Roman Matrons

By Katy Casini
  • 510 BCE

    Lucretia

    Lucretia
    She was known to be beautiful and virtuous. She was raped by the King's son and after stabbed herself to death.
  • 201 BCE

    Cornelia Africana

    Cornelia Africana
    She was the daughter of Scipio Africanus and had twelve children but only 3 survived.She is remembered by the Romans as an exemplar of virtue; and even a statue was dedicated to her after she died in 100 BC.
  • 191 BCE

    Marcia

    She was considered " a woman of good reputation" even though she was sent to another man pregnant. A 18th-century historian signed herself in honor of her.
  • 120 BCE

    Aurelia Cotta

    Aurelia Cotta
    She was the mother of Julius Caesar and saved his life by a petition to Sulla.She was considered intelligent and independent.
  • 83 BCE

    Fulvia

    She is known as the wife of Publius Clodius and when he died she dragged his body which created a riot among his followers.She also inherited her husbands poer in Roman gangs.
  • 79 BCE

    Tullia

    She convinced her husband to kill her father which led to her being the last queen of Rome. She is remembered as a "symbol of parricide" and "the murder of her own father."
  • 70 BCE

    Porcia Catonis

    Porcia Catonis
    She was considered to be kind, brave, and a lover of philosophy.She died from "suicide".
  • 70 BCE

    Porcia

    She is renowned for her devotion to Brutus and was the only woman to be aware of the assassination of Caesar.She committed suicide after hearing Brutus died.
  • 69 BCE

    Octavia

    Octavia
    She was the first Roman woman to appear on the coin.Even though she made good accomplishments she was responsible for some of the worst Roman Emperors.
  • 58 BCE

    Servilia Caepionis

    Servilia Caepionis
    She was the mistress of Caesar. Her house was a meeting spot for plotting Caesar's assassination.
  • 50 BCE

    Sulpicia

    She wrote many love poems but only six of them survived. The cool part about her is that she published her poems under a male plot.
  • 42 BCE

    Hortensia

    Hortensia
    She was an orator who made her biggest impact with an amazing speech to the Second Triumvirate.She convinced them to tax only 400 women and borrow the rest from men.
  • 38 BCE

    Arria

    Her husband was suffering from a terrible disease and when her son died from it she kept it from her husband.She killed herself to be with her husband forever.
  • 15 BCE

    Agrippina the Elder

    Agrippina the Elder
    She was exiled to an island and was violently beaten. Her sons and herself died from starvation, except one that was spared and had to live with Tiberius.
  • 13 BCE

    Livilla

    Livilla
    She is mostly famous for her affair and trying to gain power with Sejanus. In result of this she was voted a "condemnation of memory" and died from being locked in a room and starved.
  • 15

    Agrippina the Younger

    Agrippina the Younger
    She married Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus at age 13.Their son Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus who would later be known as Nero.
  • 17

    Valeria Messalina

    Valeria Messalina
    She was one of the most notoriously promiscuous woman in Rome.She was competing with a prostitute to see who could sleep with the most people in one night she won with 25.
  • 150

    Lucilla

    Lucilla
    She married her father's co-ruler Lucius Verus at age 14.Her daughter, cousin, and herself were banished to Capri and a year later were executed by Commodus.
  • 160

    Julia Domna

    Julia Domna
    She was the wife of emperor Septimius Severus.She also faced a lot of accusations of adultery or treason.
  • 245

    Helena

    She played a huge part in bringing Christianity to Rome.She is considered a saint in many churches and is celebrated.