[Teaser] The Julio-Claudian Empresses

Here's a teaser of the script for the upcoming Julio-Claudian Empresses. Enjoy!

Introduction

When Augustus founded the empire, he established a system centered on the rule of one man. Appian states that Augustus sought to establish “a family dynasty to succeed him and to enjoy a power similar to his own” (App. BC. 1.5), despite Augustus himself claiming to have restored the republic (RGDA 34.1). Unfortunately, he ran into a small problem: a lack of living male heirs. Blood became the essential qualification of dynastic succession, making the women of the early Roman Empire into literal kingmakers.

These women were tasked with transmitting the blood of Augustus to future heirs and successors. The emperors of this period - the Julio-Claudian emperors - are all related in some way to Livia, a Claudian, or Augustus, a Julian. Imperial adoptions and arranged marriages became the standard between members of the imperial family or other powerful, leading figures. With that came quite a bit of intermarriage between family members. As a result, the Julio-Claudian family tree is infamously complex.

The women of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, despite having no legitimate power, were the kingmakers of the early Empire. While they couldn't directly make laws, they were extremely influential when it came to pulling strings behind the scenes. Today, let’s explore their fascinating history.

Before we delve any further, it’s important to discuss the ancient sources from this period, especially when it comes to the treatment of women. This is especially the case when it comes to learning about the lives of imperial women, who were treated as reflections of the emperor, not necessarily as a comment on themselves. The histories, which were written centuries after the fact, need to be taken with a grain of salt as a result.

Livia (58 BCE - 29 CE) – DOWAGER EMPRESS

The first empress of Rome, Livia Drusilla, was the wife of Augustus. She is among the most prominent and influential women in Roman history, serving as a powerful confidant and advisor to the emperor. Livia came from an aristocratic family and was an immensely capable political figure in her own right (Suetonius, Tiberius 1-3). She was the right hand of Augustus, closely advising him throughout their long life together, and ensured the success of both his reign and his political policies.

Livia was the third wife of Augustus. According to legend, when they were first introduced in 39 BC, they immediately fell deeply in love with each other. She already had one son and was pregnant with her second at the time, but for the most powerful man in Rome, that was merely a minor inconvenience. Each of them promptly divorced their current spouses and were married within a few short months. Although the couple did not have children of their own, Augustus remained with Livia for the rest of his life. Together they served as a powerful unit, with Livia as a potent force behind the scenes. Publicly, Livia was a respectable Roman woman who upheld traditional values. Privately, though, she judiciously exercised her considerable power. Because of her ambitions, Livia is characterized as a wicked stepmother who is controlling and power-hungry: one rumor accuses her of poisoning and killing her husband. This claim, like many others, has been dismissed: it's far more likely that Augustus simply died of natural causes at the age of 75.

When Augustus died, he adopted Livia into his familial clan, where she took on the new name "Julia Augusta." Her adoption ensured that she would continue to maintain her influence and status within the dynasty, as well as securing the succession of her son, Tiberius. When Tiberius succeeded Augustus as the new emperor, relations between himself and his mother were cordial for at least some time.

Eventually, Tiberius grew jealous of his mother’s influence and prominence in imperial affairs, especially at the assumption that he only got the throne because of his mother. When he retired to the island of Capri, it was partly to escape her influence. Livia lived to be 86 years old, and though she received a modest funeral and was buried with her husband inside his Mausoleum, Tiberius refused to grant her the divine honours that Augustus had been given. It wouldn’t be until 42 CE, that her grandson the emperor Claudius deified her as Diva Augusta (the Divine Augusta).

Livia was the most prominent and influential women of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, having been married to the first emperor and mother to another. Indeed, all the Julio-Claudian emperors were her direct descendants: her son Tiberius would succeed Augustus; Caligula, her great-grandson, would succeed Tiberius; Claudius, her grandson who would later deify her, was next; and finally, Nero, her great-great-grandson. Livia can be best summarized by this obituary written by Tacitus:

“An imperious mother, she was an accommodating wife, and an excellent match for the subtleties of her husband and the insincerity of her son” (Tacitus, Annals, 5.1)