The Top Ten Scandalous Women in Ancient Rome:Finale

The final compilation of the scandalous women from Ancient Rome. Enjoy!

NUMBER 3



 



Statue of Poppaea in the
Archaeological Museum of Olympia (Greece).
 Wikicommons.

Name: Poppaea Sabina (30AD–65AD) a.k.a Poppaea Sabina the Younger

Vices: Adultery, 2 Murders, Plotting, Ruthlessness, Manipulation,

Weakness: Ambition, Children, Power

Prime Examples: Poppaea was said to have married her second husband,Otho, in order to seduce the Emperor Nero. Ironically, she divorced her husband Otho in order to marry emperor Nero, but Otho would briefly be emperor after Nero’s death. She became the emperor Nero’s mistress and persuaded Nero to murder his mother(Agrippina the Younger), who forbade their marriage. Before marrying Nero, ancient authors also accredited her to inducing Nero to murdering his first wife: Octavia Claudia (emperor Claudius’ daughter). If you wish to learn more of her life visit here.

Ergo:  Poppaea places 3rd on her list for her manipulation of men to pursue power. Poppaea has been recorded by several authors to have been ruthless and ambitious. It has been said that she was murdered by Nero either by poison or by assault. Authors attest that, while pregnant, Nero kicked her in the stomach causing death. Other authors say, she simply died due to complications of a miscarriage.

 NUMBER 2

Sculpture of Agrippina crowning her young son Nero. Wikicommons

Name: Julia Agrippina the Younger (7 November 15 or 6 November 16 – 19/23 March 59)

Vices: Incest, 3Murders, Plotting, Seduction

Weakness: Her Son, Her Daughter in Law (Number 3 on our list )

Prime Examples: Emperor Caligula (brother to Agrippina)was a crazy ruler who was said to have had incestuous relationships with his sisters. She murdered her second husband, Gaius Sallustius Crispus Passienus, in order to obtain his estates and inheritances. When her uncle emperor Claudius executed Messalina, Agrippina saw her opportunity to become empress. She became the mistress to one of Claudius’ advisers, Marcus Antonius Pallas, in order to persuade her way to royalty. Claudius and Agrippina married and removed everyone that stood in her or her son’s, Nero, path to power. She managed to have Claudius adopt Nero as his son and for Nero to marry Octavia Claudia ( Claudius’ daughter.) Lastly, she may have had in hand in the death of Britannicus (Claudius’ son and heir) who Nero succeeded for the throne. She employed the infamous poisoner Locusta to murder Claudius and give her son the Roman empire. More can be read on her here.

Ergo: Agrippina is places second on this list for willing to seduce for power even if it means committing incest (both with her brother Caligula and her uncle Claudius) , her employment of a poisoner to remove people from her way, and for the murder of her uncle/husband Claudius and his son Britannicus, her cousin. However, she was murdered by Number 3 on our list: Poppaea Sabina.

NUMBER 1

Portrait of Livia in Egyptian basalt,
 c. 31 BC, Louvre. Wikicommons

Name: Livia Drusilla (30 January 58 BC– 28 September AD 29)

Vices:  Poisoning, 4 Murders, Mass Manipulation, Viricide, Seduction

Weakness: Family, Tiberius, Power, BBC Portrayals, Pride

Prime Examples: Livia was the second and last wife of emperor Augustus. She met Augustus while still married to her first and pregnant with her second child. The meeting was said to be “love at first sight” which caused Augustus to divorce is wife. He was so in love with Livia that he divorced his wife on the very day she gave birth to only child: Julia the Elder (Number 7 on our list). He, also, forced Livia’s husband to divorce her and married Livia only three days after she gave birth to her second child: Drusus (Claudius’ father).This rush to be married was unconventional for the time and only further implicates her seducing nature. Furthermore according to the historians Dio, Suetonius, and Tacitus, Livia was responsible ether directly or indirectly for the deaths of several of her family members. She is reported to have murdered Marcellus(Augustus’ nephew and first adopted son), and Gaius and Lucius Caesar ( Augustus’ grandsons and adopted sons). It is believed she murdered these young men (respectively: 21, 16, 15 years old) so that her own son Tiberius (from a previous marriage) would be emperor.  Lastly, she is reported to have killed her husband, Augustus, of 51 years by poisoning his fig trees which he grew and ate from. You can read her more on her life here.

Ergo: Livia places first on our list for good reason. She murdered several people including her husband in order that her son may be emperor. She was perhaps a blueprint for Agrippina the Younger (#2). Disregarding all her faults, historian do attest that she was loyal, proper, and chaste.

All the women that have been placed upon this list have their faults, but it would be interesting to know their side of the tale. Many of the women that have been spotlighted in this list can be seen in BBC’s I, Claudius, which will be redone by HBO and BBC in the future.

The Top Ten Scandalous Women of Ancient Rome: Part II

The list of infamous, scandalous and plotting women continues to countdown... You can also subscribe to Transparent Language Company's Latin Blog.

