The First Ladies of Rome: The Women Behind the Caesars
Annelise Freisenbruch
Like their modern counterparts, the 'first ladies' of Rome were moulded to meet the political requirements of their emperors, be they fathers, husbands, brothers or lovers. But the women proved to be liabilities as well as assets - Augustus' daughter Julia was accused of affairs with at least five men, Claudius' wife Messalina was a murderous tease who cuckolded and humiliated her elderly husband, while Fausta tried to seduce her own stepson and engineered his execution before boiled to death as a punishment.
In The First Ladies of Rome Annelise Freisenbruch unveils the characters whose identities were to reverberate through the ages, from the virtuous consort, the sexually voracious schemer and the savvy political operator, to the flighty bluestocking, the religious icon and the romantic heroine.
Using a rich spectrum of literary, artistic, archaeological and epigraphic evidence, this book uncovers for the first time the kaleidoscopic story of some of the most intriguing women in history, and the vivid and complex role of the empresses as political players on Rome's great stage.
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About Annelise Freisenbruch
Reviews for The First Ladies of Rome: The Women Behind the Caesars
Robert Harris
Sunday Times
[An] extraordinary story...a colourful, pacy survey of dominant Roman women
Tom Payne
Daily Telegraph
A beautifully observed, gripping chronicle and a triumphant achievement
Alison Weir At last. A book that does not sell us the powerful, intriguing women of Rome simply as poisoners, schemers, femmes fatales, but that brings a wonderfully rich, varied and original range of evidence to bear on the reality of their extraordinary lives
Bettany Hughes, author of 'Helen of Troy' and 'The Hemlock Cup' A tour de force of research... an illuminating story
Dailiy Mail
Bewitchingly enjoyable study
John Dugdale
Guardian
This wonderfully researched work displays wit and cultural reach
Independent
Excellent history...the stories Freisenbruch tells of political machinations and literary aspirations are among the most fascinating of any historical period
Independent on Sunday