Real Roman History16 Jul

Episode 62. Livia, Part One: The Emperor's Wife

Works Cited Primary Sources

Cassius Dio. Roman History, Books 55–58. The most extensive narrative coverage. Contains information not found elsewhere, including the figs allegation. Book 58.2 records Dio's pause at her death to acknowledge what she had actually done—the strongest single passage in any ancient source on her humane and restraining influence.
Inscriptional and papyrological evidence. The Augustus letter to the Samians (preserved in an inscription at Aphrodisias) is the key documentary witness for her actual administrative and patronage functions. Egyptian papyri provide comparative material for provincial-level patronage networks.
Suetonius. Life of Augustus, chapters 62–63, 84. Coverage of the marriage to Livia, the story of the premature birth, the domestic texture of the marriage, and the note about Augustus writing down what he intended to say in important conversations with her.
Suetonius. Life of Tiberius, chapters 50–51. Essential for the deteriorating relationship between Livia and her son after Augustus's death.
Tacitus. Annals, 1.3–8, 3.64–65, 5.1–3. The most analytical ancient source. Annals 1.3–8 contains the famous summary of Augustus's reign and the charges against the dynasty, including the charge about the grandsons. Annals 5.1–3 covers Livia's death, Tiberius's absence from the funeral, and the senatorial honours Tiberius refused to confirm. Tacitus's portrait is complex rather than simply hostile.

Secondary Sources

Barrett, Anthony. Livia: First Lady of Imperial Rome. Yale University Press, 2002. The essential modern treatment. Barrett examines every poisoning allegation systematically and finds no credible evidentiary support. His reconstruction of her administrative and patronage functions from the inscriptional evidence is the starting point for any serious engagement with the question. No subsequent biography has superseded it.
Fantham, Elaine. Julia Augusti: The Emperor's Daughter. Routledge, 2006. Useful for the Julia material in Part Three.
Wood, Susan. Imperial Women: A Study in Public Images, 40 BC–AD 68. Brill, 1999. Coverage of the coin portraits and sculptural representations that document Livia's public presence across the empire.

Denne episoden er hentet fra en åpen RSS-feed og er ikke publisert av Podme. Den kan derfor inneholde annonser.

Episoder(92)

Episode 91. Pompeii and Herculaneum: The Preserved Cities

Works Cited Primary Sources Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum, Volume IV. Edited by Karl Zangemeister with Richard Schoene, Berlin, Walter de Gruyter, 1871; supplementary volumes throughout the twentieth...

24 Sep 53min

Episode 90. The Eruption of Vesuvius

Works Cited Primary Sources Cassius Dio. Roman History, Books 66.21–66.23. The eruption account, surviving only through the eleventh-century epitome by John Xiphilinus. Includes legendary elements abo...

24 Sep 43min

Episode 89. Vespasian's Reign

Works Cited Primary Sources Cassius Dio. Roman History, Books 65–66. Surviving only through the eleventh-century epitome compiled by the Byzantine monk John Xiphilinus. The narrative continuity for th...

24 Sep 50min

Episode 88. Josephus

Works Cited Primary Sources Cassius Dio. Roman History. Greek narrative of the early Flavian period. Includes brief reference to Josephus's prediction at Dio 66.1.Josephus, Flavius. Antiquitates Judai...

17 Sep 58min

Episode 87. The Destruction of Jerusalem

Works Cited Primary Sources The Arch of Titus. The triumphal arch on the Sacred Way in the Roman Forum, completed under Domitian after Titus's death in 81 CE. The relief panels on the inner walls pres...

17 Sep 1h

Episode 86. Vespasian and the Flavian Establishment

Works Cited Primary Sources Cassius Dio. Roman History, Books 65 and 66. Greek narrative covering the early Flavian period.The lex de imperio Vespasiani. Surviving in bronze-tablet form in the Capitol...

10 Sep 35min

Episode 85. The Civilis Revolt

Works Cited Primary Sources Cassius Dio. Roman History, Books 64 and 65. Greek narrative covering the early Flavian period. Useful as a comparison to the Tacitean account, with substantial independent...

10 Sep 48min

Episode 84. Year of Four Emperors, Part Two: Vitellius and Vespasian

Works Cited Primary Sources Cassius Dio. Roman History, Books 64 and 65. Greek narrative covering the full Year of Four Emperors and the early Flavian period.Josephus. The Jewish War, particularly Boo...

3 Sep 41min