Livia Drusilla

1
Livia Drusilla
Emily T. 1/11/02 Mr. Burnett, H I, Caesar Proje
ct

• An imperious wife and
• an amiable mother--Tacitus

2
The Woman of the Caesars

• Livia was born January 30, 58 BC (Rome?)and
  lived until 29 AD.
  
• She lived in Rome and was empress from 27 BC to
  14 AD.
  
• She had a major influence on two emperors her
  husband, Augustus(Octavian), and her son,
  Tiberius.
  
• Livia helped many people into power and was very
  powerful woman figure herself.
  
• She was seen as a model Roman woman at the time
  and throughout Roman history.

3
Her Early Years

• Livia was born on January 30, 58 BC.
• Her father was Marcus Livius Drusus Claudianus, a
  wealthy aristocrat.
  
• He fought in the civil war against Octavian and
  committed suicide after defeat in Philippi in 42
  BC.
  
• Livia married Tiberius Claudius Nero in 43(or 42)
  BC at 15 years old.
  
• She give birth to Tiberius on November 16, 42
  BC.
  
• Livia becomes pregnant with their 2nd child.

4
Livia and Octavian

• Livia first meets Octavian when she and her
  husband along with Octavian have to flee a
  slavery rebellion in 40 BC.
  
• She begins to have an affair with him shortly
  after they return.
  
• Octavian divorces his wife, Scribonia, and Livia
  divorces Tiberius Claudius Nero.
  
• On January 28, 38 BC, Octavian marries Livia
  while she is still pregnant with her first
  husbands son.

5
Livias Sons

• Nero Claudius Drusus was born three months after
  Livia and Octavians wedding.
  
• Both Tiberius and Drusus went to live with their
  father until his death after a few years.
  
• Octavian became guardian of Livias sons, and
  they came to live with Livia.
  
• Livia wanted one of them, mainly Tiberius, to
  become the next emperor.

6
Husband and Wife

• Octavian becomes emperor in 27 BC, making Livia
  empress.
  
• Livia and Octavian(Augustus) were married for
  over 50 years and were seen as a model marriage.
  
• It was questioned whether their wedding was valid
  since it was done so quickly with divorce and
  more importantly, Livia was carrying her first
  husbands baby.
• Augustus often asked Livia for political advise
  and to help him make important decisions for the
  empire.
  
• They also worked together on matters of the
  family and home, and their relationship was very
  balanced.
  

7
Livias Household

• Livia lived with Augustus in the modest palace on
  Palatine.
  
• She also spent much of her time at her private
  estate, at Prima Porta, which was located north
  of Rome
  
• A variety of family and friends lived in her
  household at one point or another.
  
• This includes Tiberius, Drusus, Julia(Augustuss
  daughter, Julias children (Gaius, Lucius, Julia,
  Agrippina the elder), her daughter-in-law Antonia
  and her children (Germanicus, emperor Claudius,
  Livilla), emperor Gauis Caligula, Agrppina the
  younger, etc.

Claudius
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Prima Porta

• Livias villa, the Prima Porta, was the largest
  villa(12 sq. miles) in Lazio, which was 15 km
  north of Rome.
  
• It was probably given to her in her marriage to
  Tiberius Claudius Nero, and it became an Imperial
  property when she married Augustus.
  
• The villa was thought to have magnificent
  complexes and beautiful gardens.
  
• The building walls were painted frescoes. The
  most famous wall is of a garden scene with
  beautiful plants and animals.
  
• The famous statue of Augustus was discovered on
  the site of the villa.

Statue of Augustus
9
Rights Given To Livia

• In 35 BC, Livia received the title of tribunica
  sanctissima it gave her authority over money and
  property and people could not harm her without
  harming the state.
• In 18 and 9 BC, a series of Julian laws were
  passed, giving her independence from a husbands
  binding.

10
Her Power

• Livia managed her own money well and easily
  worked with people.
  
• She influenced and had power over the decisions
  which Augustus made, who was all-powerful since
  he was emperor.
  
• She planned and helped many people rise to power
  as consuls, senators, and other government
  officials.
  
• Livia protected her friends when they asked for
  help.

11
Ideal Roman Woman

• Livia was seen as an ideal model for aristocratic
  women.
  
• She was independent, but still lived in
  simplicity and did work.
  
• She was also loyal and always kept her duty to
  her family and people.
  
• Livia wore simple clothes, most of which she made
  herself, and made the clothes of Augustus, too.
  
• She portrayed herself as one of the people, just
  as Augustus did.
  
• All these acts were perfect examples of what
  values the people of Rome should have had.

12
Representing Values

• Some of the main values of the Julio-Claudian
  period were simplicity, loyalty, industriousness,
  and showing duty to ones family. Livia had all
  of these.
• Livia had grown up in civil wars and was
  determined to keep the welfare of Rome.
  
