What do you think?
Rate this book
Unfortunately, She was a Nymphomaniac: A New History of Rome's Imperial Women
Audio duration: 7 hours 15 minutes
Writer, activist and journalist Joan Smith has worked for years to raise awareness of violence against women and girls, and has been instrumental in bringing the innate misogyny of the police to public attention. Unfortunately, She Was a Nymphomaniac reinterprets the bloody, violent story of twenty-three women closely associated with the Julio-Claudian emperors of Rome. Fewer than half a dozen of them can be said with any confidence to have died of natural causes.
These were the wives, mothers and daughters of the emperors from Augustus to Nero, via their ‘mad’ relative Caligula. They were the most privileged women of their time, but their lives were overshadowed, dominated and controlled by these men. Raped, killed, ripped apart from their children and mostly airbrushed from history, Joan Smith brings their extraordinary and tragic stories back into focus. There are no nymphomaniacs here.
Instead, the book pieces together the human stories, showing how they struggled for control of their lives at a time when both the law and culture were stacked against them. These women shared in a spirited, inspiring and sometimes reckless resistance to male authority.
Smith brings to this history not only a fresh interpretation of the original texts but also an understanding of what we know now about the mechanics of domestic abuse. The way these women have been misrepresented for two thousand years speaks volumes not just about ancient misogyny but the origin and persistence of attitudes that continue to blight women’s lives today.
Writer, activist and journalist Joan Smith has worked for years to raise awareness of violence against women and girls, and has been instrumental in bringing the innate misogyny of the police to public attention. Unfortunately, She Was a Nymphomaniac reinterprets the bloody, violent story of twenty-three women closely associated with the Julio-Claudian emperors of Rome. Fewer than half a dozen of them can be said with any confidence to have died of natural causes.
These were the wives, mothers and daughters of the emperors from Augustus to Nero, via their ‘mad’ relative Caligula. They were the most privileged women of their time, but their lives were overshadowed, dominated and controlled by these men. Raped, killed, ripped apart from their children and mostly airbrushed from history, Joan Smith brings their extraordinary and tragic stories back into focus. There are no nymphomaniacs here.
Instead, the book pieces together the human stories, showing how they struggled for control of their lives at a time when both the law and culture were stacked against them. These women shared in a spirited, inspiring and sometimes reckless resistance to male authority.
Smith brings to this history not only a fresh interpretation of the original texts but also an understanding of what we know now about the mechanics of domestic abuse. The way these women have been misrepresented for two thousand years speaks volumes not just about ancient misogyny but the origin and persistence of attitudes that continue to blight women’s lives today.
8 pages, Audiobook
First published November 7, 2024
41 people are currently reading
830 people want to read
About the author
Joan Smith
19 books39 followersJoan Alison Smith is an English novelist, journalist and human rights activist, who is a former chair of the Writers in Prison committee in the English section of International PEN. In 2003 she was offered the MBE for her services to PEN, but refused the award. Joan Smith is an Honorary Associate of the National Secular Society.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
February 23, 2025
i was enjoying this but then i saw the author's twitter account (big mistake). thereafter, as usually happens, i started picking more holes and ultimately, i couldn't escape the feeling that this was a rather simplistic analysis. i still found it interesting with its more-fair-to-the-women tellings of events (i hesitate to say definitively true because who knows at this point), but it very much felt like the argument was all the women were maligned therefore all the men must be domestic abusers. maybe that's true (probably, in certain cases)! but it also ascribed a lot of feelings to the men's actions that made me go 'can we say that for sure?' (e.g. to say tiberius destroyed his ex-wife julia's family because of their failed marriage, he was a "dyed-in-the-wool misogynist"). it contextualised it a bit regarding women's position in roman society (though i think could have done more to consider the impact of this on individual men's actions too) but felt like it was veering towards the conclusion that therefore every roman man was a domestic abuser. again, just a bit simplistic. then again, and conversely, it was equally very interested in ascribing a lot of julio-claudian cruelties to things like trauma at a young age, lack of a maternal figure (sigmund, is that you?), or just plain ol' mental instability. all at the expense of missing out on this rather large factor of women's position in roman society. socialise men to believe that women are chattel, possessions, only worth their ability to bear children, and see what happens (which is maybe what it was driving at with the all men are domestic abusers feeling of the narrative). this is one i'd like to read more reviews for and viewpoints of, but her assertion towards the end that men assault women because "they can, because they are bigger and stronger and can't be bothered to control their emotions" struck me as odd, disregarding both abuse that isn't physical, that is calculated, and also the fact that women can be abusers too. but then this book was a rather narrow look at rehabilitating the reputations of a specific subset of roman women, so understandable in a sense.
November 11, 2024
Author Joan Smith approaches the lives of the Julio-Claudian women from a different angle to many traditional historians. Her viewpoint of the Imperial women is that they were the victims of condemnation by ancient writers who were not writing until decades later. Looking at the evidence of how the women were treated when they were alive, it seems very likely. From the families of Augustus to Nero, the imperial mothers, daughters & wives led male-dominated lives & their (tragic) deaths were usually a brutal punishment. The Emperors were cruel & some seemingly depraved & yet it is the women that have come in for the worst criticism.
