IB History SL Internal Assessment 1

What are the factors that enabled Livia Drusilla to obtain a position of influence?

Contents
Section 1: ​Identification and Evaluation of sources
Section 2: ​Investigation
Section 3:​ Reflection
Bibliography

Word count: 2192

IB History SL Internal Assessment 2

Section 1: Identification and Evaluation of sources

In order to answer the question, “What are the factors that enabled Livia Drusilla to obtain a
position of influence?” this investigation will evaluate Livia Drusilla’s advantages that allowed her to
obtain a position of influence.
Because the time period being examined dates back to 30 BC, contemporary sources are hard to
come by. It is for this reason that Cornelius Tacitus’ accounts of history are so valuable. The ​Annals of
Imperial Rome​ are practically the sole historical account on the early Roman Empire. From what we
know, Tacitus was well educated and had great oratory skills. In his later years he became interested in
writing an unbiased account of his world, starting to document events just before Tiberius came into
power. To make sure his writing was as true to the real events as possible, he handled sources
scientifically using several sources at once and comparing them amongst themselves. Even with potential
bias, his perspective gives insight to the opinions of people who were alive at the time and the legacy that
Livia left behind.
Despite its useful qualities, Tacitus’ account of the Roman Empire has its flaws. There is very
little information on the author. The work was also originally in latin, so there are limitations with
translating. The work is not complete either. Out of 54, 14 years of the Annals were lost. Tacitus also
clearly has some bias against Livia, calling her a “feminine bully.” He grew up during the reign of Nero,
and was a teenager when Nero died and the empire went into a civil war. It is clear that he has prejudices
against Julio-Claudian family, particularly Tiberius and Domitian, and therefore Livia as the mother of
Tiberius.
The second source, ​Great Women of Imperial Rome: Mothers and Wives of the Caesars​ by Jasper
Burns, has a much different purpose. Burns says his “interest in the Roman empresses began with
collecting ancient coins” and eventually needed an explanatory text to accompany them. It was for him on
a personal level to explore the topic as well as a means of sharing his interests with others. The book is
rather new having been published in 2007 by Routledge, a well known publisher, meaning Burns had
access to many different perspectives on Livia and was able to make a more accurate account. He used
many sources, including primary sources like coins and latin texts, and footnoted the book thoroughly.
However, the source has many limitations. There’s very little information on the author, but after
contacting Jasper Burns it is known that he is not a historian or an archeologist, therefore reducing his
credibility.
IB History SL Internal Assessment 3

Section B: Investigation

In recent years historians have been looking more closely at the influence of women throughout
history, even re-examining their presence in the Roman Empire despite it having been first created about
two thousand years ago. Livia Drusilla, the wife of Augustus Caesar and the first Empress of Rome, was a
well respected woman and has remained a strong female character in history. Together, the two built the
structure of an empire in 27 BC that would last well into the year 68 AD. In her time Livia was able to
build a complex reputation as the mother of the country, “mater patriae”, and was a role model for all
women. She was also able to have an influence in politics through her husband despite not being legally
allowed. She was intelligent, especially when it came to social interactions, but she was also very
fortunate having born into a wealthy family with high status in the Roman world. It was thanks to these
things that Livia was able to obtain the position of influence that she did.
Livia Drusilla was one of the most important women in all of Rome. The influence of women was
so little and undocumented that “Rome had no history of great queens or powerful women in the political
sense” prior to the Roman Empire.1 Women in Rome were expected to play the role of a quiet and
respectful wife. By law, marriage was officially described to be “for the sake of producing children”.2 In
fact, Romans only discovered romantic love around 100 BC.3 Women's role in society was almost purely
to act as a mother figure.
Women had no role in public or political life in the Roman Republic that came before the empire,
and things did not change much with the new system implemented by Augustus and Livia.4 If anything,
she and her husband “wanted to revitalize the ancient traditions of Roman religion and family life and
bring about a return to old-fashioned morals and customs.”5 However, her reputation was very large. In
order to revive old-fashioned morals and customs, Livia became a role model and figurehead for all
Roman women. She was often referred to as “mater patriae,” or “mother of the fatherland.” Although the
title was not official, it was incredibly rare for a woman to receive such high status. Given that she was a
public figure, she was going against the ideals of the quiet wife, but in an acceptable way because she
used the platform to put emphasis on tradition.6 She was beloved by many, including Ovid, a very well
known poet. He described her to be a “divine power” and even “worthy of the couch of great Jupiter,” the
Roman equivalent of the Greek god Zeus.7 Many people spoke highly of her, though it was unusual for a
woman to receive so much praise.
However, not everyone spoke of Livia in high respects. She was rumored to have been

