A sparkling biography of the legendary Fulvia of Ancient Rome, described by Cicero as 'a thoroughly rapacious woman'.

The charismatic Fulvia amassed a degree of military and political power that was unprecedented for a woman in Ancient Rome. Married three times to men who moved in powerful circles, including Marc Antony, Fulvia was not content to play the usual background role that was expected of a wife - instead she challenged the Roman patriarchy and sought to increase her influence in the face of determined opposition.

It's rare to know so much about a particular Roman woman, but Fulvia was so despised by her male detractors that she was much written about. Acclaimed historian Jane Draycott has used original sources to piece together Fulvia's life and sort fact from fiction, while also exploring the role of women in Roman society. Set during the chaotic period when Rome was violently transitioning from a republic to the dictatorship of the Roman Empire, this is an original and fascinating take on an endlessly popular period of history.

Details

ISBN13: 9781805463658
Format: Paperback / softback
Number of Pages: 288
Edition: Export/Airside
Publication Date: 29 Jul 2025
Publisher: Atlantic Books
Publication City, Country: London, United Kingdom
Dimensions (cm): 23.5(H)x15.4(L)x2.2(W)
Weight (gm):

Author Biography

Jane Draycott is a historian and archaeologist, and the author of Cleopatra's Daughter: Egyptian Princess, Roman Prisoner, African Queen. She is currently Lecturer in Ancient History at the University of Glasgow and co-director of the University of Glasgow's Games and Gaming Lab.

Reviews

'A woman who has brought more luck to herself than to her husbands...a woman as cruel as she is greedy to the utmost extent' - Cicero
'A woman who took no thought for spinning or housekeeping...meddlesome and headstrong' - Plutarch
'[She] caused the death of many, both to satisfy her enmity and to gain their wealth' -Cassius Dio
'Nothing of the woman in her except her sex' - Velleius Paterculus