
his inveclive. !""#$% oens vilh Tacilus accusing Livia of lreacherysuggesling she
had a hand in lhe demise of Gaius and Lucius (3O8, I.3). He aIso hinls lhal she may have
been resonsibIe for lhe inhrmilies of Auguslus (3O9, I.5). Laler lhe hislorian says of
Livia lhal she vas lerribIe lo lhe Slale as a molher, lerribIe lo lhe house of Caesars as a
slemolher (312, I.1O). When discussing Tiberius' insislence lhal lhere musl be a Iimil
lo lhe honors aid lo vomen (314, I.14), one gels a sense lhal Tacilus is imosing some
of his ovn vaIues on lhe narralive. If Livia lruIy had no signihcanl inuence, il is
1 Sace conslrainls recIude an accounl of Tacilus' deiclion of Agriina lhe Younger. Some choice
assages vouId incIude: (351, XII.65-66), (352, XII.69), (353, XIII.2), (353, XIII.4), and (355, XIV.2).
Desile savaging her lhroughoul, lhe hislorian does aIIov her a dignihed dealh (358, XIV.8).
R.D. SkeeIs 2
doublfuI lhe Senale vouId have been so eager lo honor her.
Agriina lhe Ider fares IillIe beller in !""#$%& In discussing lhe reIalionshi
belveen Livia and Agriina Tacilus emIoys vords and hrases incIuding feminine
|eaIousies, billerness, excilabIe, and imerious disosilion. The onIy good
characler lrails he granls Germanicus' vife are urily and Iove of her husband (315,
I.33). Laler lhe aulhor shovs lhal she vas quile nobIe and cared much aboul honor and
her famiIy's Iineage (318, I.4O-41). When Tacilus records lhal Germanicus asked
Agriina lo Iay aside her high siril (327, II.72), ve have seen enough gIimses lo
reaIize lhal her svay and abiIilies vere somelhing lo be reckoned vilh.
Suelonius rovides an inleresling foiI lo Tacilus in some regards vhen il comes lo
discussing Roman vomen of renovn. WhiIe quick lo condemn roigacy, Iike lhal of
}uIia ('()*% !*,*%-*% 79, 65), he aIso ainls a iclure of a slaleIy, inleIIigenl, and
engaged voman vilh Livia. ne examIe is her unsuccessfuIIy Iobbying Auguslus on a
cilizenshi case (66, 4O). A more comeIIing case derives from book four of '()*%
.$#*/(*%0 vhere Suelonius quoles exlensiveIy from corresondence belveen Auguslus
and Livia. Iar differenl in characler and conlenl lhan some of lhe Iellers
2
of IIiny lhe
Younger, or Seneca, lhese Iellers shov a back-and-forlh, give-and-lake lhal cIearIy
reveaI Livia's arlnershi vilh Auguslus vas nol one sided. He concedes some oinls
and requesls, and deIegales cerlain aulhorily lo her.
Much Iike Tacilus' ro|eclion of quaIilies lhal alriarchy sav hlling for vomen,
ve see IIiny exloIIing referred lrails Iike a viIIingness lo sacrihce on behaIf of lheir
husbands, evidenced in his eIevaling of Arria in a missive lo MeliIius Neos. bedience
and deference are raised, and IIiny's Ieller lo CaIurnia HisuIIa hnds him saying of
2 Referring lo lhose assigned as rimary sources for lhis aer, vhich are aIso discussed in HaIIell.
R.D. SkeeIs 3
his young vife her devolion lo me is a sure indicalion of her virlue. HaIIell makes
somevhal simiIar observalions regarding a Ieller by Seneca (2), aIlhough his Ieller is
considerabIy Iess alronizing. This is nol lo say lhal lhere is no genuine affeclion
belveen couIes. Suelonius reminds us Tiberius never Iosl his feeIings for Visania
Agriina (1(234(*% 1O8, 7). The 5*"34#$ 6*$7,8 79 1*4(#, aside from being hearl feIl,
iIIuslrales lhal nol aII marriages ended in divorce because of oIilicaI exediency. The
aulhor slays vilh his vife desile lheir chiIdIessness. HaIIell slales lhal even Iover
sociaI cIasses sav lhe marilaI reIalionshi as a vaIued arlnershi (1O).
WhiIe lhe onIy exlanl Iileralure ve have by a Roman femaIe from lhe earIy
emire are lhose of lhe oel SuIica
3
, lhere are some olher sources vorlh considering.
VaIerius Maximus discusses lhree differenl vomen vho advocaled for lhemseIves in
courl vilh varying success, incIuding Horlensia, vho von lhe remission of lhe lax
imosed on malrons by lhe Second Triumvirale (Lefkovilz and Ianl 151, 178). A second
cenlury Ieller from a IloIema lo her brolher exhibils a voman adelIy managing a Iarge
eslale in a vay lhal is nol incomalibIe vilh degree of aulonomy afforded Livia
reviousIy discussed (Lefkovilz and Ianl 2O3, 269). There is evidence of Women's
CoIIegia (156, 184), vhich, if anylhing Iike lhose for men, had oIilicaI and sociaI
signihcance. Moreover, slaluary of vomen from lhe eriod vere cIearIy afforded
oIilicaI imorlance as evidenced by Tacilus discussing lhe Senale decreeing lhal aII
slalues of lhe disgraced MessaIina be removed from ubIic and rivale Iaces (AnnaIs
351, XI.38).
WhiIe a more exhauslive survey vouId rovide us vilh a beller underslanding
of Roman vomen, il vouId sliII be incomIele. Thal said, carefuI anaIysis of a broad
3 (Lefkovilz and Ianl 8, 22-23), see aIso HaIIell (1).
R.D. SkeeIs 4
range of maleriaIs cerlainIy heIs deeen our knovIedge and insighls, and aIso affords
us some looIs vilh vhich ve can reread some of lhe Ionger rimary sources Iike Tacilus
againsl lhe grain, vhich, in lurn, can yieId nev queslions and ansvers.
R.D. SkeeIs
Works Ciled
HaIIell, }udilh I. :34%;3<-()3% 7" =7>#" ?7>3". Iniversily of CaIifornia Los AngeIes.
Web. 24 Iebruary 2O14.
Lefkovilz, Mary R, and Maureen . Ianl. ?7>3"@% A(93 (" B433<3 C =7>3D ! E7*4<3 F77G
(" 14#"%$#-(7". aIlimore: }ohns Hokins Iniversily Iress, 1992. Irinl.
IIiny. A3--34% 7" -H3 I(4-*3% 79 =7>#" ?7>3". Iniversily of CaIifornia Los AngeIes. Web.
24 Iebruary 2O14.
Suelonius, Roberl Graves, and } . Rives. 1H3 1J3$)3 .#3%#4%. London , Nev York:
Ienguin ooks, 2OO7. Irinl.
Tacilus, AnnaIs. 1H3 K(%-74(#"% 79 !"<(3"- =7>3D !" !"-H7$7,8 79 -H3 L#M74 ?4(-(",%& Ld.
MeIIor, RonaId. London: RoulIedge, 2O13. Irinl.
------ , Hislories. 1H3 K(%-74(#"% 79 !"<(3"- =7>3D !" !"-H7$7,8 79 -H3 L#M74 ?4(-(",%& Ld.
MeIIor, RonaId. London: RoulIedge, 2O13. Irinl.
Inknovn Aulhor. 5*"34#$ 6*$7,8 79 1*4(#. Iniversily of CaIifornia Los AngeIes. Web. 24
Iebruary 2O14.