The author makes the point that many modern historians treat ancient sources with scepticism when it comes to the Julio-Claudian men, but view them as gospel about the Julio-Claudian women. This is why such obvious caricatures about the women have survived: ancient misogyny still holds sway. For example, Smith argues that it is illogical to believe that a Roman Empress would be able to slip away from the palace every night to work in a brothel & return unnoticed, & yet the same old things keep being repeated as fact. Some of the notable historians of the past 50 years come in for some criticism about this.
Overall, although it was a difficult read at times due to the subject matter (misogyny & the casual cruelties women were subjected to), I felt like I had learned quite a lot about the lives of these women. It was interesting & written in a critical yet easy to understand way. I don't think anyone is arguing that these women were saints but they seem to have been excoriated in a way that the men don't tend to be. 4.5 stars (rounded up)
My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, William Collins, for the opportunity to read an ARC.
The author makes the point that many modern historians treat ancient sources with scepticism when it comes to the Julio-Claudian men, but view them as gospel about the Julio-Claudian women. This is why such obvious caricatures about the women have survived: ancient misogyny still holds sway. For example, Smith argues that it is illogical to believe that a Roman Empress would be able to slip away from the palace every night to work in a brothel & return unnoticed, & yet the same old things keep being repeated as fact. Some of the notable historians of the past 50 years come in for some criticism about this.
Overall, although it was a difficult read at times due to the subject matter (misogyny & the casual cruelties women were subjected to), I felt like I had learned quite a lot about the lives of these women. It was interesting & written in a critical yet easy to understand way. I don't think anyone is arguing that these women were saints but they seem to have been excoriated in a way that the men don't tend to be. 4.5 stars (rounded up)
My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, William Collins, for the opportunity to read an ARC.
December 25, 2024
perhaps men think so much about the roman empire because it was a society built on absolute control by men and untamed misogyny......
an excellently researched book written by someone who could not be more qualified for this specific project - a latinist with an impressive background in advocating for victims of domestic violence. joan smith reanalyses the history of women in the julio-claudian dynasty, using her own translations of the sources (!) and approaching the canon critically. in this examination, she gives the imperial women grace, attention, and care that i have never encountered in a historical book before. she traces the patterns of behaviour typical for abusers in the emperors described and speculates on the impact child marriages had on empresses. she also reevaluates all the roman historians we're aware of - graves, holland, and beard - and points out that none of them are immune to roman misogynist propaganda, and some of them (gravesss) actively made it worse and convince whole generations of people of lies that he just completely made the fuck up (messalina!). yeah. unfortunately even my fave mary beard does not prove blameless, but then im even more glad that i have read this book. it is definitely for someone at least a bit acquainted with roman history, and it is a strongly argumentative book - but i personally do not mind argumentative historical non-fiction, especially if the argument itself is so vital.
there is one thing that i will flag which is that joan smith explictly states that she's very anti-sexwork and sees it only as a form of a misogynist oppression. it is not a huge part of the book but it is there, so do with that what you will.
i recently watched megalopolis, and made fun of its vision of ancient rome - stereotypical, clear-cut villains, misunderstood genius hero who everybody wants to fuck, and women with zero personalities, overall bad intentions and sky-high libido. but the thing, thats how both ancient and contemporary historians constructed our vision of rome. a society of absolute patriarchy, where rape and femicide were not just nornalized, but often celebrated, where you could abuse women in your life all you wanted and then horrifically kill them. truly the original incel fantasy. im really glad joan smith took such a graceful, caring approach in trying to flesh out the personalities and stories of the victims of this environment. but at the same time, it did not help me in my period of disillusionment and disappointment in men. maybe not consciously, but i do think at leat partly they love the roman empire, because it is a story only about men and a place where all their worst impluses would not have been taboo.
an excellently researched book written by someone who could not be more qualified for this specific project - a latinist with an impressive background in advocating for victims of domestic violence. joan smith reanalyses the history of women in the julio-claudian dynasty, using her own translations of the sources (!) and approaching the canon critically. in this examination, she gives the imperial women grace, attention, and care that i have never encountered in a historical book before. she traces the patterns of behaviour typical for abusers in the emperors described and speculates on the impact child marriages had on empresses. she also reevaluates all the roman historians we're aware of - graves, holland, and beard - and points out that none of them are immune to roman misogynist propaganda, and some of them (gravesss) actively made it worse and convince whole generations of people of lies that he just completely made the fuck up (messalina!). yeah. unfortunately even my fave mary beard does not prove blameless, but then im even more glad that i have read this book. it is definitely for someone at least a bit acquainted with roman history, and it is a strongly argumentative book - but i personally do not mind argumentative historical non-fiction, especially if the argument itself is so vital.
there is one thing that i will flag which is that joan smith explictly states that she's very anti-sexwork and sees it only as a form of a misogynist oppression. it is not a huge part of the book but it is there, so do with that what you will.
