Julio-Claudian Women Flashcards

Question

Who are the key women under Tiberius?

Answer 1

**Livia** (his mother, wife of Augustus) **Antonia the Younger** (Tiberius' sister-in-law; daughter to Marc Antony/Octavia, mother to Livilla) **Livilla** (his daughter-in-law) **Agrippina the Elder** (Tiberius' stepdaughter)

Answer 2

Daughter-in-law of Tiberius

Answer 3

Daughter to Marc Antony/Octavia, mother to Livilla, Tiberius' sister-in-law

Answer 4

Tiberius' stepdaughter

Answer 5

Daughter of Antonia the Younger and Drusus, son of Livia (b. ca. **14 BCE**)

Answer 6

Betrothed (or married?) to Gaius Caesar (2 BCE) Married **Drusus, son of Tiberius** (4 or 5 CE) Mother of **Julia** and of twin boys, Tiberius Gemellus and Germanicus Caesar (latter died 23 CE). A son dies 15 CE

Answer 7

Tacitus arguing that Sejanus and Livilla kill Drusus together - unlikely because Livilla was already set up to become empress upon Drusus’ succession

Answer 8

Argued that Sejanus and Livilla were engaged or married in 31 - Bingham agrees with this Based on a monument where the name of the wife of Sejanus is erased Livilla suffered damnatio memoriae Potentially done in order to set Sejanus up as regent, as Livilla would not have borne any more children at the age of 45

Answer 9

Don't know how Livilla died - Dio suggests either being put to death by Tiberius or starved to death by her own mother, possible that she may have committed suicide

Answer 10

Damnatio memoriae may have been an official edict

Answer 11

Possible that Sejanus and Livilla became close after the death of Drusus as an attempt by Livilla to safeguard Gemellus against Agrippina

Answer 12

The person who gains from the Sejanus Livilla episode is Gaius (Caligula) - argued by a student in their dissertation that Caligula had sufficient motive and ability to get them killed

Answer 13

**Sejanus seduced Livia** in order to turn her against her husband and then carry out his murder - Tacitus portraying the seduction as **‘defiling’ Livia**, placing the blame on Sejanus. Her ‘parting with her virtue’ means that she will subsequently do anything else for him - sleeping with him is so terrible that she won’t baulk at even murder.

Answer 14

Sejanus sees that **no one is acting to avenge Drusus’ murder**, or even that there has been much of an outcry, and therefore moves to kill Germanicus’ children (3). He does this by **moving against Agrippina**, who’s “chastity” is “impenetrable” (in contrast to Livia) and trying to turn the emperor Tiberius against her, suggesting that she covets the throne.

Answer 15

Livia pressured Sejanus for the marriage he had promised her in return for her help in murdering Drusus. He writes to Tiberius, arguing that he does not want the imperial seat, but simply **wishes to marry Livia** in order to strengthen his family against Agrippina and for “glory”, but not to advance his political position. He argues that Augustus also intended to marry his daughter to a member of the equestrian class, so Tiberius should also. Tiberius responds arguing that even if Sejanus wished to avoid ascending in the ranks through a marriage with Livia, it would be unavoidable, that he would not be able to maintain a lower position, but be forced into higher office. He responds to the Augustus argument, saying that the marriage did not go ahead. He does say that **he would not oppose the marriage between Sejanus and Livia**, and that any station that Sejanus ascends to will have been well earnt.

Answer 16

Tacitus writes that **eventually there were consequences**, but that people were already aware of the murder and presumably something behind the scenes had happened to force a change and punish Livia and Sejanus. He implies that there were actually **limited consequences** - Sejanus’s estate was to be moved, but that it was ineffectual.

Answer 17

SHORT: **Tacitus used Lucretia to contrast with Livia** LONG: Livy’s Lucretia is an account of the rape of Lucretia by Tarquin which precipitated the fall of Rome as a kingdom and the transition to a Republic Lucretia's story provides an explanation for historical change in Rome through a recounting of violence against women by men Lucretia’s attitude to ‘being defiled’ is “How can anything be right with a woman, once her honour is lost?” - according to Livy Is Tacitus suggesting that Livia should also commit suicide after losing her honour? More likely he is holding Lucretia as a paragon of virtue to indicate how morally corrupt Livia is

Answer 18

Born 36 BCE to **Mark Antony and Octavia** Married **Drusus (Tiberius’ brother)** in 18 BCE **Mother** of Germanicus (b. 15 BCE), Livilla, (b. 14 BCE?); **Claudius** (b. 10 BCE)

Answer 19

**Crinagoras**; close to Augustus. 51 poems preserved

Answer 20

Often dismissed, oddly, as he was a **contemporary** writer, but viewed as **opportunistic** and trying to toady up to people via gifts and poems View these poems cautiously, as he is **writing them to gain favour**

