Livia Drusill A Successful Woman In Ancient Rome

Improved Essays
For more than a half-century, Livia Drusilla was recognized as the most noticeable and powerful woman in ancient Rome. Her noticeable quality and power were not because of her riches or patrician family, in spite of the fact that she had both, rather it was the way that she had the favorable luck to marry the man who turned into Rome 's first emperor, Augustus, and bring forth its second, Tiberius. While coincidence placed Livia in recognitions way, she was brilliant and sufficiently skillful to exploit her circumstance and obtained a genuine impact during an era when women couldn 't vote, hold open office, or show up out in the open without a guardian. While Augustus directed the lives of women around Livia by proclaiming strict good and marriage …show more content…
Her granddad had been killed as a consequence of Rome 's developing open viciousness and her own reality was turning around in the year 44 BC. At fourteen years old, the death of Julius Caesar occurred, which made a noteworthy rebellion in the city. In the next year, the resulting political chaos saw the formation of the Triumvirate, a three-man tyranny, and the foundation of banishment records whereby an abundance was placed on the leaders of the triumvirs ' adversaries. During the following years, both Livia’s father and husband would get themselves into grave danger. A great part of the riches to which Livia had been conceived was lost, however in some design, she had gone to the consideration of Octavian, Caesar 's received child and beneficiary and an individual from the Triumvirate. Livia Drusilla was overwhelmingly beautiful, who later married Octavian. The marriage was managed hastily on January 17 th, 38 BC, and the twenty-year-old Livia 's fortunes had changed everlastingly, however, neither she nor Octavian could be sure that their future was …show more content…
Livia Drusilla matters so much, because she was Rome 's first empress and Rome 's first genuine authority. Additionally, it was Livia who supplanted Cleopatra on the antiquated world stage after the Battle of Actium since it was Livia 's attractive face that replaced Cleopatra 's intriguing look on the Egyptian coinage. This obtrusive transference of female power starting with one lady then onto the next is particularly striking since it was selective. While Augustus was satisfied to see Livia supplant Cleopatra as ruler of Egypt, he never hit coins with his significant other 's picture in Rome. Included with Augustus when still pregnant with another man 's youngster, she regardless wondrously changed herself into the very image of virtuous Roman womanhood. Committed to her eldest child and his splendid political future, she turned out to be the first mother among moms while, in the meantime, plotting in the face of her child 's good faith to gain his royal power for herself. As Rome 's first empress, Livia was openly respected and adoringly imitated. What Livia wore and how she dressed her hair was a matter of colossal interest and her computed individual decisions about her closet and her haircut were underscored over and over as ladies from all levels of Roman culture embraced her choices as their

Related Documents

  • Decent Essays

    In this paragraph it is talking about Empire Theodora and Queen Elizabeth. Empire Theodora is the strongest women I ever heard and the bravest. Queen Elizabeth is the first queen in her family. Empire Theodora gave women the right form to have freedom. Empress Theodora went to war and she had slaves so she can tell them what to do.…

    • 152 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Woman in ancient Rome served both religous and political roles. One of the most prominent Religous roles woman served was the servance of vestal virgins. There are a total of six Vestal 's, who served the goddess Vesta. They were isolated from the rest of society and kept in a sanctuary where anyone can enter during the day. Their significance was keeping the vestal 's chasity, or known as virginity, as it is seen as a sigma of keep the fire lit in rome.…

    • 750 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Even more politically aware were the two imperial consorts Livia wife of Augustus and mother of Tiberius, and Agrippina the Younger, wife of Claudius and mother of Nero implies that both poisoned their husbands. Whether or not suggestions of strings of other murders and, in the case of Agrippina, of lovers too, including her own son, are justified, both women undoubtedly manipulated the system to ensure that their sons by an earlier marriage became emperor, and both sons grew actively to demonstrate distaste for their mothers. Livia had a distinguished aristocratic pedigree. At 19, however, and six months pregnant, she was forced to divorce, or be divorced by, her husband, in order to marry Octavian, who had conveniently divorced his own wife.…

    • 282 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Superior Essays

    The Roman Republic was built on the traditional policy of compromise, devoted to ensure the welfare of the people. In time, the struggle for authority brought fundamental changes to the traditional sentiments of the Republic. As territory expansions brought great wealth into the country, power hungry senators and government officials harbored political ambitions and competed for power. Political treachery and self-interest within the senate and the assemblies gave way to economic turmoil and social unrest. The fight for control under the existing Republic ultimately demanded a conversion toward Empire, but before the transition could take place Rome would have to go through a series of civil war, mob violence and murder.…

