NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Livia

Livia Drusilla, after 14 AD called Livia Augusta (Classical Latin: LIVIA•DRVSILLA, later LIVIA•AVGVSTA^[1]) (58 BC-AD 29) was the wife of Caesar Augustus (also known as Octavian) and the most powerful woman in the early Roman Empire, acting several times as regent and being Augustus' faithful advisor. She was also mother to Emperor Tiberius and Drusus, grandmother to Germanicus and Claudius, great-grandmother to Caligula and Agrippina the younger and great-great-grandmother to Nero. She was deified by Claudius who acknowledged her title of Augusta. Template:Julio-Claudian Dynasty The Julio-Claudian Dynasty refers to the first five Roman Emperors: Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, and Nero. ... Livia - bust in the Louvre, Paris File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... OPS can also refer to a baseball term, On-base plus slugging. ... Cornucopia held by the Roman goddess Aequitas on the reverse of this antoninianus struck under Roman Emperor Claudius II. The cornucopia (Latin Cornu Copiae), literally Horn of Plenty and also known as the Harvest Cone, is a symbol of food and abundance dating back to the 5th century BC. In... For other uses, see Augustus (disambiguation). ... For other Roman women named Julia Caesaris, see Julia Caesaris Julia the Elder (October 39 BC - AD 14), known to her contemporaries as Julia Caesaris filia or Julia Augusti filia (Classical Latin: IVLIAâ€¢CAESARISâ€¢FILIA or IVLIAâ€¢AVGVSTIâ€¢FILIA[1]) was the daughter and only natural child of Augustus. ... Gaius Julius Caesar Vipsanianus (20 BC - AD 4), most commonly known as Gaius Caesar, was the oldest son of Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa and Julia the Elder. ... Lucius Julius Caesar (17 BC-2 AD), most commonly known as Lucius Caesar, was the second son of Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa and Julia the Elder. ... Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa Postumus, (12 BC-14 AD) also known as Agrippa Postumus or Postumus Agrippa, was a son of Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa and Julia the Elder. ... For other persons named Tiberius, see Tiberius (disambiguation). ... For other persons named Tiberius, see Tiberius (disambiguation). ... Drusus the Younger, son of Tiberius. ... Germanicus Julius Caesar Claudianus (24 May 15 BCâ€“October 10, 19) was a member of the Julio-Claudian dynasty of the early Roman Empire. ... Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (August 31, 12 â€“ January 24, 41), more commonly known by his nickname Caligula, was the third Roman Emperor and a member of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, ruling from 37 to 41 . ... For the identically named daughter of Germanicus, see Drusilla (sister of Caligula). ... Tiberius Gemellus, son of Drusus the Younger and Livilla Tiberius Julius Caesar Nero , known as Tiberius Gemellus, (10 October AD 19â€“AD 37 or 38) was the son of Drusus and Livilla, the grandson of Tiberius, and the cousin of Gaius Caligula. ... For other persons named Claudius, see Claudius (disambiguation). ... Antonia (30â€“66 AD) was Claudius only child from his second marriage to Aelia Paetina. ... Octavia was the name of three women of the Julio-Claudian Dynasty of ancient Rome: two were sisters of Augustus Caesar, and the younger was the daughter of Claudius and wife of Nero. ... Britannicus (41 - 55 A.D.) was the son of the Roman emperor Claudius and his third wife Messalina. ... For other uses, see Nero (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Nero (disambiguation). ... Claudia Augusta was the only daughter of the Roman Emperor Nero by his second wife Poppaea Sabina. ... Events First year of tianfeng era of the Chinese Xin Dynasty. ... Look up AD, ad-, and ad in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Classical Latin is the language used by the principal exponents of that language in what is usually regarded as classical Latin literature. ... Centuries: 2nd century BC - 1st century BC - 1st century Decades: 100s BC 90s BC 80s BC 70s BC 60s BC - 50s BC - 40s BC 30s BC 20s BC 10s BC 0s BC Years: 63 BC 62 BC 61 BC 60 BC 59 BC 58 BC 57 BC 56 BC 55... 29 is my favourite colour!!!!!!!! Events Romans captured Sofia. ... The famous statue of Octavian at the Prima Porta Caesar Augustus (Latin:IMPÂ·CAESARÂ·DIVIÂ·FÂ·AVGVSTVS) Â¹ (23 September 63 BCâ€“19 August AD 14), known to modern historians as Octavian for the period of his life prior to 27 BC, is considered the first and one of the most... For other uses, see Roman Empire (disambiguation). ... For other persons named Tiberius, see Tiberius (disambiguation). ... Bust of Nero Claudius Drusus, in the MusÃ©e du Cinquantinaire, Brussels Nero Claudius Drusus Germanicus, born Decimus Claudius Drusus and variously called Drusus, Drusus I, Drusus Claudius Nero, or Drusus the Elder (14 January 38 - 9 BC) was the youngest son of Livia, wife of Augustus, and her first... Germanicus Julius Caesar Claudianus (24 May 15 BCâ€“October 10, 19) was a member of the Julio-Claudian dynasty of the early Roman Empire. ... For other persons named Claudius, see Claudius (disambiguation). ... Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (August 31, 12 â€“ January 24, 41), more commonly known by his nickname Caligula, was the third Roman Emperor and a member of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, ruling from 37 to 41 . ... Julia Vipsania Agrippina Minor or Julia Agrippina; known as Agrippina Minor (Latin for the â€˜youngerâ€™, Classical Latin: IVLIAâ€¢AGRIPPINA; from the year 50, called IVLIAâ€¢AVGVSTAâ€¢AGRIPPINA[1], Greek: Î· Î™Î¿Ï…Î»Î¯Î± Î‘Î³ÎºÎ¹Ï€Ï€Î¯Î½Î·, November 6, 15 - between 19-23 March, 59), sometimes called Agrippinilla (to distinguish her from her mother) was an Empress. ... For other uses, see Nero (disambiguation). ... Augustus (plural augusti) is Latin for majestic or venerable. The feminin form is Augusta. ...

