Page 23 - All About History - Issue 72-18

CLAUDIA METRODORA

HELENA C.248 CE-C.328 CE MID-1ST CENTURY CE-UNKNOWN

Once married to Emperor Constantius I Women weren’t allowed to be directly involved in
Chlorus, it would be Helena’s son who found politics, but that didn’t stop Claudia Metrodora. A
her fame. Under Constantine the Great’s Greek woman with Roman citizenship, she held
rule, Helena saw herself elevated to the role extraordinary power on the island of Chios, holding
of dowager empress and she the highest magistracy that island had to offer
converted from Roman paganism twice and a high priestess-hood for life of Aphrodite
to Christianity. On a pilgrimage Livia. On top of all of that, she was president of the
to the Holy Land, she ordered Heraklea Kaisarea and Romaia festival on three
the building of churches separate occasions – almost unheard of at the time.
on the site of Jesus’
birth in Bethlehem
and his ascension Claudia was
near Jerusalem, but a priestess
of Aphrodite
she would become
Livia, pictured
better known
as the woman When Sejanus told Agrippina
who reputedly that Tiberius wanted to poison
her she refused all of his food
found the cross
that Jesus had
hung from in
his crucifixion. AGRIPPINA THE ELDER
A woman of 14BCE–33CE
religion, Helena
As with many Roman tales, murder plays a
became a saint
To add huge part in Agrippina the Elder’s. When
in the Church
Helena was she went to the east with her husband,
with the a deeply insult to injury
feast day of religious the day Agrippina Germanicus Caesar, he mysteriously
woman died in 19 CE. Agrippina had her
18 August.
died was declared a suspicions and when she returned to
holiday Tiberius. A long reign of hostility
Rome, she openly blamed Emperor
JULIA THE ELDER by Emperor by Sejanus’s interventions, and Agrippina
between the two followed, not helped
Tiberius
UNKNOWN was arrested and exiled. She never lived to
Daughter of Augustus, Julia the Elder died in shame. see her younger son become emperor – but that
She married three times to further the causes of her could be for the best, because that son was Caligula.
father – the first time was to Marcellus, her cousin.
The second was to Agrippa, and the two fell in love.
When he died, she was forced to marry the future JULIA
emperor Tiberius and it was an unhappy match.
When Tiberius left Rome he left his wife behind AVITA
and she embarked on a promiscuous life. After
threatening her with death Augustus exiled her and MAMAEA
she eventually died of malnutrition.
C.184 CE-235 CE
Julia had It was during
Their marriage five children the reign of her
lasted just over with son Severus
a year Agrippa
Alexander that
Julia showed
AQUILIA SEVERA UNKNOWN the world what
Vestal Virgins were required by law to One of Julia’s she was made
be celibate – they took solemn vows to affairs was with of. Intelligent
Julia instituted
the goddess Vesta and punishments Jullus Antonius, and strong- finanical reforms
for breaking their chastity were willed, she was
which was politically
severe. But that didn’t stop Emperor unable to rule the empire due to her gender,
Elagabalus from trying to marry the dangerous for so she chose to rule through her son instead.
Vestal Maxima, Aquilia Severa, in 220 Augustus However, despite Romans thinking that
CE. The ruler’s reasoning to Senate was powerful women would destroy Rome, the
that they would have divine children, and he opposite happened. Under Julia’s control the
took it further in his madness by trying to remove army became stronger and taxation was eased
the Roman pantheon of gods – instead, the people throughout the extensive empire. ©GettyImages
would worship him and his divine bride.

23