Livia

Livia, also known as Livia Drusilla was born on 30 January 58 BC, as the daughter of Marcus Livius Drusus Claudianus and his wife, Aufidia. The diminutive Drusilla often found in her name suggests she was a second daughter.

Livia was probably married in 43 BC. Her father married her to Tiberius Claudius Nero, his cousin of patrician status, with whom he was fighting on the side of Julius Caesar's assassins against Octavian. Livia's father committed suicide in the Battle of Philippi (42 BC), along Gaius Cassius Longinus and Marcus Junius Brutus. Her husband, however, kept fighting against Octavian, now on behalf of Mark Antony. Livia gave birth to her first child, Tiberius Claudius Nero (future Emperor) on 16 November 42 BC. Two years later, in 40 BC, the family was forced to flee Italy in order to avoid the Triumvirate of Octavian, Mark Antony and Marcus Aemilius Lepidus. They joined Sextus Pompeius (a son of Pompey Magnus) in Sicily; later, they moved to Greece.

After peace was established between the Triumvirate and the followers of Sextus Pompeius, a general amnesty was announced. Livia returned to Rome, where she was personally introduced to Octavian in 39 BC. At this time, Livia was pregnant with her second child, Nero Claudius Drusus. Legend says that Octavian fell immediately in love with her, despite still being married to Scribonia. Octavian divorced Scribonia in 39 BC on the very day she gave birth to his daughter, Julia. At the same time, Tiberius Claudius Nero was persuaded to divorce Livia.
On 14 January, Livia's second child was born; Octavian married her on 17 January, waiving the traditional waiting period. Livia's ex-husband was present at the wedding and even gave her away just as a father would.

After Mark Antony's suicide following the Battle of Actium (31 BC), Octavian returned to Rome triumphant. On 16 January 27 BC, the Senate bestowed upon him the honorary title of Augustus. Augustus refused any monarchical titles, instead choosing to refer to himself as Princeps Civitatis (First Citizen of the State) or Princeps Senatus (First among the Senate).

Livia and Augustus formed the role model for Roman households. Despite their wealth and power, Augustus and his family continued to live modestly on their house on the Palatine Hill. Livia set the pattern for the noble Roman matrona: she wore neither excessive jewellery nor pretentious costumes, she took care of her household and her husband (she made his clothes herself), always faithful and dedicated. In 35 BC, Augustus gave Livia the unprecedented honour of ruling her own finances and dedicated a public statue to her.

With Augustus being the father of only one daughter (Julia, daughter of his ex-wife Scribonia), Livia revealed herself to be an ambitious mother and started to push her own sons, Tiberius and Nero Claudius Drusus, into power. Drusus was a trusted general and married Augustus' favourite niece, Antonia Minor; they had three children: Germanicus, Livilla and Claudius (future Emperor). Tiberius married Augustus' own daughter, Julia. He was ultimately adopted by his stepfather in 4 AD, and named his heir.

Rumour had it that when Marcellus (Augustus' nephew) died in 23 BC, it was no natural death and that Livia was behind it. After the two elder sons of Julia by her first husband, Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, whom Augustus had adopted as sons and heirs died, the one remaining son, Agrippa Postumus, was adopted at the same time as Tiberius. However, Agrippa Postumus was sent to an island and finally killed, leaving only Tiberius. Tacitus charges that Livia was not altogether innocent of these deaths and Cassius Dio also mentions such rumours. There are also rumours (mentioned by Tacitus and Dio) that Livia brought Augustus' death by poisoning figs.

Augustus died on 19 August 14 AD; he was deified by the Senate shortly afterwards. In his will, he left 1/3 of his property to Livia, and the other 2/3 to Tiberius. He also adopted her into the Julian family and granted her the honorific title of Augusta. These dispositions permitted Livia to maintain her status and power after her husband's death, under the new name of Julia Augusta.

For some time, Livia and her son Tiberius (now Emperor) appeared to get along with each other. Speaking against Livia became treason in 20 AD and, in 24 AD, she was granted a theatre seat among the Vestal Virgins. Livia exercised unofficial but very real power in Rome. Eventually, Tiberius grew 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 his reign, Tiberius vetoed the unprecedented title Mater Patriae (Mother of the Fatherland) that the Senate wanted to bestow upon her.

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

Ancient historians attribute Tiberius' retirement to Capri to his inability to endure his mother any longer. Until 22 AD there had been, according to Tacitus, a genuine harmony between mother and son, or a hatred well concealed. Dio tells us that at the time of his accession, Tiberius heartily loathed her. In 22 AD, Livia had fallen ill, and Tiberius had hastened back to Rome in order to be with her. However, in 28 September 29 AD, when she finally fell ill and died, Tiberius remained in Capri, sending Caligula to deliver the funeral oration. Suetonius adds the macabre detail that when she died...after the delay of several days, during which he held out hope of his coming, [she was at last] buried because the condition of the body made it necessary. Tiberius vetoed divine honours, stating this was in accord with Livia's own instructions. Later, he also vetoed all the honours the Senate granted after her death and cancelled the fulfilment of her will.

It wasn't until 13 years later, in 42 AD during the reign of her grandson Claudius, that all her honours were restored and her deification finally completed. She was named Diva Augusta (The Divine Augusta), and an elephant-drawn chariot conveyed her image to all public games. A statue of her was set up in the temple of Augustus, races were held in her honour, and women were to invoke her name in their sacred oaths.

While reporting various unsavoury hearsay, the ancient sources portray Livia as a woman of proud and queenly attributes, faithful to her 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. When someone asked her how she 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 nor notice the favourites of his passion. With time, however, a haughtiness and an overt craving for power and the outward trappings of status became increasingly evident.

Livia

(c. 1-25 AD)