• New younger aristocrats werent and liked
  luxury and self-interest more.
  
• Augustus, helped by Livia, made a series of
  social laws in which conduct was based on Livias
  model of values.
  

Livia
13
Augustuss Heirs

• Augustus adopted both of Livias sons, but looked
  else where for an heir.
  
• Agrippa and Marcus Claudius Marcellus were main
  options and were married to Julia. Marcellus
  died, then Agrippa after him.
  
• Tiberius married Julia in 11 BC with Livia and
  Augustuss arrangement..
  
• Augustus wanted Drusus to be heir, but he died in
  9 BC.
  
• Agrippa and Julias sons, Lucius and Gaius, are
  possible heirs, but both died. The other son,
  Agrippa Postumus, was banished.
  
• All these deaths secure Tiberiuss place as
  heir.
  
• Some thought that Livia had plotted the deaths in
  order to clear the way for Tiberius
  

Agrippa
14
Death of Augustus

• Augustus died in 14 AD at Nola.
• Tiberius arrived from Rhodes. He was named
  successor and becomes the emperor.
  
• Agrippa Postumus was killed by either Livia or
  Crispus, Tiberius advisor, without his knowledge
  in order to abolish threats.
  
• Livia was given the name Julia Augustus and was
  adopted into the Julian clan.
  
• She was given one third of Augustuss property
  and inherited much despite laws.
  
• Livia became a priestess of Augustuss cult after
  he was deified.

15
Reign of Tiberius

• Livia was denied rights which were given to her
  by Augustus by Tiberius.
  
• The senate proposed names such as parens
  patrians (Parent of the Country), mater
  patriae (Mother of the Country), and for
  Tiberius Iuliae filius (Son of Julia(Livia)).
  Tiberius rejected them, saying such titles were
  unfit for women.
• When Tiberius retired to Capri, Livia only came
  once for a brief visit.
  
• In Rome, though, she still used her power to
  bring people into power and protect them as she
  did in Augustuss reign.

Tiberius
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Coin of Livia

• In this coin, she was portrayed as either Pax,
  the goddess of peace, or Ceres, the goddess of
  agriculture, who was mainly worshipped by the
  plebs.
• If she was portrayed as Pax, it shows that Livia
  cared about the empire and keeping peace.
  
• If she was portrayed as Ceres, it shows that she
  cares about the needs of the people, which are
  gotten through farming.
  
• In both she is seen as a motherly goddess, which
  helped the people understand her power and her
  job as Mother of the Country.
  
• The fact that she is even on a coin shows that
  she was very powerful, since most coins were of
  leaders.
  
• This coins head has Tiberius on it, which shows
  that Livia still had some influence in his reign.
  
  

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The Death of Livia

• Livia died in 29 AD at the age of 86 in Rome.
• Tiberius would not attend the funeral.
• He also did not allow the will to be read and
  fulfilled. It favored not him, but the future
  emperor, Galba.
  
• When Caligula became emperor, he executed the
  will.
  
• When Claudius became emperor, Livia was deified
  finally.
  
• Her influence reigned throughout the years and
  she was seen still as the ideal Roman woman for
  generations to come.

18
Bibliography

• Ferrero, Guglielmo. The Women of the Caesars.
  Williamstown, MS Corner House Publishers, 1978.
  This book give me a good amount of information
  that I used on the relationship between Octavian
  and Livia, the power of Livia, and her model
  values. This is fairly hard reading, and it also
  has information on Julia, Agrippas daughters,
  Antonia, Gaiuss sisters, and Agrippa the
  Younger.
• Lightman, Marjorie and Benjamin. Ancient Greek
  and Roman Women. New York Checkmark Books, 2000.
  This book give me general information on Livia,
  including her power, her household, her early
  years, Tiberiuss rise and reign, and much of
  what I used in my presentation. It also gives
  information on famous and more obscure Greek and
  Roman women and is pretty easy reading.
• Prima Porta Villa of Livia. Peter Liljenstolpe
  and Allan Klynne. Dec 7, 2000. The Department of
  Archaeology and Ancient History, Uppsala
  University, Sweden. Nov 15, 2001.
  http//www.arkeologi.uu.se/primaporta/. I got my
  information on my building, the Prima Porta,
  here. The reading is fairly easy, and gives extra
  information on Augustus and the excavation of the
  site.
• The Annuals by Tactius. Daniel C. Stevenson.
  2000. Web Atomics. Dec 1, 2001.
  http//classics.mit.edu/Tactius/annuals.html. I
  got my quote from this site. It has the complete
  translation of the Annuals about Augustus, and it
  is hard reading since it is a primary document.