1
Jasper Burns, Great Women of Imperial Rome: Mothers and Wives of the Caesars. (London: Routledge,
2007), 5.
2
Richard I. Frank, "Augustus' Legislation on Marriage and Children." ​California Studies in Classical
Antiquity 8​ (1975): 41-52. doi:10.2307/25010681, 42.
3
Ibid.
4
Jordan Kennedy, "Women’s Rights in Ancient Rome: From Republic to Empire,"​ The Hanover
Historical Review 13,​ 2018, https://history.hanover.edu/hhr/18/HHR2018-kennedy.pdf.
5
Jasper Burns, Great Women of Imperial Rome, 8.
6
​Beth Severy, Augustus and the Family at the Birth of the Roman Empire (New York: Routledge, 2003),
138.
7
Ovid. Fasti. Translated by Anne and Peter Wiseman. (United Kingdom: Oxford University Press, 2011),
14 and 16.
IB History SL Internal Assessment 4

manipulative and ambitious, controlling Augustus and pulling strings to have her own son Tiberius, who
she had with her ex husband, be the next Emperor. Unable to have a child together, Augustus was forced
to find another option for an heir. Augustus married his daughter Julia, whom he had with his ex wife, to
two people who both died unexpectedly. The grandchildren of one of her husbands, Gaius and Lucius,
were adopted by Augustus before their father died, and were his expected heirs. However, when they died
in AD 4 and 2, Tiberius was Augustus’ only option.8 With all the death surrounding the effort of finding
an heir, many suspected that Livia was involved. This would imply that Livia was a genius for having
planned so many murders and gotten away with it. Cornelius Tacitus claims that “Livia had the aged
Augustus firmly under control, even describing her as a “feminine bully”.9
Though it had never been proven that she was involved, it was said that she was “Plotting behind
her own son’s back to wrest his imperial authority for herself” even after he was in power.10 “Cassius Dio
states that Livia openly claimed credit for her son’s accession to the throne and sometimes behaved as if
she had a full share in his power”.11 When Tiberius went into power, legal documents were addressed to
them jointly- the state even wanted to give him the title of “son of Livia”.12 There are rumors on
Augustus’ death, too. Livia was rumored to have smeared poison on the figs of a tree and urged him to
pick one, and picked a clean one for herself. Had she done this, her motivation would have been again to
ensure Tiberius’ role as his successor. Although these rumors make Livia appear to be wicked and vile, it
is also rumored that Augustus’ last words to her were, “Live mindful of our wedlock, Livia and farewell,"
just reinforcing the fact that she was loved and respected despite all. She was a woman of very high
intelligence and gained a lot of respect during her lifetime, though there were many other factors involved
besides her nature and ambition.
In addition to playing her cards the right way, Livia was dealt a very good hand from the
beginning and continued to have good luck throughout her life. For one thing, Livia was born into a very
good family. She was incredibly wealthy, having over 1000 personal staff, including servants, slaves, and
functionaries.13 She also owned excessive properties in Italy, Egypt, Gaul, Sicily, Asia Minor, and
Palestine.14 The Livii and Claudii family connection also gave Augustus a political advantage to marrying
her. As Donna Hurley suggests, their marriage was political at the core.15 However, Jasper Burns also
suggests that upon their first meeting Augustus had fallen in love with her and her good looks.16 Had
Livia not been in love with him, it is likely that Augustus pressured her into getting married anyway for
the political advantages it gave them both. Either way, as Diana Kleiner suggests, a lot of her

8
Donna Hurley, "Livia (Wife of Augustus),"​ De Imperatoribus Romanis: An Online Encyclopedia of
Roman Emperors​, April 26, 2004, https://www.roman-emperors.org/livia.htm.
9
Cornelius Tacitus, The Annals of Imperial Rome. Translated by Michael Grant. (Baltimore, MD:
Penguin Books, 1956), 30-1.
10
Diana E. E. Kleiner, "Livia Drusilla and the Remarkable Power of Elite Women in Imperial Rome: A
Commentary on Recent Books on Rome's First Empress," ​International Journal of the Classical
Tradition 6,​ no. 4 (2000): 563-69, accessed March 26, 2019, http://www.jstor.org/stable/30222615.
11
Burns, Great Women of Imperial Rome, 17.
12
Ibid.
13
Ibid., 15.
14
Ibid.
15
​Hurley, "Livia (Wife of Augustus).”
16
Burns, Great Women of Imperial Rome, 7.
IB History SL Internal Assessment 5