Answer 21

**Never remarried** after Drusus’ death in 9 BCE, retaining status of a **univira**

Answer 22

Had **control over her own property** (i.e. freedom from tutela, guardianship) During Tiberius’ reign, **prominence as mother of his adopted son and mother-in-law of his own son**

Answer 23

Died **37 CE**, shortly after Gaius’ accession Augusta by Gaius and Claudius (as per Matilda’s work)

Answer 24

MOTHER: Agrippina the Elder SISTERS: Drusilla, Julia Livilla, Agrippina the Younger WIVES: Junia Claudia, Livia Orestilla / Cornelia Orestina, Lollia Paulinam, Milonia Caesonia

Answer 25

Prominent member of the Julio-Claudian dynasty. On her mother's side, she was the younger granddaughter of Augustus. She was the Stepdaughter of Tiberius by her mother's marriage to him, and sister in law of Claudius, the brother of her husband Germanicus. **Mother of Caligula; grandmother of Nero**

Answer 26

**Germanicus’ lingering popularity** with the armies and people meant that his widow Agrippina and their children enjoyed a level of popular support as well—one that eventually became a threat in Tiberius’ mind.

Answer 27

Various ancient authors agree—with no specific dates—that she was exiled to Pandateria, an island off the coast near Naples. When she and Nero were moved, they travelled in closed litters under heavy guard; Nero was even declared an enemy of the state. Agrippina was a non-compliant prisoner—perfectly in keeping with her personality—and suffered beatings and force-feedings, the first ill-treatment recorded for an exile of the imperial family.

Answer 28

“...the historian Tacitus effectively portrays Agrippina as an **exemplary Roman matrona**, whose virtues win her an enviable **popularity** with the Roman people (and the dangerous jealousy of Livia, Tiberius, and Sejanus). Agrippina’s **outspokenness** (ferocia) in defense of her family and friends was not only laudatory, but also continued in the tradition of behavior expected of both male members of the senatorial class and respectable Roman matronae.”

Answer 29

Has to emphasise his family and filial piety upon his accession Appoints his grandmother Antonia as Augusta / Sebastae; coin from Thessalonica attests this, as well as ancient sources Missing Tacitus for this reign, relying on Suetonius and Dio

Answer 30

Drusillia, Julia Livilla, Agrippina the Younger

Answer 31

Drusilla made his heir when he becomes ill in 37 She later dies in June of 38; she is then deified, the first deified woman and third ever deified individual after Caesar and Augustus! Dio gives us a very good account of the funeral, modelled on Augustus’ funeral in the Annals. No attempt to integrate this deified woman into Roman tradition, like the previous two were; she was given all the honours accorded to Livia Drusilla is celebrated in the East on coinage as DIVA DRUSILLA

Answer 32

All these marriages in 33: Tiberius trying to get his family all in a row after the Sejanus/Livilla affair

Answer 33

Potential story that Agrippina asks Caligula to name the newborn Nero as his heir, and he jokingly called him Claudius. Mentioned by Pliny the Elder and Tacitus, Pliny also mentioned that Nero was a ‘breach baby’, considered bad luck

Answer 34

Sources mention that he honoured his sisters heavily upon Caligula’s accession, also shown numismatically, one coin showing the sisters as goddesses (Agrippina as Securitas, Drusilla as Concordia, Livilla as Fortuna) Lots of stories from sources that Caligula was incestuous with his sisters, but not from contemporary sources: incest was a negative topos applied to bad emperors such as Nero, so this is presumably applied by writers to signify Caligula’s evil

Answer 35

Agrippina as Securitas, Drusilla as Concordia, Livilla as Fortuna

Answer 36

27 October **39 CE**. Agrippina and Julia Livilla charged with adultery and exiled

Answer 37

Possible that Caligula simply wanted a clean slate once his daughter was born, and this gave him a pretence to exile the rest of his family, who of course posed a threat to this line of succession

Answer 38

Gemellus’ adoption by Caligula was arguably done in order to **submit him to Caligula’s authority** Drusilla as heir was done to **signify the distribution of his private assets**, not the empire itself Maybe to subvert Gemellus? Does this lend her power? Her **husband was intended as heir** rather than her, and might have been Caligula’s catamite…

Answer 39

Sisters of Caligula were given public honours due to their role as women in furthering the Julian dynasty The death of Drusilla was a **dynastic disaster** which had to be counterbalanced by her deification and cult **Incest is topos**, and Wood therefore ignores it Sisters had **ceremonial role only, no power**; Agrippina the Elder was appropriated by Caligula to glorify himself Their public ceremonial role in place of his wife/wives led to the allegations of incest

Answer 40

The **allegations of incest** are not just attacks on Caligula, but they **diminish the status of the sisters** and therefore reduce their power (presumably an attack on the dynasty) Caligula intended for one of his nephews to be his successor, so he elevated his sisters **Their power was in their fertility and their ability to extend the dynasty**

Answer 41

**Junia Claudia**: daughter of a consul who was a close friend of Tiberius. Marks Tiberius’ fondness of Caligula, **marrying him into the Claudian family** (even if this relation was on Claudia’s grandmother)

Answer 42

37 CE: Livia Orestilla (her intended groom was C. Calpurnius Piso). Caligula either divorced them in order to marry her, or simply broke off the engagement. Either way, he left it very late, and it may have happened at their wedding.