i recently watched megalopolis, and made fun of its vision of ancient rome - stereotypical, clear-cut villains, misunderstood genius hero who everybody wants to fuck, and women with zero personalities, overall bad intentions and sky-high libido. but the thing, thats how both ancient and contemporary historians constructed our vision of rome. a society of absolute patriarchy, where rape and femicide were not just nornalized, but often celebrated, where you could abuse women in your life all you wanted and then horrifically kill them. truly the original incel fantasy. im really glad joan smith took such a graceful, caring approach in trying to flesh out the personalities and stories of the victims of this environment. but at the same time, it did not help me in my period of disillusionment and disappointment in men. maybe not consciously, but i do think at leat partly they love the roman empire, because it is a story only about men and a place where all their worst impluses would not have been taboo.
October 26, 2024
Unfortunately, She Was A Nymphomanic is a dynamic new history of some of ancient Rome's most famous women. Using modern insights into domestic abuse and trauma, Smith explores the deadly effect of Roman misogyny on the lives of these women - and how those prejudices have shaped the way their histories have been told ever since. It's an emotive look at the classical world, bringing famous figures to life by examining the motives behind and emotional impact of their actions.
I sometimes find Roman history a little hard to absorb, with the same names recurring over and over. Smith's prose is full of forceful personality, which took a little getting used to, but once you are used to the tone it makes an engaging read. A distinctive and insightful gateway into the ancient world.
*Thank you to Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review*
I sometimes find Roman history a little hard to absorb, with the same names recurring over and over. Smith's prose is full of forceful personality, which took a little getting used to, but once you are used to the tone it makes an engaging read. A distinctive and insightful gateway into the ancient world.
*Thank you to Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review*
April 19, 2025
A really interesting and much needed take on the writings about women in the Julio-Claudian dynasty. There were points which I felt that Smith’s writing wasn’t super clear, and it wasn’t always easy to see how she got from one point to another, but ultimately it was a really compelling narrative on the long-ignored misogyny of Ancient Rome
April 6, 2025
I heard the author talk about this book on the radio. It covered a lot of the same ground as one I read last year about Agrippina but made the scale of the ill treatment of imperial Roman women over a long period of time much clearer. Nearly all of them from Livia to Messalina were murdered. Most were accused of voracious sexual habits and their murders were ‘executions’ ordered by their emperor husbands or sons.
I particularly enjoyed the analysis of the I, Claudius effect. The book and tv adaptation are compelling and have been swallowed as fact. There is nothing similar to contradict Robert Graves lively story!
Also interesting was the relative tolerance of the extreme behaviours of the Roman emperors, who, over time, have had many apologists whereas the ‘evil’ women haven’t. Joan Smith tries to put that right and to some extent succeeds but too little is really known about the women to substantiate an alternative version of their histories.
I particularly enjoyed the analysis of the I, Claudius effect. The book and tv adaptation are compelling and have been swallowed as fact. There is nothing similar to contradict Robert Graves lively story!
Also interesting was the relative tolerance of the extreme behaviours of the Roman emperors, who, over time, have had many apologists whereas the ‘evil’ women haven’t. Joan Smith tries to put that right and to some extent succeeds but too little is really known about the women to substantiate an alternative version of their histories.
July 2, 2025
Mixed feelings. On the one hand, the centuries of misogynistic history do need challenging and this is well-researched and written in a very easy-to-read way. It's certainly thought-provoking and important. However, the author clearly has her own strong biases and double standards and is inclined to flights of fancy ("One cannot avoid imagining how X must have felt..." etc.) which make this a less rigorous academic work. Worth reading for a different perspective but keep your critical faculties alive when doing so!
November 30, 2025
Damn. And I loved I, Claudius so much, I read it 5 times at least. I mean, jeez.
Joan Smith 's case for the defence of the Julio-Claudian women is well argued, persuasive and devastating.
Joan Smith 's case for the defence of the Julio-Claudian women is well argued, persuasive and devastating.
March 14, 2025
"The pivotal position of Rome in western culture, especially after the Renaissance, highlights a paradox: generations of influential men were educated to admire a culture that produced sublime works of art and literature without understanding that abuse of women was integral to the system."
As important as an exploration of how the study of history treats women differently as it is in addressing the narratives attached to significant Roman women and actually giving them some consideration beyond extreme accusations that originated with (would you believe it?) men.
It's a period of history that I have never studied but am aware of through literature and what Joan Smith did in such a searing way here was explore the lives of these women to find balance. There's no such thing as the "truth" in history, there is the balance of various sources measured against known facts and for so long the sources which have painted the lives of these women have not been given the critical analysis that they deserve. While the bias that could have tainted the history that has been attributed to powerful men has been given vigorous scrutiny, the vicious and crude accusations thrown at women have been taken as given. It's both insulting and lazy while also being, sadly, a reflection of a society that revels in demeaning women and diminishing their claims of abuse.
