Cornelia

by Suzanne D. Dixon

Examining the remarkable life of Cornelia, famed as the epitome of virtue, fidelity and intelligence, Suzanne Dixon presents an in-depth study of the woman who perhaps represented the ideal of the Roman matrona more than any other. Studying her life during a period of political turmoil, Dixon examines Cornelia's daughter of Scipio Africanus, wife of an aristocrat, and mother of the Gracchi; and how these enabled her to move in high echelons of society. For students and scholars of classical studies and Roman history, this book will give students a glimpse into the life of Cornelia, and of the influence she had on the period.

Genres: Nonfiction, Ancient History

128 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2006

Reviews

[P. Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Cicero’s references to Cornelia as an icon of Latinity and Roman motherhood epitomize her transformation from a vigorous proponent of Greek culture and family prominence into a feminized, featureless figure. The transformation had taken place within a generation. "

[Inés Chamarro · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting book, but one clearly written under duress by an author who does not really warm up to the subject. Dixon is right in that classical sources have not really left us enough hard data to write a proper biography of Cornelia. However, we do have plenty of details about her father, her husband and her children which could have been used to make a bit more of an effort to reconstruct the times in which Cornelia lived and give us a bit more context. I have read other works by Dixon (The Roman Mother springs to mind) that led me to expect more of this work. However, it is hard to find anything at all on Cornelia (as on other important feminine figures of Roman History), so even this is a welcome addition to the nonexistent bibliography.

[Triona · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s well written but could delve more into the context surrounding Cornelia’s life to illustrate the world she lived in