Life

Birth and first marriage

She was born on 30 January 58 BC as the daughter of Marcus Livius Drusus Claudianus by his wife Aufidia, who was a daughter of Aufidius Lurco, a Roman magistrate from an Italic town. The diminutive Drusilla often found in her name suggests that she was a second daughter^[2]. is the 30th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Centuries: 2nd century BC - 1st century BC - 1st century Decades: 100s BC 90s BC 80s BC 70s BC 60s BC - 50s BC - 40s BC 30s BC 20s BC 10s BC 0s BC Years: 63 BC 62 BC 61 BC 60 BC 59 BC 58 BC 57 BC 56 BC 55... Marcus Livius Drusus Claudianus was the father of the Roman Empress Livia Drusilla. ... Aufidia or Alfidia was a Roman Matron who lived in the first century BC and was the mother to the first Roman Empress Livia Drusilla. ... Marcus Aufidius (or Alfidius) Lurco or known as Aufidius Lurco, was a Roman magistrate who lived in the first century BC. Lurco was a member of the gens Aufidius, a Roman family of Plebs status, who appeared later in the Roman Republican and Roman Imperial Era. ... Ancient Italic peoples are all those peoples that lived in Italy before the Roman domination. ...

In 42 BC, her father married her to Tiberius Claudius Nero, her cousin of patrician status who was fighting with him on the side of Julius Caesar's assassins against Octavian. Her father committed suicide in the Battle of Philippi, along with Gaius Cassius Longinus and Marcus Junius Brutus, but her husband continued fighting against Octavian, now on behalf of Mark Antony and his brother. In 40 BC, the family was forced to flee Italy in order to avoid Octavian's proscriptions, and joined with Sextus Pompeius in Sicilia, later moving on to Greece. Events October 3 - First Battle of Philippi: The Triumvirs Mark Antony and Octavian fight an indecisive battle with Caesars assassins Marcus Junius Brutus and Cassius. ... Tiberius Claudius Nero (c. ... This article is about the social and political class in ancient Rome. ... For other uses, see Julius Caesar (disambiguation). ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Caius Cassius Longinus featured on a denarius (42 BC). ... Ancient marble bust of Marcus Brutus Marcus Junius Brutus (85 BC â€“ 42 BC), or Quintus Servilius Caepio Brutus, was a Roman senator of the late Roman Republic. ... Bust of Mark Antony Marcus Antonius (Latin: MÂ·ANTONIVSÂ·MÂ·FÂ·MÂ·N[1]) ( January 14 83 BC â€“ August 1, 30 BC), known in English as Mark Antony, was a Roman politician and general. ... Another Lucius Antonius was a grandson to Mark Antony. ... Proscription (Latin: proscriptio) is the public identification and official condemnation of enemies of the state. ... Sextus Pompeius Magnus Pius, in English Sextus Pompey, was a Roman general from the late Republic (1st century BC). ... Sicily (Sicilia in Italian) is an autonomous region of Italy and the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, with an area of 25,700 sq. ...

