We peer between the pieces of evidence to see what else can emerge. But what can we learn about Livia amidst this kind of source material that tend towards political invective? Reading Livia Between the Gaps Antony lambastes Octavian for his moral scruples in this moment. Suetonius (hilariously) claims to have access to some of the personal correspondence between Mark Antony and Octavian from this period. Livia’s liaison with Octavian begins controversially at a dinner party when Livia is six months pregnant with her second child. We dig into the prosopography of Livia, her family connections and her important first marriage in which she bears her two children. While Livia is up for criticism, she also seems to garner some back-handed praise from Tacitus …
Dr G takes a turn through Tacitus’ Annals (and, yes, Dr R is right about Agrippa!). Dr R notes the problematic account of Dio Cassius, where Livia does not fare so well. Well, it really depends on the source you read. The Ancient Material: How does Livia stack up? Find out about the challenges Claudius faced with his family and how this sets the tone the for the ‘evil woman’ trope. The connection to Claudius is apparent in the title of the series and this colours the representation of Livia. Where did Graves get the inspiration for these novels? We’ve got your back. This sends us on the trail of Robert Graves’ novels I, Claudius (1934) and Claudius the God (1935). But the script for I, Claudius didn’t come from nowhere. Her performance really sets the tone for budding historians growing up in the later twentieth century (Who us? *Never*). I, Claudius: Livia Just Another an Evil Woman?ĭoctors R and G jump in with the depiction of Livia by Siân Phillips. Finally we’ll hit at the ancient sources. As we get further into the topic we move backwards through the material. We’re taking a detour from our usual primary source focus to start with the depiction of Livia in the seminal I, Claudius BBC series (1976). Would any Ancient Roman podcast hosted by two women be complete without a very special episode on one of the most famous women in the City’s history, Livia Drusilla? Obviously not and here we are 🙂
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