While, as Joan Smith addresses herself, you cannot apply modern-day societal standards to the this period of Roman history, you can and should consider the psychological ramifications of girls being married off to men so many years their senior. Women lived under a veil of fear with no agency and while I did think Smith occasionally reached in her justification for some of the known violence ordered by women, this book gave a rounded exploration of what it was to be a woman at a time when you were a possession and men were the ones writing the history.
As important as an exploration of how the study of history treats women differently as it is in addressing the narratives attached to significant Roman women and actually giving them some consideration beyond extreme accusations that originated with (would you believe it?) men.
It's a period of history that I have never studied but am aware of through literature and what Joan Smith did in such a searing way here was explore the lives of these women to find balance. There's no such thing as the "truth" in history, there is the balance of various sources measured against known facts and for so long the sources which have painted the lives of these women have not been given the critical analysis that they deserve. While the bias that could have tainted the history that has been attributed to powerful men has been given vigorous scrutiny, the vicious and crude accusations thrown at women have been taken as given. It's both insulting and lazy while also being, sadly, a reflection of a society that revels in demeaning women and diminishing their claims of abuse.
While, as Joan Smith addresses herself, you cannot apply modern-day societal standards to the this period of Roman history, you can and should consider the psychological ramifications of girls being married off to men so many years their senior. Women lived under a veil of fear with no agency and while I did think Smith occasionally reached in her justification for some of the known violence ordered by women, this book gave a rounded exploration of what it was to be a woman at a time when you were a possession and men were the ones writing the history.
December 11, 2024
I really wanted to love this. The premise of it - looking at the women of Rome and telling their true stories, rather than blindly believing the stories told by men - and it was a really interesting read but it just felt very information heavy, there are a lot of names etc which made it a little bit difficult to get in to.
This is a really well researched book and is really interesting, i just personally found it a little bit of a trudge.
This is a really well researched book and is really interesting, i just personally found it a little bit of a trudge.
November 21, 2024
A brilliant history of the women of Rome and those in positions of power and prestige. The author brought her background in tackling misogyny in journalism to Ancient History and it produced a brilliant piece of work.
The narrator for me was also a 19/10.
The narrator for me was also a 19/10.
October 3, 2025
I had to read this chapter by chapter and pause in between: the stories and interpretations were so maddening, so injust.
This book is a fantastic new view on the traditional stories told by (mainly) Tacitus, Suetonius and Dio Cassius. This time the interpretation is taking the Roman misogyny into account. Even though it isn't always biasfree, it opens up your eyes. I surely am looking at the Julia-Claudian women (the name Smith is proposing) with a completely different eye and with far more understanding and compassion. Above all: I was not aware of the influence Robert Graves had through our modern culture on my view of these imperial women.
If you study the classics, you simply have to read this.
This book is a fantastic new view on the traditional stories told by (mainly) Tacitus, Suetonius and Dio Cassius. This time the interpretation is taking the Roman misogyny into account. Even though it isn't always biasfree, it opens up your eyes. I surely am looking at the Julia-Claudian women (the name Smith is proposing) with a completely different eye and with far more understanding and compassion. Above all: I was not aware of the influence Robert Graves had through our modern culture on my view of these imperial women.
If you study the classics, you simply have to read this.
December 8, 2025
I love the vibe I just find the Roman Empire dull. She also, I think, makes some leaps that seem a bit far-fetched. I think it was good for me to not think too deeply or critically about it, and take it more as like “food for thought” that maybe you shouldn’t take the portrayal of the women at face value.
August 8, 2025
This book was long overdue. It ought to be compulsory reading for all history teachers and professors, placed in every library, and translated into every language.
August 22, 2025
Men, amirite?!
-Katie
-Katie
January 2, 2025
A very necessary book - it was about time someone stuck up for the Julio-Claudian women and exposed the patterns of slander, abuse, and femicide. It's very readable: even though the family tree is famously confusing the author succeeds in writing a very engaging and interesting narrative.
I don't always agree with the author's conclusions though, at times I felt like she was throwing caution in the wind by accepting some parts of the sources while she disregards other parts, and it not always being clear why. I can forgive that in a book written by a journalist and activist, though.
I don't always agree with the author's conclusions though, at times I felt like she was throwing caution in the wind by accepting some parts of the sources while she disregards other parts, and it not always being clear why. I can forgive that in a book written by a journalist and activist, though.
November 19, 2024
The author bio is of the wrong Joan Smith. This is the author of this book:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
November 8, 2024
Really interesting and cuts through the character assassination that has been pushed as truth for too long.
November 3, 2024
I loved Unfortunately she was a Nymphomaniac. What struck me throughout this book is how important is has to be to look through source material with a range of lenses - what historians have largely been unaware of or ignored, even recently (see Tom Holland’s many examples throughout his texts) is the huge bias that a misogynistic and patriarchal society creates, especially when almost all written voices from the period are men with at least some power.
