Servilia and Her Family

De: Susan Treggiari

Narrado por: Lucy Rayner

Servilia is often cited as one of the most influential women of the late Roman Republic. Though she was a high-born patrician, her grandfather died disgraced, and her controversial father was killed before he could stand for the consulship; she herself married twice, but both husbands were mediocre. Her position in the ruling class still afforded her significant social and political power, and it is likely that she masterminded the distinguished marriages of her one son, Brutus, and her three daughters. During her second marriage, she began an affair with Julius Caesar, which probably lasted for the rest of his life and is further indicative of the force of her charm and her exceptional intelligence.

The patchiness of the sources means that a full biography is impossible, though in suggesting connections between the available evidence and the speculative possibilities open to women of Servilia's status, this volume aims to offer an insightful reconstruction of her life and position both as a member of the senatorial nobility and within her extended and nuclear family. Exploring the role she played during these turbulent years of the late Republic reveals much about the ways in which Romans of both sexes exerted influence and sought to control outcomes, as well as about the place of women in high society.

©2019 Susan Treggiari (P)2019 Tantor

interesting content, mediocre performance

The lengthy foreword almost made me return this book. So many words for simple information! And the narrator has a weird melody to her words, not to speak the mispronounciation of Roman names and latin words. But the information is interesting enough to continue listening. So, if narration is important to you, listen the preview first...