Answer 43

Lollia Paulinam: chosen because her grandmother was beautiful, according to Seutonius. May have actually been because she was exceedingly wealthy, and had excellent family connections

Answer 44

**Milonia Caesonia** circa 39 CE after divorcing Lollia, again forbidding her from any further sexual relations. Caesonia became pregnant with his child, which may have been why she was selected as his wife, despite her lack of family connections, that she was **fertile**, and he was **desperate for an heir**. Julia Drusilla was born, and claimed as his heir

Answer 45

4 Engaged to **Aemilia Lepida** (great granddaughter of Augustus) and **Livia Medullina** (descended from Camillus the dictator) **Plautia Urgulanilla** (divorced because of “scandalous lewdness and the suspicion of murder”) and **Aelia Paetina**

Answer 46

Dio argues that Claudius refuses her the title of Augusta, but research shows that she was actually given this title

Answer 47

Statues definitely in Lepsis Magna, she was presumably worshipped across the empire as a matron, as mother of the son who secured the line of the Principate

Answer 48

Decides to have an affair with Silius, presented as either passive as he plaything, or engaging with the affair willingly and encouraging her to marry him and sideline the princeps Why would she risk her lineage and position for an affair with Silius? Bingham thinks Agrippina has a hand in this: the only way she can protect Nero is by removing Messalina. Possible that there was actually a harvest party involving Messalina and Silius and that this was misconstrued to Claudius as a marriage party. Supported by Tacitus 11.12.1

Answer 49

MOTHER: **Agrippina** the Younger WIVES: Claudia Octavia, **Poppaea** Sabina, Statilia **Messalina**

Answer 50

Britannicus is murdered / died of a potential epileptic fit Agrippina was charged with inciting rebellion with Rubellius Plautus Agrippina successfully defended herself against Seneca and Burrus as interrogators – see Tacitus, Annals 13.21

Answer 51

Coinage: confronted heads, new concept Agrippina’s titles on the obverse, Nero’s on the reverse which is very odd Possible association with co-ruling? Western mint More plausible that it is to honour the mother, rather than co-ruling

Answer 52

At the death of Britaniccus, Agrippina realised that Nero would stoop to matricide, if he could manage filial murder She therefore tried to build people around her and secure an emergency fund, so he removed a lot of her privileges

Answer 53

Suetonius reports that Nero attempted to kill her with poison three times, but she was immune due to antidotes; that he also tried to collapse the ceiling of her bedroom, then the collapsible boat, then trying to sink her galley. He eventually accused her freedman of attempting to kill Nero, and used this as a pretext to have her killed, and report that she committed suicide instead

Answer 54

**Claudia Octavia** Daughter of Claudius and Messalina Engaged to Nero in 49 and married him in 53

Answer 55

Tacitus, Annals 12.3.1 records that Agrippina arranged this marriage by accusing Silanus of incest, so he killed himself, and this left Octavia open to mary Nero Suetonius, Nero 35: Nero bored of her, strangled her on several occasions, claimed she was barren and divorced her which caused such a scandal he banished and then executed her

Answer 56

She was very popular with the people who called for her to be reinstated She eventually was killed in 62 CE

Answer 57

Poppaea Sabina

Answer 58

Married to Rufrius Crispinus, praetorian prefect under Claudius; one son (also Rufrius Crispinus) In 58, began an affair with Otho and then married him; question of relationship with Nero at this time Otho is sent to Lusitania, far from Rome, according to Tacitus this was done so that Nero could have an affair with Poppaea **Marries Nero in 62**, well after Agrippina dies, and only after Poppaea becomes pregnant

Answer 59

Tacitus writes that she was killed by Nero when he kicked her while she was pregnant. Unlikely that Nero would have harmed her while pregnant, he is motivated by the need for an heir Very odd that she is not cremated in the Roman way

Answer 60

She comes off very badly in the sources (Tacitus) and is presented as a lover of excess

Answer 61

Statilia Messalina

Answer 62

She had been married four times before Nero Her fourth husband was Atticus Vestinus (m. 63 or 64); he was consul in 65 but fell in the aftermath of the Pisonian Conspiracy She outlived Nero and was sought by Otho as a wife

Julio-Claudian Women Flashcards

(86 cards)