So many women of the Julian and Claudian dynasties (the early imperial Roman Empire) had their characters assassinated in reports and histories as a means to justify the femicide and brutal treatment they endured - all for failing to adhere to the strict expectations placed upon them. In some cases, women of the family weren’t even atoning for their own ‘misdemeanours’ but those of their mothers or grandmothers.
Several mothers and wives of these esteemed ruling families suffered extreme abuse - they were murdered or starved to death, spent decades in exile or had their children taken away… but are still only remembered for being frivolous, adulterous or scheming.
Despite the upsetting content matter, this book makes me hopeful for the future of historical research. Joan Smith’s expertise in both Ancient Rome, Latin and violence against women enables her to see sources in a different light to that of the stereotypical classics scholar, which adds so much more depth to the lives of the women that have been written about.
As more diverse researchers enter the field and get their hands on primary sources, we will hear more accurate and rounded histories from the past. And that is something that can only be celebrated.
Thanks to the publishers and the author for an advanced copy for review.
So many women of the Julian and Claudian dynasties (the early imperial Roman Empire) had their characters assassinated in reports and histories as a means to justify the femicide and brutal treatment they endured - all for failing to adhere to the strict expectations placed upon them. In some cases, women of the family weren’t even atoning for their own ‘misdemeanours’ but those of their mothers or grandmothers.
Several mothers and wives of these esteemed ruling families suffered extreme abuse - they were murdered or starved to death, spent decades in exile or had their children taken away… but are still only remembered for being frivolous, adulterous or scheming.
Despite the upsetting content matter, this book makes me hopeful for the future of historical research. Joan Smith’s expertise in both Ancient Rome, Latin and violence against women enables her to see sources in a different light to that of the stereotypical classics scholar, which adds so much more depth to the lives of the women that have been written about.
As more diverse researchers enter the field and get their hands on primary sources, we will hear more accurate and rounded histories from the past. And that is something that can only be celebrated.
Thanks to the publishers and the author for an advanced copy for review.
December 20, 2024
I had a slight hiccup on commencing the book as I do with many, in that I didn’t immediately catch the style and pace of the author, but as a devoted reader of history I have learnt to continue, and in this case I was amply rewarded. I quickly chose to ignore the Dramatis Personae as Smith explains that the names of these female historical persons repeat with enough frequency to confuse the most ardent adherent to the genus (thanks to the habit of naming all children after the putative father and giving even less differentiation between female than between male offspring). Quite frankly, she was up against it and does an heroic job as a forensic detective to pull together the lives of women who lived beyond their own history. She has admirably discovered an erased and defamed caste of Roman women. Not only this but she has pulled together the threads of time to show that these women are women like 21st century women; they were disenfranchised, sidelined, disrespected, ignored, raped, and murdered, just as contemporary ‘modern’ women are. For those who like their history to not incite the lessons of the past to inform the future, please, feel free to ignore the analysis in the final chapter [10]. But for me the most chilling note in all of the brutal events that are recounted in this fascinating history is that today, 98% of rapists will not face any consequences for the crime they choose to commit. We are surrounded by terrifying living versions of Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, and Nero and it’s not just that we are unaware of this fact, it is that in 2000 years we are still allowing the bad ones to take the win. What does that say about us as a society? Excellent read. Should be on the syllabus for young adults.
December 20, 2024
Powerful in ways you would never imagine
I had a slight hiccup on commencing the book as I do with many, in that I didn’t immediately catch the style and pace of the author, but as a devoted reader of history I have learnt to continue, and in this case I was amply rewarded. I quickly chose to ignore the Dramatis Personae as Smith explains that the names of these female historical persons repeat with enough frequency to confuse the most ardent adherent to the genus (thanks to the habit of naming all children after the putative father and giving even less differentiation between female than between male offspring). Quite frankly, she was up against it and does an heroic job as a forensic detective to pull together the lives of women who lived beyond their own history. She has admirably discovered an erased and defamed caste of Roman women. Not only this but she has pulled together the threads of time to show that these women are women like 21st century women; they were disenfranchised, sidelined, disrespected, ignored, raped, and murdered, just as contemporary ‘modern’ women are. For those who like their history to not incite the lessons of the past to inform the future, please, feel free to ignore the analysis in the final chapter [10]. But for me the most chilling note in all of the brutal events that are recounted in this fascinating history is that today, 98% of rapists will not face any consequences for the crime they choose to commit. We are surrounded by terrifying living versions of Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, and Nero and it’s not just that we are unaware of this fact, it is that in 2000 years we are still allowing the bad ones to take the win. What does that say about us as a society? Excellent read. Should be on the syllabus for young adults.
