Description
Book SynopsisStudying references and writings in over 900 personal letters, an unparalleled source, this book presents a rounded and intriguing account of the three women who, until now, have only survived as secondary figures to Cicero.
In a field where little is really known about Ciceroâs family, Susan Treggiari creates a history for these figures who, through history, have not had voices of their own, and a vivid impression of the everyday life upper-class Roman women in Italy had during the heyday of Roman power.
Artfully assembling a rounded picture of their personalities and experiences, Treggiari reconstructs the lives of these three important women:
- Ciceroâs first wife Terentia: a strong, tempestuous woman of status and fortune, with an implacable desire to retain control of both
- his second wife Publilia: shadowy and mysterious, the young submissive who Cicero wedded to compensate for her predecessorâs steely resolve and fiery temper
- his daughter Tullia.
Including illustrations, chronological charts, maps and glossaries, this book is essential reading for students wishing to get better acquainted with the women of ancient Rome.
Trade Review'This will be an extremely useful book for teachers and students taking courses about Roman women.' – David Noy, Bryn Mawr Classical Review
'One of the many strengths of this insightful, readable work is that Treggiari is not unduly anxious about balancing Cicero's voice against speculative reconstructions of his womenfolk's point of view' – Emily Wilson, Times Literary Supplement
Table of Contents1. The Rank Into Which They Were Born 2. The World Into Which They Were Born 3. Cicero: From Eques to Consul 4. Terentia: The Young Wife 5. Life of Mother and Daughter 6. Living Through Disaster 7. Restoration 8. Finding the Right Man 9. Public and Private Quarrels 10. Three Divorces, One Wedding and a Baby 11. Death and Survival 12. Conclusions