Marriage to Octavian

A general amnesty was announced, and Livia returned to Rome, where she was personally introduced to Octavian in 39 BC. At this time, Livia already had a son, the future emperor Tiberius, and was pregnant with the second (Drusus the Elder). Legend said that Octavian fell immediately in love with her, despite the fact that he was still married to Scribonia. Octavian divorced Scribonia in 39 BC, on the very day that she gave birth to his daughter Julia the Elder ( Dio Cassius 48.34.3). Seemingly around that time, when Livia was six months pregnant, Tiberius Claudius Nero was persuaded or forced by Octavian to divorce Livia. On 14 January, the child was born. Octavian and Livia married on 17 January, waiving the traditional waiting period. Tiberius Claudius Nero was present at the wedding, giving her in marriage "just as a father would" (Dio Cassius 48.44.1-3). The importance of the patrician Claudii to Octavian's cause, and the political survival of the Claudii Nerones are probably more rational explanations for the tempestuous union. Nevertheless, Livia and Octavian remained married for the next 51 years, despite the fact that they had no children apart from a single miscarriage. She always enjoyed the status of privileged counselor to her husband, petitioning him on the behalf of others and influencing his policies. Centuries: 2nd century BC - 1st century BC - 1st century Decades: 80s BC 70s BC 60s BC 50s BC 40s BC - 30s BC - 20s BC 10s BC 0s 10s 20s Years: 44 BC 43 BC 42 BC 41 BC 40 BC - 39 BC - 38 BC 37 BC 36 BC 35 BC... For other persons named Tiberius, see Tiberius (disambiguation). ... Bust of Nero Claudius Drusus, in the MusÃ©e du Cinquantinaire, Brussels Nero Claudius Drusus Germanicus, born Decimus Claudius Drusus and variously called Drusus, Drusus I, Drusus Claudius Nero, or Drusus the Elder (14 January 38 - 9 BC) was the youngest son of Livia, wife of Augustus, and her first... Scribonia (70 BC/68 BC-16) was the daughter of Lucius Scribonius Libo and Cornelia Sulla, the granddaughter of Pompey the Great and Lucius Cornelius Sulla. ... For other Roman women named Julia Caesaris, see Julia Caesaris Julia the Elder (October 39 BC - AD 14), known to her contemporaries as Julia Caesaris filia or Julia Augusti filia (Classical Latin: IVLIAâ€¢CAESARISâ€¢FILIA or IVLIAâ€¢AVGVSTIâ€¢FILIA[1]) was the daughter and only natural child of Augustus. ... Dio Cassius Cocceianus (c. ...

Livia, Roman empress

After Mark Antony's suicide following the Battle of Actium in 31 BC, Octavian met no opposition to his increasing power, eventually becoming Roman Emperor as Caesar Augustus always with Livia by his side. Together, they formed the role model for Roman households. Despite his wealth and power, Augustus and his family continued to live modestly in their house on the Palatine Hill. Livia would set the pattern for the noble Roman matrona. She wore neither excessive jewelry nor pretentious costumes, she took care of the household and her husband (often making his clothes herself), and she paid no attention to his notorious womanising, always faithful and dedicated. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 397 Ã— 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (2250 Ã— 3400 pixel, file size: 3. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 397 Ã— 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (2250 Ã— 3400 pixel, file size: 3. ... For the cities, see Basalt, Colorado and Basalt, Idaho. ... Centuries: 2nd century BC - 1st century BC - 1st century Decades: 80s BC 70s BC 60s BC 50s BC 40s BC - 30s BC - 20s BC 10s BC 0s 10s 20s Years: 36 BC 35 BC 34 BC 33 BC 32 BC 31 BC 30 BC 29 BC 28 BC 27 BC... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Bust of Mark Antony Marcus Antonius (Latin: MÂ·ANTONIVSÂ·MÂ·FÂ·MÂ·N[1]) ( January 14 83 BC â€“ August 1, 30 BC), known in English as Mark Antony, was a Roman politician and general. ... Combatants Octavian Mark Antony, Cleopatra VII of Egypt Commanders Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa Mark Antony Strength 260 warships, mostly liburnian vessels 220 warships, mostly quinqueremes and 60 egyptian warships Casualties Unknown Almost all of Antonys fleet The Battle of Actium was a naval battle of the Roman Civil War between... Centuries: 2nd century BC - 1st century BC - 1st century Decades: 80s BC 70s BC 60s BC 50s BC 40s BC - 30s BC - 20s BC 10s BC 0s 10s 20s Years: 36 BC 35 BC 34 BC 33 BC 32 BC 31 BC 30 BC 29 BC 28 BC 27 BC... Ordinary Magistrates Extraordinary Magistrates Titles and Honors Emperor Politics and Law This article discusses the nature of the imperial dignity, and its dynastic development throughout the history of the Empire. ... The famous statue of Octavian at the Prima Porta Caesar Augustus (Latin:IMPÂ·CAESARÂ·DIVIÂ·FÂ·AVGVSTVS) Â¹ (23 September 63 BCâ€“19 August AD 14), known to modern historians as Octavian for the period of his life prior to 27 BC, is considered the first and one of the most... 17th century aviaries on the hill, built by Rainaldi for Odoardo Cardinal Farnese: once wirework cages surmounted them. ...