I had a slight hiccup on commencing the book as I do with many, in that I didn’t immediately catch the style and pace of the author, but as a devoted reader of history I have learnt to continue, and in this case I was amply rewarded. I quickly chose to ignore the Dramatis Personae as Smith explains that the names of these female historical persons repeat with enough frequency to confuse the most ardent adherent to the genus (thanks to the habit of naming all children after the putative father and giving even less differentiation between female than between male offspring). Quite frankly, she was up against it and does an heroic job as a forensic detective to pull together the lives of women who lived beyond their own history. She has admirably discovered an erased and defamed caste of Roman women. Not only this but she has pulled together the threads of time to show that these women are women like 21st century women; they were disenfranchised, sidelined, disrespected, ignored, raped, and murdered, just as contemporary ‘modern’ women are. For those who like their history to not incite the lessons of the past to inform the future, please, feel free to ignore the analysis in the final chapter [10]. But for me the most chilling note in all of the brutal events that are recounted in this fascinating history is that today, 98% of rapists will not face any consequences for the crime they choose to commit. We are surrounded by terrifying living versions of Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, and Nero and it’s not just that we are unaware of this fact, it is that in 2000 years we are still allowing the bad ones to take the win. What does that say about us as a society? Excellent read. Should be on the syllabus for young adults.
March 23, 2025
1. Unfortunately, she was a Terf (which is absolutely not a slur. The front of these people, to go "you're using a slur against poor innocent me uwu :(" when YOU ARE LITERALLY CALLING FOR THE DEATHS OF ONE OF THE MOST VULNERABLE GROUPS (which number less than 1% of the population, touch grass).)
2. Prostitution is not "inherently a form of abuse" wtf are you even on. Can it be abusive? Yes. Does it have quite high rates of abuse? Yes. So does monogamous heterosexual marriage, and very few
call that inherently abusive. Respect sex workers. If we normalised it as just an ordinary job, and thus one that deserves the same protections and regulations as any other ordinary job, it would be a great deal safer.
3. It does not surprise me that somebody who has such a stupidly simplistic view of the world cannot be bothered to write about this fascinating period of history with the nuance it deserves.
Mostly I'm just really irritated and, tbh, quite disappointed. I've been looking forward to this book for ages, my husband brought it for me as a nice treat, and I was looking forward to a nice feminist wallow through a lot of women who do not at all get their due even now. But this is just garbage. Simplistic, reductive garbage by a person who belongs to a group who could not analyse anything even if their hands were gently held by a nice fellow bigot ("you poor little white woman from an advantaged background, it's alright that you have to cosplay victimisation because you have no other notable traits to your personality :)") throughout.
If you want a proper look at feminist Roman history by somebody who actually knows what they're talking about, I'd suggest looking at Emma Southon's works instead. They're all considerably better reads than this!
2. Prostitution is not "inherently a form of abuse" wtf are you even on. Can it be abusive? Yes. Does it have quite high rates of abuse? Yes. So does monogamous heterosexual marriage, and very few
call that inherently abusive. Respect sex workers. If we normalised it as just an ordinary job, and thus one that deserves the same protections and regulations as any other ordinary job, it would be a great deal safer.
3. It does not surprise me that somebody who has such a stupidly simplistic view of the world cannot be bothered to write about this fascinating period of history with the nuance it deserves.
Mostly I'm just really irritated and, tbh, quite disappointed. I've been looking forward to this book for ages, my husband brought it for me as a nice treat, and I was looking forward to a nice feminist wallow through a lot of women who do not at all get their due even now. But this is just garbage. Simplistic, reductive garbage by a person who belongs to a group who could not analyse anything even if their hands were gently held by a nice fellow bigot ("you poor little white woman from an advantaged background, it's alright that you have to cosplay victimisation because you have no other notable traits to your personality :)") throughout.
If you want a proper look at feminist Roman history by somebody who actually knows what they're talking about, I'd suggest looking at Emma Southon's works instead. They're all considerably better reads than this!
November 22, 2024
I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The Julio-Claudian dynasty has quite an infamous reputation, but the women in particular have suffered unjust slanders. Joan Smith successfully points out that, while over the years historians have tried to rehabilitate or to challenge some of the worst facts about the Julio-Claudian emperors, the most outlandish, outrageous stories about the imperial women are still mostly considered as fact.
For example, Augustus, who was responsible for the deaths of thousands of people, is mostly remembered as a thoughtful, capable ruler, while his wife Livia has gone down in history as the dynasty's evil matriarch, only because of dubious stories repeated by authors known to be hostile to her.
Another example is Messalina, Claudius's third wife, who is remembered for her - allegedly - insatiable sexual desires, despite the fact the stories about her are just laughable. As Smith points out, as the role of women in the dynasty became more prominent, the misogyny of Roman authors became more extreme, and indeed they are ruthless towards both Messalina and Agrippina, Claudius' next wife.
One of the thing I appreciated most about the book is that Smith focused not only on the imperial wives, but also on the other women who were related to the emperors, and who are not often remembered. However, it was truly chilling realizing that the vast majority of them were murdered in atrocious ways (many, for example, were starved). Indeed, some parts were hard to read, and made me genuinely angry. Still, I really appreciated Smith's work and I would definitely recommend it if you are interested in this historical period.
The Julio-Claudian dynasty has quite an infamous reputation, but the women in particular have suffered unjust slanders. Joan Smith successfully points out that, while over the years historians have tried to rehabilitate or to challenge some of the worst facts about the Julio-Claudian emperors, the most outlandish, outrageous stories about the imperial women are still mostly considered as fact.