 

NUMBER 7

 

Julia the Elder by Pavel Svedomsky.
 Wikicommons.

Name: Julia the Elder  (39 BC – AD 14)

Vices: Promiscuity, Excessive Affairs, Treason,

Weakness:  Food, Men, Speaking Her Mind, Drinking Parties, Small Islands

Prime Examples:  Julia the Elder was the daughter of Emperor Augustus. According to Dio and Seneca, although married to Tiberius (who would be emperor after Augustus) she reveled in drinking parties, many love affairs, and even prostitution. This promiscuity was especially scandalous due to her father's Leges Juliae (Julian Laws) that promoted family units, children, and marital loyalty.  The fact that his own daughter was breaking these laws was unforgiveable. Pliny states she had affairs and plotted in public; "adulterium filiae et consilia parricidae" "adultery of the daughter and the plan of patricide." You can read more on her life here.

Ergo  Julia earns number 7 for her crimes against and humiliation of her husband, father, and empire. All her deeds must have been true, because she was exiled for them, banished from her family, and eventually starved to death. However, her loveless marriages may have caused this outcry for love and attention. It is difficult not to pity the woman, even though scandalous.

 NUMBER 6

 

Messalina holding her son Britannicus, Louvre.
Wikicommons

Name: Valeria Messalina (c. 17/20 – 48) a.k.a Messalina
Vices: Lust, Promiscuity, Treason, Bigamy, Seduction, Persuasiveness
Weakness: Selfishness, Pride, Competitiveness, Handsome Face,
Prime Examples: Messalina was the wife of Emperor Claudius. Although she was the most powerful woman in Rome, she sought to overthrow her husband and rule with her lover. Messalina is infamously known for her clandestine affairs, but most notable for her all-night sex competition against a prostitute. According to Pliny, Messalina won the 24 hour competition with 25 partners. She also humiliated Claudius by marrying her last lover: the intelligent and handsome Gaius Silius. Gaius and Messalina had planned to overthrow Claudius and rule together, but their plan was exposed. You can read more on her life here.
Ergo: Messalina earns number 6 due to her similar nature to Julia the Elder, but the fact that she was plotting against her husband. As punishment her name was removed from all monuments, honors and  was sentenced to death. She betrayed not only her husband, her children, but also Roman women.

 NUMBER 5
 

Woman on the Great Cameo of France who may be Livilla.
Wikicommons

Name: Claudia Livia Julia  (c. 13 BC – 31 AD) a.k.a: Livilla
Vices: Murder, Plotting Treason, Affairs, Rudeness
Weakness: Love for Sejanus, Power, Children, Locked Doors
Prime Examples:   Livilla was the daughter of Antonia and sister to Claudius. She was reported to be a beautiful, but sharp woman. She once laughed hysterically at the prophecy of Claudius being destined to be emperor. She took on one lover, a praetorian prefect: Sejanus. With her lover Sejanus, they murdered and poisoned her husband Drusus. Once Drusus was gone, she and Sejanus attempted to marry, but Emperor Tiberius would not comply. Tiberius eventually suggested that Sejanus could marry Livilla's daughter Livia Julia. Eventually, Sejanus' ex-wife told the emperor of  Livilla's and Sejanus' plan to overthrow Tiberius and rule Rome. You can read more on her life here.Ergo: Livilla places number 5 on our list due to her murder of her husband for her lover. She places fifth for murder, treason, and want of power. Livilla, although selfish and vain, was upset at the pretense of Sejanus marrying her daughter even as a formality. Livilla's death was a treacherous as her life; she was held captive in a room while her mother stood outside it and allowed her to starve to death.

NUMBER 4

 

Cleopatra and Julius Caesar. Painting by Jean-Léon Gerome.
 Wikicommons.

Name: Cleopatra VII Philopator (69BC-30BC) a.k.a Cleopatra
Vices: Murder, Wit, Seducing Married Men
Weakness: Desire to Rule Egypt, Love for Marc Antony & her Children, Pride, Sea Battles
Prime Examples: Cleopatra was exiled from her reign, power and home in 48 BCE. She supposedly met Caesar (already married) , seduced him and bore his son. Caesar renstated her as queen of Egypt and she murdered her brother (in the siege of Alexandria) and order her sister's death as well. When Caesar died unexpectedly, Cleopatra did not give up on her power or prospects for her children. She seduced, married, and started a family with Marc Antony (who was already married). After the defeat at Actium, Antony committed suicide at the news of Cleopatra's death. Cleopatra later would attempt to seduce Augustus in hopes of securing another powerful married Roman man.  You can read more on her life here.
Ergo: Cleopatra places number 4 due to her willingness to kill her siblings for power, seduce married men, excessive shows of luxury to intimidate, and her suicide to preserve her pride. She was an infamous woman of her time and is still to this day synonymous with "seducing for power."