Rome
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Myth of the founding of Rome
Rome. The Eternal City. But how eternal is it? It was an ancient city in ancient times. There are conflicting myths as to how Rome was founded and these grew as Rome grew in size and power. Let’s take a look at these myths and see if we can get to the bottom of where these are from and if there is any truth to them. The most common myth is that of Romulus and Remus. These were twin brothers born to Rhea Silvia in the Italian town of Alba Longa, just south of the site of Rome. Rhea Silvia was the daughter of the king of Alba Longa, Numitor.…
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Livia Drusilla- Princeps Femina
Born Livia Drusilla in 58 BCE, she rose to become the first Empress of Rome and an example of womanly virtue and simplicity. However, in later years, she has been painted as treacherous and power hungry as well as a deadly foe. How much of this is true? Her father was M. Livius Drusus Claudianaus, and carried the blood of the both the Livii and the patrician Claudii families. No one is sure if she was an only child, the name “Drusilla” indicates she was a younger daughter, but there is no record of an older one. Her family did adopt Marcus Drusus Libo as a son and heir. She…
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Aelia Galla Placidia- Mother of the Western Roman Empire
If we were judging by famous ancestors, Aelia Galla Placidia had collected quite a few plums. Daughter of Emperor Theodosius I and his second wife, Galla, who was the daughter of Emperor Valentinian I. Her half brothers were emperors Honorius and Arcadius, and nephew was Theodosius II, emperor in Constantinople. Her son went on to become Emperor Valentinian III. Granted, some of the crop was a bit questionable and possibly moldy, but they were plums all the same. Added to, or perhaps in spite of, her famous relative, Galla Placidia was one of the most influential figures of the time. Her biographer Stewart Irvin Oost says, she “played at least…
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Elagabalus
Born Varius Avitus Bassianus in 204 CE in Syria, the little boy had impressive connections. His parents were Sextus Varius Marcellus, a former senator under Emperor Caracalla, and Julia Soaemis, a niece of Septimus Severus’s second wife Julia Domna. His grandmother was Julia Maesa, widow to the consul Julius Avitus, and younger sister of Julia Domna. All of this tied him closely to the family of the Emperor Caracalla. When Caracalla was assassinated, the new Emperor Macrinus was fearful of anyone with close ties to the former emperor. He commanded that Julia Domna leave Antioch, however, she starved herself rather than comply. Her sister and her niece swore revenge. Macrinus…
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Cleopatra Selene II
The affair between Cleopatra and Marc Antony was one of the biggest scandals of the ancient world. Reports of how Antony had given up Roman ways for the decadent East was the talk of Rome. Eventually, in 40 BCE, Antony went back to Rome to marry Octavia and try to forge a peace with her brother, Octavian. What he didn’t know was he left Cleopatra pregnant. Later that year, the twins were born- Alexander Helios (Sun) and Cleopatra Selene (Moon) Antony did not acknowledge his children until he met with Cleopatra in Antioch three years later. The family then returned to Egypt much to Octavian’s chagrin. A year later, Ptolemy…
