imperial women

Question 1

Vipsania

Answer 1

• Tiberius’ first wife. forced by Augustus to marry his daughter Julia

Question 2

Julia

Answer 2

• Daughter of augustus. Tiberius second wife
• she was adulterous. some say she was reason for Tiberius retiring from all public affairs. This had influence on his accession as people criticised his abandonment of Rome.
• Julia was banished for immoral and adulterous behaviour by Augustus and T was allowed to divorce her

Question 3

Livia

Answer 3

• mother of Tiberius and wife of Augustus.
• After augustus’ death, Aggrippa Postumus (grandson of Augustus) was assassinated. questions whether Augustus left this order to avoid civil war or if Livia wrote it in his name.
• T got Livia to write a letter luring Archelaus (king of cappadocia) to Rome. he was then put on trial.
• T did not get on well with mother and disagreed with her wanting to be co-ruler. warned her often that she was a women and not to interfere in affairs of state. (fire broke out near a temple and Livia was directing the military firefighters herself in person).
• during a fight, Livia showed T letters from Augustus dissing him. (main reason he retired to Capreae). did not go to her funeral. He annulled her will and took revenge on his friends. She was a big influence.

Livia was also grandmother of Claudius. he decreed her divine honours and gave her the title of Augusta

Question 4

Manollia

Answer 4

• woman of high rank summoned to bed by Tiberius.
• She refused and so, using the treason trials to his personal benefit, had her put on trial.
• She left court room, went home, and stabbed herself to death.

Question 5

Aemilia Lepida

Answer 5

• great granddaughter of Sulla
• charged with adultery, poisoning, and of falsely clamming to bear a son to rich and childless Quirinius
• She was executed by Tiberius for trying to poison Quirinius.

Question 6

Urgulania

Answer 6

• mate of Livia who was put on trial by Piso
• Livia said it was an insult. T backed up his mother by appearing before the praetor to support Urgulania which was good for livia but also gave Piso credit

Question 7

Agrippina

Answer 7

• wife of Germanicus. Tiberius hated her. She was popular and well established
• he set her up by offering apple suspiciously so she thought it was poisoned and refused. he then accused her of planning to take sanctuary beside the image of her grandfather augustus, and exiled her to Pandataria.
• had her flogged where she lost an eye
• she starved herself, even when T had her jaws forced open, but she eventually succeeded.

Question 8

Varilla

Answer 8

• charged for speaking badly bout Augustus and Tiberius
• T didn’t care bout himself but condemned her for the augustus part.
• she was also an adulterer and so was exiled from Rome with her lover.

Question 9

Livilla

Answer 9

• Wife of Drusus (tiberius’ son) \

- worked/ slept with Sejanus and poisoned Drusus.

Question 10

Antonia the younger

Answer 10

• mother of Claudius

- called him a monster

Question 11

Urgulanilla

Answer 11

• first wife of Claudius.
• divorced her for scandalous misbehaviour
• bore him Drusus (choked on pear/murder by Sejanus) and claudia (wasn’t actually his daughter so left on her door naked)

Question 12

Paetina

Answer 12

• second wife of Claudius
• divorced for ‘slighter offences’.
• bore him antonia

Question 13

Messalina

Answer 13

• third wife of Claudius
• she had Silanus killed: he was due to marry Messelina’s mother, but he had offended Messalina by refusing to have sex with her. This also offended Narcissus. Narcussus invented dream to claudius that Silanus killed him. At breakfast Messelina said she had same dream. Claudius, terrified, had him killed.
• thought Asiaticus had been Sabina’s lover. hated Sabina and wanted Asiaticus’ park and so decided to prosecute them both (using Suillius)
• had Britannicus’ tutor warn Claudius of a threat to power from Asiatticus who was claiming glory for Gaius’ murder. Claudius had him brought to Rome in chaing
• Suilius accused him of corrupting army with bribes and sexual entanglements, swell as adultery with Sabina.
• Asiatticus was examined in a bedroom, without senate, with messsalina present.
• meanwhile Messelina made Sabina commit suicide by threatening her with agents. Claudius had no idea about this.
• Asiatticus allowed to choose his own death and so did it honourably in the bath.
• Messelina married Silius. Claudius found out. She tried to sway him by presenting herself to him with their children (octavia and Britannicus) and vestal virgin.
• Narcissus helped condemn her. she tried to stab herself but failed. eventually killed.

Question 14

Aggripina the younger

Answer 14

• Niece of Claudius and his 4th wife. he persuaded senate to say this marriage was not insect but for state benefit.
• he adopted her son Nero.
• she was accused of many crimes. most people think she poisoned Claudius and a family banquet.