Synopses & Reviews
Studying references and writings in over 900 personal letters, an unparalleled source, this book presents a rounded and intriguing account of the three women who, until now, have only survived as secondary figures to Cicero.
In a field where little is really known about Cicero's family, Susan Treggiari creates a history for these figures who, through history, have not had voices of their own, and a vivid impression of the everyday life upper-class Roman women in Italy had during the heyday of Roman power.
Artfully assembling a rounded picture of their personalities and experiences, Treggiari reconstructs the lives of these three important women:
- Cicero's first wife Terentia: a strong, tempestuous woman of status and fortune, with an implacable desire to retain control of both
- his second wife Publilia: shadowy and mysterious, the young submissive who Cicero wedded to compensate for her predecessor's steely resolve and fiery temper
- his daughter Tullia.
Including illustrations, chronological charts, maps and glossaries, this book is essential reading for students wishing to get better acquainted with the women of ancient Rome.
Synopsis
This book offers a rare and vivid insight into the personal and domestic life of the everyday upper-class Roman woman during the heyday of Roman power. Through an examination of the writings of Cicero, Susan Treggiari reconstructs the evidence he left of his wife Terentia, her daughter Tullia and second wife Publilia to form a lucid biography of their rank and status, the world into which they were born, their place as wives and mothers within it, and their own personal tragedies.
Both a biographical account of the lives of these shadowy figures and an illuminating exploration of the role of women in ancient Rome.