Active Users:477 Time:01/03/2026 03:44:56 AM
Re: If Tacitus and Graves were accurate lyringlas Send a noteboard - 09/04/2010 05:26:43 PM
If "I, Claudius" and it's source material are accurate depictions of the character of Livia, she was an evil EVIL b:censored:h of epic proportions, making maybe even Cersei Lannister seem like a sweet person.



So she had her faults... she she might have killed off Julia the elder's children in order to secure succession of Tiberius and Germanicus to the throne...there may have been speculation that she killed Augustus... (coughs) Augustus needed her for her family, and eventually (once all the Juliae heirs started dying off) for her sons. He must have loved her for some reason though, because he left her everything, which was unprecedented, because noble women never owned anything, even in the early empire. Women's estates were either managed by their husbands, or by their fathers remotely (the "remotely managed" method was often implemented by Roman women to allow them to manage their own affairs under the guise of their fathers doing so...even if their fathers lived in Hallas Palestinas).

These events might have happened, but if a man did these things, it wouldn't have been looked down upon as harshly. This is similar to women in business that have stern personalities and thus are called bitches, whereas men are just called business savvy and efficient. She was an ambitious woman in the fledging Roman empire (I mean empire only in the sense that Augustus is the first "real" emperor, even though Marius, Sulla, and Julius were before him), and so any and every action she took was scrutinized and demonized to astounding proportions. Simply being out in public, and holding meetings with men directly created all sorts of misogynistic backlash from the upper crust.

She was definitely an interesting lady to study.

edits: me being a dumb ass
This message last edited by lyringlas on 09/04/2010 at 05:27:49 PM
Reply to message
The greatest King in Fantasy - 09/04/2010 05:18:42 AM 2175 Views
King Arthur. Hands down. - 09/04/2010 06:40:15 AM 1577 Views
I would argue with you. - 09/04/2010 06:54:53 AM 1519 Views
That's the point, though. Arthur's humanity is what makes him so admirable. - 09/04/2010 06:59:07 AM 1547 Views
I have to agree with Dannymac - 09/04/2010 02:04:44 PM 1536 Views
But he's not in a modern fantasy novel. - 09/04/2010 07:37:14 PM 1592 Views
when I read the actual book... - 10/04/2010 12:08:21 AM 1555 Views
I'm going with the most likely historical version of King Arthur - 09/04/2010 06:45:26 PM 1623 Views
My money is still on Aragorn - 09/04/2010 12:47:43 PM 1662 Views
Aragorn is so awesome... - 09/04/2010 02:05:42 PM 1507 Views
Arwen's character is just never fleshed out, though. - 09/04/2010 02:18:30 PM 1474 Views
Re: Arwen's character is just never fleshed out, though. - 09/04/2010 02:49:45 PM 1547 Views
Hm - 09/04/2010 03:23:53 PM 1612 Views
Mostly, yes, but there are a few exceptions - Galadriel, Eowyn, and above all Luthien. - 09/04/2010 03:32:00 PM 1483 Views
Re: Mostly, yes, but there are a few exceptions - Galadriel, Eowyn, and above all Luthien. - 09/04/2010 03:45:37 PM 1754 Views
I can't agree about the goddesses. - 09/04/2010 04:34:15 PM 1603 Views
Re: I can't agree about the goddesses. - 09/04/2010 04:55:34 PM 1486 Views
If Tacitus and Graves were accurate - 09/04/2010 05:09:20 PM 1615 Views
Re: If Tacitus and Graves were accurate - 09/04/2010 05:26:43 PM 1524 Views
I rather liked her depiction in Rome. - 09/04/2010 05:34:37 PM 1581 Views
Re: I rather liked her depiction in Rome. - 09/04/2010 05:45:06 PM 1656 Views
Re: I rather liked her depiction in Rome. - 10/04/2010 11:14:26 AM 1646 Views
I don't know if I'd call it bad, per se. - 10/04/2010 11:37:55 AM 1780 Views
Re: I can't agree about the goddesses. - 09/04/2010 05:02:50 PM 1569 Views
Eh, the other Vala don't do much of anything either. - 09/04/2010 05:31:42 PM 1537 Views
Re: Eh, the other Vala don't do much of anything either. - 09/04/2010 05:44:03 PM 1524 Views
Re: I can't agree about the goddesses. - 09/04/2010 05:06:49 PM 1688 Views
I call bullshit - 09/04/2010 08:09:49 PM 1479 Views
Re: I call bullshit - 09/04/2010 08:31:16 PM 1490 Views
Re: I call bullshit - 10/04/2010 08:04:15 AM 1584 Views
I didn't realize it was fashionable to call Tolkien sexist. - 10/04/2010 05:12:07 PM 1591 Views
Re: I didn't realize it was fashionable to call Tolkien sexist. - 12/04/2010 11:00:23 AM 1466 Views
Exactly. - 13/04/2010 03:08:46 AM 1590 Views
Re: Exactly. - 13/04/2010 08:54:01 AM 1672 Views
I was going to say something similar. - 09/04/2010 03:21:45 PM 1510 Views
Re: Aragorn is so awesome... - 09/04/2010 08:00:25 PM 1477 Views
Re: Aragorn is so awesome... - 09/04/2010 08:37:12 PM 1510 Views
He's good, but then he just doesn't have to face so many things. - 09/04/2010 02:22:04 PM 1806 Views
Doesn't have to face many things? - 09/04/2010 07:59:27 PM 1561 Views
Re: Doesn't have to face many things? - 09/04/2010 08:38:51 PM 1408 Views
Re: Doesn't have to face many things? - 10/04/2010 08:24:33 AM 1524 Views
Re: Doesn't have to face many things? - 10/04/2010 05:08:42 PM 1663 Views
Re: Doesn't have to face many things? - 12/04/2010 10:55:12 AM 1517 Views
He really wasn't a king in majority of the story though - 12/04/2010 05:54:23 PM 1481 Views
I'm sure there are many, but one coming to mind is Prince Josua from Memory, Sorrow and Thorn - 09/04/2010 02:23:57 PM 1506 Views
Oh yeah I liked him a lot *NM* - 09/04/2010 04:09:59 PM 764 Views
Josua Lackhand is a great fantasy King! - 09/04/2010 05:14:39 PM 1561 Views
Arutha was never King. *NM* - 09/04/2010 07:18:30 PM 721 Views
I'm going to go with a tie... - 09/04/2010 04:22:42 PM 1505 Views
Joffrey and the Stag! *NM* - 09/04/2010 09:53:56 PM 735 Views
ROFL *NM* - 09/04/2010 11:39:36 PM 695 Views
Artur Hawkwing - 10/04/2010 03:34:02 AM 1675 Views
??? - 10/04/2010 10:30:13 AM 2095 Views
Simba *NM* - 10/04/2010 08:40:38 AM 785 Views
Manwe - 10/04/2010 10:31:54 AM 1984 Views
Bah. He's hardly a character. *NM* - 12/04/2010 01:07:29 AM 879 Views
Arutha, the Prince of Krondor - 12/04/2010 01:06:14 AM 1585 Views
Westley - 13/04/2010 02:59:36 AM 1549 Views
Leto Atreides II - 13/04/2010 05:07:29 AM 1464 Views
I'll agree with that! *NM* - 13/04/2010 11:33:10 AM 729 Views

Reply to Message