William Sterling

Women’s position in the Ancient Roman world was important as they played important roles in the home, in business, in religion and even in politics.

The Lives and Importance of women in Republican and Imperial Ancient Rome and Roman Britain including the importance of the worship of goddesses.

The contrasting roles of women in different parts of Roman society in the Republic and the Empire, from slaves to Empresses.  The numerous female goddesses will be examined and how their attributes reflected the view of men.  Death and burial will also be looked at and the magnificent tomb of Helena and Mausoleum of Galla Placidia will be contrasted with the freedmen portraits of Roman women.  Other famous Roman women such as the semi-legendary Lucretia and Cloelia as well as later real women like Cornelia mother of the Gracchi and empresses such as Livia, Agrippina, Poppaea, the Syrian Julias and Helena mother of Constantine.  Some of these women have become famous through Shakespeare and other authors as well as artists from the Middle Ages onwards.