Influential Roman Matrons

By Missyeden101
  • 500 BCE

    Theodora

    Theodora
  • Period: 500 BCE to 548 BCE

    Theodora

    Theodora was not born in a high society, her father trained bears , her mother was an actor.She followed her mother on stage and became a prostitute. She met Justinian heir to the throne. Winning his affections they married despite legal difficulties and opposition within the imperial family. She used her husband’s reforms of the legal system to improve the rights of women.
  • Period: 399 BCE to 453 BCE

    Aelia Pulcheria

    Born into the ruling family of the Eastern Roman Empire in the late 4th century. She took a vow of perpetual virginity to avoid having to take a husband.On brothers death Pulcheria ruled the empire alone for a month but was voted a unsuitable as a ruler because she was a woman .Forced to marry even though she had a vow of chastity, Husband was made to swear that he would respect her vow and the marriage was never consummated.
  • 339 BCE

    Aelia Pulcheria

    Aelia Pulcheria
  • 250 BCE

    Helena

    Helena
  • Period: 250 BCE to 330 BCE

    Helena

    She was a maid when Constantius saw her and observed that they were wearing the same bracelet immediately thought it was a sign they should marry. Constantius was a jerk and left her for a woman of higher birth.Helena and Constantius son Constantine was the first Christian emperor.Helena was considered to be a saint
  • 218 BCE

    Julia Soaemias

    Julia Soaemias
  • Period: 218 BCE to 222 BCE

    Julia Soaemias

    Niece to Julia Domna.Using her wealth she raised a rebellion and overthrew Macrinus and made her 14 year old son emperor
    Her son was emperor but she was the real power in Rome
    First woman allowed to be senate,Her son, however, caused problems. He devalued the currency, annoyed the Senate, worshipped foreign gods, took male lovers, and married a Vestal Virgin. Turning on the emperor the Praetorian Guard killed him and his mother.
  • 195 BCE

    Cornelia Africana

    Cornelia Africana
  • Period: 195 BCE to 115 BCE

    Cornelia Africana

    Daughter of Scipio Africanus. She gave birth to 12 children only three survived. When her husband died she did not remarry and she took over education for her children. When she died Rome made a statue and idolized her as The Perfect Roman Mother.
  • 160 BCE

    Julia Maesa

    Julia Maesa
  • 160 BCE

    Julia Domna

    Julia Domna
  • Period: 160 BCE to 217 BCE

    Julia Domna

    Wife of Emperor Septimius Severus, she followed her husband on his many campaigns to secure his empire. Titled Mater Castrorum – Mother of the Camp. She encouraged philosophy in Rome and sponsored building works. She committed suicide
  • Period: 160 BCE to 224 BCE

    Julia Maesa

    Mother to Julia Soaemias and sister to Julia Domna.She helped to overthrow Macrinus to push her grandson Elagabalus onto the throne.Seeing how unpopular the young man was,She decided to replace him and his mother with her other daughter, Julia Mamaea, and Mamaea’s son Alexander Severus. She forced Elagabalus adopt Alexander Severus as his heir and lavish honors on him
    .
  • 148 BCE

    Lucilla

    Lucilla
  • Period: 148 BCE to 182 BCE

    Lucilla

    daughter to Marcus. Married her father's co-ruler Lucius Verus at age 14 Lucius Verus died, Lucilla remarried, and traveled with her second husband and Marcus Aurelius during his Danube military campaign.Marcus died during their travels.Tried to murder Commodus the emperor that took over for her father.Failed and was executed.
  • 120 BCE

    Aurelia Cotta

    Aurelia Cotta
  • Period: 120 BCE to 54 BCE

    Aurelia Cotta

    Mother of Julius Caesar. Part of high society in Rome.Helped Julius raise his daughter Julia. biggest success was helping Julius survive long years on the throne.
  • 104 BCE

    Servilla Caepionis

    Servilla Caepionis
  • Period: 104 BCE to 42 BCE

    Servilia Caepionis

    Half sister of Cato the younger.Mistress of Caesar/ had a child by him.Let Caesar sleep with their Daughter. she planned to kill Caesar but didn't
  • 100 BCE

    Julia Mamaea

    Julia Mamaea
  • Period: 100 BCE to 235 BCE

    Julia Mamaea

    Last of the powerful women of the Severn dynasty.Governed Rome.
    She had the reputation of being a traditional Roman matron, but her effective leadership pushed her far beyond that role.She reversed Elagabalus’ more absurd decrees and stabilized the empire.
    had Alexander’s first wife exiled.
  • 83 BCE

    Fulvia

    Fulvia
  • Period: 83 BCE to 40 BCE

    Fulvia

    First living woman to have her face on a coin. Married Antony and ruled Rome while Antony and Octavian were away. Very involved in politics.
  • 70 BCE

    Portia Catonis

    Portia Catonis
  • Period: 70 BCE to 195 BCE

    Portia Catonis

    She married Bibulus an ally of Cato.Lost Biblus to war She married her cousin Brutus,stabbed herself in the leg to prove she could keep all secrets for her husband even under torture. She killed herself after hearing that Brutus died by swallowing hot coals or burning coal in an unventilated room.
  • 69 BCE

    Octavia the Younger

    Octavia the Younger
  • Period: 69 BCE to 11 BCE

    Octavia the younger

    Married of of her uncles opponents Marcellus had three children with him.Marcellus died she married Mark Antony.Antony had an affair with Cleopatra she had twins Antony left Octavia for Queen Cleopatra.She remained loyal to Antony and became a negotiator between Antony and Octavian her brother.Octavia never remarried, and after Antony’s suicide, she took in his 4 children by Fulvia and Cleopatra, and cared for them along with her other children.
  • 58 BCE

    Liva Drusilla

    Liva Drusilla
  • Period: 58 BCE to 29 BCE

    Livia Drusilla

    First empress of Rome. Octavian fell in love with her and made her husband divorce her so he could marry her. Said to be a a crazy serial killer who killed anyone who got in her way.
  • 17 BCE

    Valeria Messalina

    Valeria Messalina
  • Period: 17 BCE to 48 BCE

    Valeria Messalina

    She married Claudius.Messalina is probably one of the most notoriously promiscuous women of Rome.For all his good qualities as emperor, Claudius became known for being easily manipulated by his wife. The account of Messalina competing with a prostitute to see who could have sex with the most people in one night was first recorded by Pliny the Elder. Pliny says that, with 25 partners, Messalina won.
  • 14 BCE

    Julia Agrippina

    Julia Agrippina
  • 14 BCE

    Agrppina the Elder

    Agrppina the Elder
  • Period: 14 BCE to 59 BCE

    Julia Agrippina

    Exiled by her brother, when her brother died she was allowed to return.Forced to marry her uncle and have his kid. Very powerful empress.Killed her uncle Claudius so her son Nero could be emperor.
  • 13 BCE

    Livilla

    Livilla
  • Period: 13 BCE to 31 BCE

    Livilla

    Sister of emperor Claudius and expected to marry and be empress (Augustus's Grandson). Her plan didn't work so she poisoned Drusus/got caught Tiberius left her punishment to her mother, Livilla’s mother locked her in a room until she starved to death
  • Period: 14 to 33

    Agrippina the elder

    She was the granddaughter of Augustus, daughter of Augustus’s right hand man Agrippa, and the wife of the beloved general Germanicus. After Agrippa died, Agrippina’s mother married Tiberius. This was an unhappy marriage, as Tiberius had been forced to divorce Vipsania, who he was deeply in love with. Agrippina never saw her mother again after she was exiled for adultery.