In 35 BC Octavian gave Livia the unprecedented honour of ruling her own finances and dedicated a public statue to her. She had her own circle of clients and pushed many protégés into political offices, including Roman Emperor Galba and Emperor Otho's grandfather. Centuries: 2nd century BC - 1st century BC - 1st century Decades: 80s BC 70s BC 60s BC 50s BC 40s BC - 30s BC - 20s BC 10s BC 0s 10s 20s Years: 40 BC 39 BC 38 BC 37 BC 36 BC 35 BC 34 BC 33 BC 32 BC 31 BC... Servius Sulpicius Galba (December 24, 3 BC â€“ January 15, 69) was Roman Emperor from June 8, 68 until his death. ... Emperor Otho. ...

With Augustus being the father of only one daughter (Julia the Elder by Scribonia), Livia revealed herself to be an ambitious mother and soon started to push her own sons, Tiberius and Drusus, into power. Drusus was a trusted general and married Augustus's favourite niece, Antonia Minor. Tiberius married Julia the Elder (daughter of Augustus) in 11 BC and was ultimately adopted by his stepfather in AD 4 and nominated heir to the empire. For other Roman women named Julia Caesaris, see Julia Caesaris Julia the Elder (October 39 BC - AD 14), known to her contemporaries as Julia Caesaris filia or Julia Augusti filia (Classical Latin: IVLIAâ€¢CAESARISâ€¢FILIA or IVLIAâ€¢AVGVSTIâ€¢FILIA[1]) was the daughter and only natural child of Augustus. ... For other persons named Tiberius, see Tiberius (disambiguation). ... Bust of Nero Claudius Drusus, in the MusÃ©e du Cinquantinaire, Brussels Nero Claudius Drusus Germanicus, born Decimus Claudius Drusus and variously called Drusus, Drusus I, Drusus Claudius Nero, or Drusus the Elder (14 January 38 - 9 BC) was the youngest son of Livia, wife of Augustus, and her first... For other Roman women named Julia Caesaris, see Julia Caesaris Julia the Elder (October 39 BC - AD 14), known to her contemporaries as Julia Caesaris filia or Julia Augusti filia (Classical Latin: IVLIAâ€¢CAESARISâ€¢FILIA or IVLIAâ€¢AVGVSTIâ€¢FILIA[1]) was the daughter and only natural child of Augustus. ... Centuries: 2nd century BC - 1st century BC - 1st century Decades: 60s BC 50s BC 40s BC 30s BC 20s BC - 10s BC - 0s 10s 20s 30s 40s Years: 16 BC 15 BC 14 BC 13 BC 12 BC 11 BC 10 BC 9 BC 8 BC 7 BC 6 BC... For other uses, see 4 (disambiguation). ...