For example, Augustus, who was responsible for the deaths of thousands of people, is mostly remembered as a thoughtful, capable ruler, while his wife Livia has gone down in history as the dynasty's evil matriarch, only because of dubious stories repeated by authors known to be hostile to her.
Another example is Messalina, Claudius's third wife, who is remembered for her - allegedly - insatiable sexual desires, despite the fact the stories about her are just laughable. As Smith points out, as the role of women in the dynasty became more prominent, the misogyny of Roman authors became more extreme, and indeed they are ruthless towards both Messalina and Agrippina, Claudius' next wife.
One of the thing I appreciated most about the book is that Smith focused not only on the imperial wives, but also on the other women who were related to the emperors, and who are not often remembered. However, it was truly chilling realizing that the vast majority of them were murdered in atrocious ways (many, for example, were starved). Indeed, some parts were hard to read, and made me genuinely angry. Still, I really appreciated Smith's work and I would definitely recommend it if you are interested in this historical period.
December 13, 2025
I have just spent the last week reading this wonderful book. I am not a period specialist, or even an academic, but I am a big reader, and have a passion for history. I find this a fascinating addition to the record. It's sobering, tightly argued and, by placing women front and centre, important. Thank you for your book, which is so obviously the product of a deep understanding of the issues around violence against women, of long rumination, and heartfelt compassion. It is immensely readable, has a narrative momentum that never falters, and reflects what are obviously your solid, professional historical credentials. I have welcomed your reveal of some modern historians’ amazingly crass descriptions of the relationships between some of these monstrous emperors and their wives and mistresses: some betray their own awareness shortcomings, while others just lazily reproduce some of the sexist tropes from two millennia ago. Clearly this misogyny was prevalent then as much as now. I found just one typo on p.232 where Livia’s villa at Prima Porta ( so described earlier in the book) is rendered as Porta Prima. I light-heartedly also take issue with the author’s contention that the great Brian Blessed was miscast as Augustus in I, Claudius, but I recognise honest opinion when it’s expressed! Dr Johnson (obit. 241 years ago today) once said there had only been one book that had inspired him to rise early from his bed to engage with: this one did me, too. Highly recommended.
January 4, 2025
a deeply researched, immersive overview of the lives of imperial Roman women, through the lens of femicide. Joan Smith is uniquely suited to write this novel, with years of activism raising awareness of gendered violence, and a strong classics background which, impressively, allows her to translate sources directly (and call out biased translations). it’s so impressive in the scope of its research and the certainty of its voice. i particularly admired that Smith is unafraid to directly call out other classicists (Tom Holland) and academic institutions (The British Museum) in their airbrushing of violence against women.
there is so much happening during the century she covers - and so many of the women have the same name - that at times, i struggled to connect the family trees, or didn’t fully understand why a political choice was made. it’s the nature of Smith’s project that she can’t delve into the politics too much (and it makes me wonder how much other historians brush over to provide overviews) but i did find this confusing at points. ultimately, i had to accept that i’d answer those questions elsewhere, and remained focused on the shocking victim blaming classical and modern historians undertook to smear and erase violence against women.
thank you NetGalley for this review copy!
there is so much happening during the century she covers - and so many of the women have the same name - that at times, i struggled to connect the family trees, or didn’t fully understand why a political choice was made. it’s the nature of Smith’s project that she can’t delve into the politics too much (and it makes me wonder how much other historians brush over to provide overviews) but i did find this confusing at points. ultimately, i had to accept that i’d answer those questions elsewhere, and remained focused on the shocking victim blaming classical and modern historians undertook to smear and erase violence against women.
thank you NetGalley for this review copy!
April 12, 2025
--- "no one has ever suggested that Livia was having wild sex with the senators and upper-class men who accompanied her to public events, and perhaps we should extend the same consideration to Julia." (Smith: 68)
--- "So why has Scribonia been treated so harshly by modern writers? The answer lies in the identity of the author of the Penguin Classics translation, who is none other than Robert Graves. His casual mistranslation has done untold damage to Scribonia's reputation." (Smith: 42)
--- "What he's accused of is far worse than anything his grandmother Julia is supposed to have done. Yet it is her memory that's been smeared on the basis of 'evidence' from the very same ancient authors whose accounts of Caligula's reign are sneeringly dismissed as overheated or outright fabrications." (Smith: 143)
--- "Always short of money, due to his wild extravagance, the emperor made a profit out of his sisters' exile by auctioning off their property" (Smith: 158)
--- "The Senate obediently agreed to obliterate Messalina's memory, allowing Roman historians and other author to tarnish her reputation with increasingly lurid fantasies." (Smith: 192)
This book deconstructs what has been said by ancient and modern historians about women from the Julio-Claudian dynasty. It uses new methods to try to explain what really happened in ancient Rome, including modern psychology, sociology or medicine. Although the book talks about many women and that can be too much I adored it. A brilliant example of deconstruction.