“prominence and authority” was due to her prosperous marriage.17

Livia managed to obtain a reasonable amount of political influence over her husband. Augustus’
position inherently gave Livia some leverage. She and Augustus’ sister Octavia were declared sacrosanct
in 35 BC, giving them independence and immunity to most laws that regulated women’s public behavior.
18
It was also said that she would often advise Augustus on matters of the state, and that he would even
take notes.19 She would also travel with him on trips as a “trusted confidante and advisor.”20 Augustus
was so trusting of Livia that he granted Samos, an island with special connections to Livia and her family,
symbolic freedom and exemption from taxes at her request.21 It was said that "when someone asked her
how and by what course of action she had obtained such a commanding influence over Augustus, she
answered that it was by being scrupulously chaste herself, doing gladly whatever pleased him, not
meddling with any of his affairs, and, in particular, by pretending neither to hear nor to notice the
favorites that were the objects of his passion."22 This shows that Livia knew how to act around others in
order to get what she wanted.
The changes in law under the Empire gave Livia some freedoms too. Marriage left a woman
under the power of her husband, but if something happened to the husband control was transferred to the
father. Had the father died, a woman remains under control over her own property and inheritance. Livia’s
ex husband and father died, and she outlived her husband too, leaving her with the rights to manage her
own affairs for quite some time. She was also given the ability to erect statues of herself anywhere in the
empire; the senate even named a precinct of the city named after her.23 She was also given the right to a
reserved seat with the Vestal Virgins, priestesses of the goddess vesta who were held with the utmost
respect.
Livia was very intelligent and had the ambition and means to rise to power. She had a large
influence on her husband while maintaining the ideal quiet role of a wife. Rumors, although unsupported,
show how cunning and ambitious people thought she was. She knew that a relationship with Augustus
would allow her more freedom, and her lineage was definitely an advantage to her position in society. As
Donna Hurley rightly claims, “It was her wealth, her good looks and her intelligence, combined with the
status of her husband, that made her role possible.”24

17
Diana E. E. Kleiner, "Commentary on Recent Books on Rome's First Empress.”
18
Burns, Great Women of Imperial Rome, 9.
19
Jordan Kennedy, "Women’s Rights in Ancient Rome: From Republic to Empire.”
20
Hurley, "Livia (Wife of Augustus).”
21
Burns, Great Women of Imperial Rome, 10.
22
Hurley, "Livia (Wife of Augustus).”
23
Burns, Great Women of Imperial Rome, 15.
24
Hurley, "Livia (Wife of Augustus).”
IB History SL Internal Assessment 6

Section 3: Reflection

In the process of carrying out this investigation I have become familiar with the analytical process
and the challenges that come along with the methods of a historian. I first did general research on the
topic, having not known anything about ancient Rome to begin with, and from there narrowed down on
Livia Drusilla. By doing this I gained a lot of background information that allowed me to better analyze
my sources and discuss the topic. While this method is lengthy and time consuming, it was very helpful.
There were many challenges in gathering information. History acts as a narrative, and stories will
always have a perspective. Every perspective has its own values and limitations as well. When looking for
sources I had to analyze not only its value in terms of credibility but the author’s particular lenses which
would also impact the information’s value. When looking at Cornelius Tacitus’ work especially as a
primary source, I had to be very careful with how I interpreted the research from his work. He had a very
strong bias against Livia, but I only knew to look for it because of other research that talked of his work
and mentioned his strong views. While this does not reduce the value of his work, it does mean that I have
to use this information carefully and be mindful of its origins.
Looking for bias and lenses is one issue, but along with researching you also have the issue of
source selection. As a historian it is impossible to use every piece of information available, so there will
be some method of narrowing down what sources you will use. This process is subject to confirmation
bias, where you look for information that will support your argument rather than go against it. In order to
get around this issue I did all of my research before picking my topic, therefore picking my topic based
off of my research and not the other way around.
IB History SL Internal Assessment 7

Bibliography

Burns, Jasper. Great Women of Imperial Rome: Mothers and Wives of the Caesars. London: Routledge,
2007.
http://www.questiaschool.com/read/126315929/great-women-of-imperial-rome-mothers-and-
wives-of​.
Frank, Richard I. "Augustus' Legislation on Marriage and Children." California Studies in Classical
Antiquity 8 (1975): 41-52. doi:10.2307/25010681.
Hurley, Donna. "Livia (Wife of Augustus)." De Imperatoribus Romanis: An Online Encyclopedia of
Roman Emperors. April 26, 2004. Accessed March 26, 2019.
https://www.roman-emperors.org/livia.htm​.
Kennedy, Jordan. "Women’s Rights in Ancient Rome: From Republic to Empire." The Hanover
Historical Review 13 (2018). Accessed March 25, 2019.
https://history.hanover.edu/hhr/18/HHR2018-kennedy.pdf​.
Kleiner, Diana E. E. "Livia Drusilla and the Remarkable Power of Elite Women in Imperial Rome: A
Commentary on Recent Books on Rome's First Empress." International Journal of the Classical
Tradition 6, no. 4 (2000): 563-69. ​http://www.jstor.org/stable/30222615​.
Ovid. Fasti. Translated by Anne and Peter Wiseman. United Kingdom: Oxford University Press, 2011.
Severy, Beth. Augustus and the Family at the Birth of the Roman Empire. New York: Routledge, 2003.
http://www.questiaschool.com/read/106425072/augustus-and-the-family-at-the-birth-of-the-r
oman​.
Tacitus, Cornelius. The Annals of Imperial Rome. Translated by Michael Grant. Baltimore, MD:
Penguin Books, 1956.
http://www.questiaschool.com/read/17799602/the-annals-of-imperial-rome​.