Rumor had it that when Marcellus, nephew of Augustus, died in 23, it was no natural death, and that Livia was behind it (Dio Cassius 55.33.4). One by one, all the sons of Julia the Elder by Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa died: first Lucius and then Gaius, whom Augustus had adopted as his sons, intending them to be his successors. Finally Agrippa Postumus, Julia's one remaining son and also adopted as Augustus' son, was also incarcerated and finally killed. Tacitus charges that Livia was not altogether innocent of these deaths (esp. Annals 1.3; 1.6), and Dio Cassius also mentions such rumours (53.33.4, 55.10A, 55.32; 57.3.6), but not even the gossipmonger Suetonius, who had access to official documents, repeats them. Most modern historical accounts of Livia's life discount the idea. Even less plausible is the rumour mentioned by Tacitus (Annals 1.5) and Dio Cassius (55.22.2; 56.30) that Livia brought about Augustus' death (Dio mentions poisoned figs). Marcus Claudius Marcellus (42-23 BC) was the eldest son of Octavia Minor, sister of Augustus, and Gaius Claudius Marcellus Minor, a former consul. ... Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa (c. ... Lucius Julius Caesar (17 BC-2 AD), most commonly known as Lucius Caesar, was the second son of Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa and Julia the Elder. ... Gaius Julius Caesar Vipsanianus (20 BC - AD 4), most commonly known as Gaius Caesar, was the oldest son of Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa and Julia the Elder. ... Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa Postumus, (12 BC-14 AD) also known as Agrippa Postumus or Postumus Agrippa, was a son of Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa and Julia the Elder. ... For other uses, see Tacitus (disambiguation). ... Dio Cassius Cocceianus (c. ... The Twelve Caesars is a set of twelve biographies of Julius Caesar and the first 11 emperors of the Roman Empire. ...

Life after Augustus

Augustus died in 14, being deified by the senate shortly afterwards. In his will, he left one third of his property to Livia, and the other two thirds to the successor Tiberius. In the will, he also adopted her into the Julian family, thus turning her into a patrician, and granted her the honorific title of Augusta. These dispositions permitted her to maintain her status and power after his death, under the name of Julia Augusta. Events First year of tianfeng era of the Chinese Xin Dynasty. ... Augustus (plural augusti) is Latin for majestic or venerable. The feminin form is Augusta. ...

For some time, Livia and her son Tiberius, the new Emperor, appeared to get along with each other. Speaking against her became treason in 20, and in 24 he granted his mother a theatre seat among the Vestal Virgins. Livia exercised unofficial but very real power in Rome, with a man convicted of treason let go at her request. Eventually, Tiberius became resentful of his mother's political status, particularly against the idea that it was she who had given him the throne. At the beginning of the reign he vetoed the unprecedented title Mater Patriae ("Mother of the Fatherland") that the Senate wanted to bestow upon her, in the same manner in which Augustus and before him Julius Caesar and Cicero had been named Pater Patriae ("Father of the Fatherland"). (Tiberius also consistently refused the title of Pater Patriae for himself.) Image File history File links Livia, mother of Tiberius. ... Image File history File links Livia, mother of Tiberius. ... On the reverse of this coin by Flavia Maximiana Theodora, Pietas bearing holding infant to breast. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Image of a Roman Vestal Virgin In Ancient Rome, the Vestal Virgins (sacerdos Vestalis), were the virgin holy priestesses of Vesta, the goddess of the hearth. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

The historians Tacitus and Dio Cassius depict an overweening, even domineering dowager, ready to interfere in Tiberius’ decisions, the most notable instances being the case of Urgulania, a woman who correctly assumed that her friendship with the empress placed her above the law (Dio Cassius 57.12, Tacitus, Annals 2.34), and Plancina, suspected of murdering Germanicus and saved at Livia’s entreaty (Annals 3.17). A notice from AD 22 records that Julia Augusta dedicated a statue to Augustus in the centre of Rome, placing her own name even before that of Tiberius.

Ancient historians give as a reason for Tiberius’ retirement to Capri his inability to endure her any longer (Annals 4.57, Dio Cassius 57.12.6). Until AD 22 there had, according to Tacitus, been "a genuine harmony between mother and son, or a hatred well concealed" (Annals 3.64); Dio tells us that at the time of his accession already Tiberius heartily loathed her (57.3.3). In 22 she had fallen ill, and Tiberius had hastened back to Rome in order to be with her (Annals 3.64). But in 29 when she finally fell ill and died, he remained on Capri, pleading pressure of work and sending Caligula to deliver the funeral oration (Annals 5.1, Dio 58.2). Suetonius (Vita Tiberii 51) adds the macabre detail that "when she died... after a delay of many days, during which he held out hope of his coming, she was at last buried because the condition of the corpse made it necessary...". Divine honours he also vetoed, as if he took a perverse pleasure in depriving her of her secret aspirations. Later he vetoed all the honours the Senate had granted her after her death and canceled the fulfillment of her will.

