Terentia, Tullia and Publilia

Studying references and writings in over 900 personal letters, an unparalleled source, this book presents a rounded and intriguing account of the three women who, until now, have only survived as secondary figures to Cicero.

In a field where little is really known about Cicero’s family, Susan Treggiari creates a history for these figures who, through history, have not had voices of their own, and a vivid impression of the everyday life upper-class Roman women in Italy had during the heyday of Roman power.

Artfully assembling a rounded picture of their personalities and experiences, Treggiari reconstructs the lives of these three important women: Cicero’s first wife Terentia: a strong, tempestuous woman of status and fortune, with an implacable desire to retain control of both his second wife Publilia: shadowy and mysterious, the young submissive who Cicero wedded to compensate for her predecessor’s steely resolve and fiery temper his daughter Tullia.

Including illustrations, chronological charts, maps and glossaries, this book is essential reading for students wishing to get better acquainted with the women of ancient Rome.