This scholarly biography details the life of an extraordinary woman in an extraordinary society.
Julia Augusti studies the life of the only daughter of Augustus, the first Roman emperor, and the father who sacrificed his daughter and her children in order to establish a dynasty.
Studying the abundant historical evidence available, this biography studies each stage of Julia’s life in remarkable detail:
- her childhood - taken from her divorced mother to become part of a complex and unstable family structure
- her youth - set against the brilliant social and cultural life of the new Augustan Rome
- her marriages - as tools for Augustus’ plans for succession
- Julia’s violation of her father’s moral regime, and the betrayal of her absent husband.
Reflecting new attitudes, and casting fresh light on their social reality, this outstanding biography will delight, entertain and inform anyone interested in this engaging Classical figure.
Introduction. Julia’s Birth and Family. Julia’s Girlhood. Marriage to Agrippa. Julia’s Boys. The Grass Widow and Her Humiliation. Julia’s Daughters. The Death of Augustus, and Ruin of the Julian Branch
Biography
Elaine Fantham
'This book is highly recommended for anyone interested in the Augustan period, and will appeal to both scholar and lay-reader. The work encourages the adoption of fresh attitudes and sats fresh light on some important historical issues relating to gender studies.' - History and Culture