It would be another 13 years in the year 42, under the reign of her grandson Claudius, before all her honours would be restored and her deification finally completed. Named Diva Augusta (The Divine Augusta), she received an elephant-drawn chariot to convey her image to all public games, a statue of her was set up in the temple of Augustus along with her husbands, races were held in her honour, and women were to name her in their oaths. This article is about the year 42. ... For other persons named Claudius, see Claudius (disambiguation). ...

Her Villa ad Gallinas Albas north of Rome is currently being excavated: its famous frescos of feigned garden views may be seen at Museo Nazionale Romano#Palazzo Massimo [1]. One of the most famous statues of Augustus - the Prima Porta Augustus - came from the grounds of the villa. Prima Porta now a distant suburb 14. ... For other uses, see Fresco (disambiguation). ... Museum in Rome, split between various branches across the city // Crypta Balbi Museum of Medieval Rome, medieval remains, history of the site, and remains of the Theatre of Lucius Cornelius Balbus (minor) in Campus Martius Palazzo Altemps Palazzo Massimo Baths of Diocletian (main) Epigraphic museum Octagonal Aula of the Baths... Augustus of Prima Porta Augustus of Prima Porta is a statue of Augustus Caesar, discovered on April 20th, 1863 in Prima Porta, Rome. ...

Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1537x2858, 1178 KB) Taken by / Tomada por Zaqarbal, 14â€“Vâ€“2006. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1537x2858, 1178 KB) Taken by / Tomada por Zaqarbal, 14â€“Vâ€“2006. ... Paestum is the classical Roman name of a major Graeco-Roman city in the Campania region of Italy. ...

Livia's personality

While reporting various unsavoury hearsay, the ancient sources generally portray Livia (Julia Augusta) as a woman of proud and queenly attributes, faithful to her imperial husband, for whom she was a worthy consort, forever poised and dignified. With consummate skill she acted out the roles of consort, mother, widow and dowager. Dio (58.2.5) records two of her utterances: "Once, when some naked men met her and were to be put to death in consequence, she saved their lives by saying that to a chaste woman such men are in no way different from statues. When someone asked her how she had obtained such a commanding influence over Augustus, she answered that it was by being scrupulously chaste herself, doing gladly whatever pleased him, not meddling with any of his affairs, and, in particular, by pretending neither to hear or nor to notice the favourites of his passion."

With time, however, and widowhood, a haughtiness and an overt craving for power and the outward trappings of status came increasingly to the fore. Livia had always been a principal beneficiary of the climate of adulation that Augustus had done so much to create, and which Tiberius despised ("a strong contempt for honours", Tacitus, Annals 4.37). In AD 24, typically, whenever she attended the theatre, a seat among the Vestals was reserved for her (Annals 4.16), and this may have been intended more as an honour for the Vestals than for her (cf. Ovid, Tristia, 4.2.13f, Epist.Ex Ponto 4.13.29f).

Livia played a vital role in the formation of her children Tiberius and Drusus. Attention focuses on her part in the divorce of her first husband, father of Tiberius, in 39/38 BC. It would be interesting to know her role in this, as well as in Tiberius’ divorce of Vipsania in 12 BC at Augustus' insistence: whether it was merely neutral or passive, or whether she actively colluded in Caesar’s wishes. The first divorce left Tiberius a fosterchild at the house of Octavian; the second left Tiberius with a lasting emotional scar, since he had been forced to abandon the woman he loved for dynastic considerations. Ancient testimonies are lacking, but it may well be that Tiberius’ deep-seated antipathy towards Livia is rooted in these two events.

Livia in literature and popular culture

Ancient

In Tacitus' The Annals of Imperial Rome, Livia is depicted as having great influence, to the extent where she "had the aged Augustus firmly under control — so much so that he exiled his only surviving grandson to the island of Planasia".