    • 1796 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Women were expected to marry, take care of their husbands and children, and complete other tasks needed for their families while staying in their place under men. The documents we read so far demonstrate the dependent nature of women in the early republic. We can look at a towering figure such as Thomas Jefferson to see the dependent status of women in the early republic. This notion that women were unequal to men was very prominent at the time and created a drastic divide. Thus, first we will examine Jefferson and then we will hear from Judith Sargent Murray who calls for equality within America regarding women’s rights.…

    • 592 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Women were accorded an important place in ancient Roman society. “Women from higher class of society were invariably educated to a high degree. ”(History for Kids: Roman Women) Clearly women were treated fairly because the higher class of society women were educated to a high degree. “Roman women were considered equal to their male siblings by their parents.…

    • 270 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The name of the document that I will analyzes is called A Women's Uprising in Republican Rome. The document is told by a historian who goes by the name of Livy. It was written in 195 B.C.E. It occurred two decades after the Second Punic War. The author Livy talks about the events of women during that time trying extensively to repeal the Oppian Law.…

    • 721 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    During both the Roman and Persian Empires, women played an important and pivotal role in their societies. These women held both public and political positions in their empires, and possessed the authority that women in previous times had never had before. Both the Roman and Persian women who obtained this power did so in different ways, and these women also both conducted themselves differently once obtaining this uncommon privilege. Livia and Esther were both some of the first patricians in their respective ancient societies. They served under both emperors and a king, and through both their sexuality and intellect, they rose to a prominent and powerful position.…

    • 1007 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Cleopatra, the last known ruler of the Ptolemaic Dynasty, was the Macedonian Queen of Egypt. The Ptolemaic Dynasty was ruled by a line of Macedonian leaders. The dynasty lasted about 300 years. Cleopatra became the ruler of her country alongside with her younger brother, Ptolemy XIII, at very young ages. She was given the throne at the age of eighteen after the death of her father, Ptolemy XII, who had died from natural causes.…

    • 840 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Livy's Ab Urbe Condita

    • 1547 Words
    • 7 Pages

    On a surface level, it is almost too easy to come to the conclusion that women in the ancient world were socially repressed. For example, in the Roman republic, women were not granted the ability to vote and constantly lived under the will of their pater familias. However, this does not imply that the matrona, female head of household, did not hold a respected position in society. On the contrary, Roman society did have a great respect for the values of pietas and pudicitia, a woman’s commitment to properly serving her household and maintaining her sexual chastity, respectively. Livy highlights the importance of pietas by extolling Lucretia in Ab urbe Condita for the strength of her fidelity to husband and household, embodied in her pudicitia.…

    • 1547 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Roman women lived in a society where gender roles were strictly followed. Each woman was forced to comply with specific standards of behavior. Men were predominantly placed above women as they had more independence and overall freedom whereas women were sheltered. Their main attribution to society was to be good wives, mothers and homemakers. These roles can be observed through readings such as The Aeneid and The Tale of Cupid and Psyche.…

    • 1755 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    DeWitt, Norman W. “The Primitive Roman Household”. The Classical Journal 15.4 (1920): 216–225. JSTOR. Print. 1 May 2016.…

    • 762 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Cleopatra was the last Ptolemy of Egypt: a masterpiece in Ancient history famed with both vices and great virtues. Stacy Schiff’s book, Cleopatra, portrayed this woman in a positive way, trying to restore her lost and spoilt glory. This was because Cleopatra attempted to do so in the shadow of the Roman Empire, which at the time, was extending its reach throughout the Eurasian plate. Cleopatra faced multiple problems in her time as ruler of Egypt and tried to solve them diligently by asserting her authority. Schiff’s take on Cleopatra, tentatively entitled Cleopatra: A Life, takes an in-depth look at the challenges that Cleopatra faced in her pursuit of socio-political power, which largely included internal and external aggressors, and examined…

    • 1156 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Women always have kept the most important part in any societies. Naturally, women have been responsible for the perpetuation of the society, and they also can be seen as the focal point of worship in some ancient religions. However, societies of ancient Rome viewed women differently from some societies of past eras. By examining how men see women, and women see themselves in “Haunted house” by Plautus, we can see that women was only considered as the secondary gender in ancient Rome societies. Women characters in the haunted house include Philematium (a girl of joy), Scapha (her maid, an old hag), and Delphium (a girl of joy to Callidamates).…

    • 736 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Beyond the Beauty of Cleopatra VII – Genius of the Ancient World The real story of the last queen of Egypt, her strategic thinking, quick-wittedness, political skills and brilliant leadership. Cleopatra VII died on the 12th August 30BCE after ruling Egypt for 22 years. Her death followed her defeat to Octavian, future first emperor of Rome, ending an important Egyptian era and leaving behind a legacy to be passed through many generations. From a young age Cleopatra was raised to rule Egypt and received one of the best educations in the ancient world.…

    • 763 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays