Domina: The Women Who Made Imperial Rome

Behind every great man is a great woman ....... or is there.

Guy de la Bedoyere, whom many might remember from his stint on Time Team as the resident Roman expert, has put together a well crafted narrative of the women behind the Imperial throne of the Roman Empire. It is, however, a narrow view, centred primarily on the women of the Julio- Claudine family (c.27BC - 68AD) - you know, the period that gave Rome its notoriety.

During this period, descent was largely through the female line however, through a series of carefully orchestrated "adoptions", the impression given outwardly was that succession came through the male lines. The use - quite literally - of female relatives to create and cement political and familial alliances was show more prolific. The majority were mere political pawns for the advancement of their families.

These women, so overtly (and oft times covertly) actively in politics, strayed outside the normal sphere of the good Roman wife, and thus became notorious in their own right. There is a good selection of women featured against a backdrop of scandal, political intrigue, family affairs, backstabbing, betrayal, madness and murder.

I particularly liked the wrap up of the latter Empresses till the fall of the Western Roman Empire; the invaluable timelime, and short who's who. For those with a penchant for all things Roman, this is a must have. show less

There is quite a bit of repetition in this book, but otherwise it presents a balanced view of the Julio-Claudian women who wielded power within the constraints of the first imperial Roman dynasty. Recommended for readers with an interest in ancient Roman history.

What I learned from this book about the Julio-Claudian imperial society is:
1) Much of the history of the imperial families was written later in secondary sources by individuals who had not lived contemporaneously with these rulers, and as such, these accounts include numerous rumors, revisions, judgments, and lies.
2) Primary historical sources are often limited to coinage, which was an efficient way to convey information to the large number of people living in the Roman empire. show more Current historians can infer meaning from these coins, but these interpretations are not definitive.
2A) Numismatics is pretty boring after 300 pages!
3) Violence toward women, especially within the domestic realm of marriage, was widespread and condoned.
4) Toxic masculinity existed in ancient Rome, too, based on the ways "effeminate" was used as a pejorative to denigrate men judged to be degenerate, weak, and accustomed to luxuries.
5) Wheeled vehicles were prohibited inside Rome--why did I not know this before?--so the use of a carriage, such as for Livia, was remarkable. show less

A fresh take on the lives of some of the famous and notorious women of ancient Rome, told with a discriminating eye for the not-so-subtle subtext in the sources.

Su primera edición en lengua inglesa fue publicada por Yale University Press en 2018.
Rústica editorial ilustrada con solapas. Fotografías en b/n y color.
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