Livia's image appears in ancient visual media such as coins and portraits. She was the first woman to appear on provincial coins in 16 BC and her portrait images can be chronologically identified partially from the progression of her hair designs, which represented more than keeping up with the fashions of the time as her depiction with such contemporary details translated into a political statement of representing the ideal Roman woman. Livia's image evolves with different styles of portraiture that trace her effect on imperial propaganda that helped bridge the gap between her role as wife to the emperor Augustus, to mother of the emperor Tiberius. Becoming more than the "beautiful woman" she is described as in ancient texts, Livia serves as a public image for the idealization of Roman feminine qualities, a motherly figure, and eventually a goddess like representation that alludes to her virtue. Livia's power in symbolizing the renewal of the Republic with the female virtues Pietas and Concordia in public displays had a dramatic affect on the visual representation of future imperial women as ideal, honorable mothers and wives of Rome. ^[3]

Modern

In the popular fictional work I, Claudius by Robert Graves, Livia is portrayed as a thoroughly wicked, scheming political mastermind. Devoted to bringing Tiberius to power and then maintaining him there, she is involved in nearly every death or disgrace in the Julio-Claudian family up to the time of her death. In the 1976 BBC television series based on the book, Livia was played by Siân Phillips. This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... Robert von Ranke Graves (24 July 1895 â€“ 7 December 1985) was an English poet, scholar, and novelist. ... For other persons named Tiberius, see Tiberius (disambiguation). ... The British Broadcasting Corporation, which is usually known as the BBC, is the largest broadcasting corporation in the world in terms of audience numbers, employing 26,000 staff in the United Kingdom alone and with a budget of more than GBÂ£4 billion. ... I, Claudius, 1976 was a BBC Television adaptation of Robert Gravess I Claudius and Claudius the God. ... SiÃ¢n Phillips (pronounced IPA: ), CBE is a Welsh actress who was born Jane Elizabeth AilwÃªn Phillips in Betws, Carmarthenshire, Wales, on May 14, 1933. ...

Livia is also dramatized in the HBO/BBC series Rome. Introduced in the 2007 episode A Necessary Fiction, Livia (Alice Henley) soon catches the eye of young Octavian, who has never been married or fathered any children. Historically, of course, Octavian had already been married to and divorced Clodia Pulchra by this time, and was married to a pregnant Scribonia. Rome does acknowledge the existence of Livia's child, Tiberius Nero, by her first husband, but not that she was pregnant with Nero Claudius Drusus when she met Octavian. For other uses, see HBO (disambiguation). ... Rome is a multiple Emmy Award-winning historical drama, produced in Italy for television by the BBC (UK), HBO (USA), and RAI (Italy). ... A Necessary Fiction is the eighth episode of the second season of the television series Rome. ... Rome title design There are several minor but significant characters featured in the HBO television series Rome. ... Gaius Octavian is a character in the HBO/BBC2 original television series Rome, played by Max Pirkis, in the second season he will eventually be played by Simon Woods. ... Clodia Pulchra (Also known as Claudia) was the daughter of Fulvia (Later wife of Mark Antony) and her first husband Publius Clodius Pulcher. ...

Livia appears in Neil Gaiman's comic "Distant Mirrors - August" collected in The Sandman: Fables and Reflections. Neil Richard Gaiman () (born November 10, 1960) is an English author of science fiction and fantasy short stories and novels, graphic novels, comics, and films. ... Fables and Reflections (1993) is the sixth collection of issues in the DC Comics series, The Sandman. ...

In John Maddox Roberts's short story "The King of Sacrifices," set in his SPQR series, Livia hires Decius Metellus to investigate the murder of one of Julia's lovers. John Maddox Roberts John Maddox Roberts born in Ohio, is an author who has written many science fiction and fantasy novels such as SPQR and Hannibals Children. ... The SPQR series is a collection of detective stories by John Maddox Roberts set in the time of the Roman Republic. ... Decius Caecilius Metellus the Younger is the creation of author John Maddox Roberts. ... Julia Caesaris Julia Caesaris is the name of all women in the Julii Caesares patrician family (to which, for instance Julius Caesar and Caesar Augustus belonged), since feminine names were their fathers gens and cognomen declined in the female form. ...

Notes

^ E. Groag, A. Stein, L. Petersen - e.a. (edd.), Prosopographia Imperii Romani saeculi I, II et III (PIR), Berlin, 1933 - L 301
^ For Livia's portraiture and representations, see: Rolf Winkes, Livia, Octavia, Iulia- Porträts und Darstellungen-, Archaeologia Transatlantica XIII, Louvain-la-Neuve and Providence, 1995.
^ I Claudia II: Women in Roman art and society. Edited by Diana E. E. Kleiner and Susan B. Matheson Yale University Art Gallery. Austin: University of Texas Press, 2000.

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