--- "So why has Scribonia been treated so harshly by modern writers? The answer lies in the identity of the author of the Penguin Classics translation, who is none other than Robert Graves. His casual mistranslation has done untold damage to Scribonia's reputation." (Smith: 42)
--- "What he's accused of is far worse than anything his grandmother Julia is supposed to have done. Yet it is her memory that's been smeared on the basis of 'evidence' from the very same ancient authors whose accounts of Caligula's reign are sneeringly dismissed as overheated or outright fabrications." (Smith: 143)
--- "Always short of money, due to his wild extravagance, the emperor made a profit out of his sisters' exile by auctioning off their property" (Smith: 158)
--- "The Senate obediently agreed to obliterate Messalina's memory, allowing Roman historians and other author to tarnish her reputation with increasingly lurid fantasies." (Smith: 192)
This book deconstructs what has been said by ancient and modern historians about women from the Julio-Claudian dynasty. It uses new methods to try to explain what really happened in ancient Rome, including modern psychology, sociology or medicine. Although the book talks about many women and that can be too much I adored it. A brilliant example of deconstruction.
November 2, 2025
DNF
I like the idea of this book. Just because a source is primary, doesn't mean it's unbiased. Sexism has existed for a long time, and so has propaganda. Question the narratives of history. All of this sounds great.
Unfortunately, this book is deeply unprofessional, self-aggrandizing, incurious, shallow, and also (in several places I noticed) historically inaccurate. There's a lot of petty jabs at people the author has met and a lot of very blatant biases that the author makes no attempt to address. This lack of introspection and integrity is frustrating, but it pales in comparison to my major issue with this book, which is the misogyny.
Despite being sold as a feminist text, the author makes a lot of sexist claims about women, doubling and something tripling down on gender essentialist rhetoric. She repeatedly suggests women are incapable or highly unlikely to be wilful, ambitious, or sexual, going so far as to describe such traits as an 'ugly misogynistic stereotype'. She dresses up implications that women are less capable/biologically inferior to men in flowery feminist sounding language, but strip that language back and what we're left with is the exact thing she's claiming to be against.
I like the idea of this book. Just because a source is primary, doesn't mean it's unbiased. Sexism has existed for a long time, and so has propaganda. Question the narratives of history. All of this sounds great.
Unfortunately, this book is deeply unprofessional, self-aggrandizing, incurious, shallow, and also (in several places I noticed) historically inaccurate. There's a lot of petty jabs at people the author has met and a lot of very blatant biases that the author makes no attempt to address. This lack of introspection and integrity is frustrating, but it pales in comparison to my major issue with this book, which is the misogyny.
Despite being sold as a feminist text, the author makes a lot of sexist claims about women, doubling and something tripling down on gender essentialist rhetoric. She repeatedly suggests women are incapable or highly unlikely to be wilful, ambitious, or sexual, going so far as to describe such traits as an 'ugly misogynistic stereotype'. She dresses up implications that women are less capable/biologically inferior to men in flowery feminist sounding language, but strip that language back and what we're left with is the exact thing she's claiming to be against.
November 15, 2024
Joan Smith does an excellent job of revisiting original sources and classic texts on female figures from the Roman Empire. She questions many of the ideas about these women that have been handed down as gospel truth, demonstrating the ways in which they do not stand up to close scrutiny and logical analysis.
The feminist - and dare we say it, more historically accurate - portrayal by Smith reminded of some of the recent mythology retellings by writers like Rosie Hewlett, which are finally doing justice to the female characters who have been villainised in earlier versions of the stories, like Medusa, Circe and Medea.
Like those retellings, Smith's version of the story is way overdue and makes for some very interesting reading. Sometimes, the subject matter is difficult to take, but this book is well worth your time.
I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
The feminist - and dare we say it, more historically accurate - portrayal by Smith reminded of some of the recent mythology retellings by writers like Rosie Hewlett, which are finally doing justice to the female characters who have been villainised in earlier versions of the stories, like Medusa, Circe and Medea.
Like those retellings, Smith's version of the story is way overdue and makes for some very interesting reading. Sometimes, the subject matter is difficult to take, but this book is well worth your time.
I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
March 10, 2025
An interesting history of the Julio-Claudio women who in most cases met rather grisly ends. The author provides a fresh perspective however her common complaint that they were betrothed through arranged dynastic marriages and that this somehow unique to the Romans ignores this being absolutely standard for royal families until very recent times and even arguably now. Also the theory that these women’s lot was somehow uniquely terrible, almost everyone at the upper end of Roman society met some sort of violent end and to be honest, it wasn’t any more fun lower down the social strata. However a readable and interesting book.
October 25, 2024
I read an unedited proof copy of this book, which was quite fun as an aspiring proofreader/copy editor. I’ll be interested to see the changes when the book is edited and published, but beyond the small errors and potentially too long sections this was a very informative book that provides a new perspective on the narratives of imperial women in ancient Rome. I feel like I learned a lot, and it’s an important reminder to not immediately accept common historical narratives as fact.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews