Livie

Livie , born Livia Drusilla in 58 av. J. - C., deceased Iulia Augusta in 29 a. J. - C. ( Diva Iulia Augusta , divinized by the emperor Claude in 42 a. J. - C.)

Girl of Marcus Livius Drusus Claudianus and third wife of the Roman Emperor Auguste. Mother of Tibère, future emperor, and of Drusus, both born from a first marriage with Tiberius Claudius Nero. Its marriage with César Octavien (the future Auguste) devotes the alliance of the Iulii (or Julii) and of the Claudii: the first five Roman Emperors for this reason are called Julio-Claudiens.

Biography

Origins

Livia Drusilla was born the front on January 30th, 58 J. - C. It is the girl of Marcus Livius Drusus Claudianus and Alfidia: the people Claudia belongs to the highest Roman aristocracy.

She marries Tiberius Claudius Nero (he also of the people Claudia ) in 43 av. J. - C., and puts at the world its first wire, Tibère, the front on November 16th, 42 J. - C. In favor of Jules César, then of Marc Antoine, the husbands flee after the victory of César Octavien to Perugia (in 40 av. J. - C.), initially in Sicily near Sextus Pompée, then in Greece, before going back to Rome at the time of the Paix of Brindes, signed between César Octavien and Marc Antoine in 39 av. J. - C.

Marriage with César Octavien

Of return to Rome with her husband, Livie becomes acquainted with the to triumvir César Octavien, wire adoptive of Jules César, the front on September 23rd, 39 J. - C. Married to Scribonia for one year, César Octavien has taken along Livie in its house whereas the latter is pregnant of the second and the last wire of its first marriage. As for Scribonia, the wife of César Octavien, it is also pregnant, and it is only after the arrival in the world of Iulia (or Julie) that César Octavien separates from it. As for the pregnancy of Livie, the pontiffs do not estimate that it constitutes an obstacle with the marriage, and this last is officialized the front on January 17th, 38 J. - C. Drusus, the second wire of Livie and Ti. Claudius Nero, is born on April 11th from the same year: in Rome, the rumor circulates whereas favoured people of Fortune can have a child in three months…

This hasty marriage made run much ink: is the fruit of a “love at first sight” or meets it a political need? It is useful to on this subject recall that Livie is attached to the republican nobility, and can thus guarantee to César Octavien a more interesting political alliance at that time that which his preceding wife Scribonia (relationship of Sextus Pompée) offered to him.

Livie and Auguste

True political support and confidante of Auguste, Livie is systematically consulted before her husband does not join together the Consilium principis (the circle of its close relations advisers): Auguste prepares even their written conversations. The husbands maintain the remainder a correspondence about certain decisions, that the ancient authors could still consult and partially quote.

Livie holds moreover an important place in imperial propaganda: its house is used as example for the Roman households. It represents the return to the Mos majorum (habits of the ancestors), preached by Auguste, like model of the Roman, pure and virtuous matron, confined in the domestic sphere, spinning wool and making the clothes worn by its household. Its statute of imperial wife also enables him to actively promote this policy by actions in favor of the families and the Roman women: thus it equips with the aristocratic girls of families in the need, organizes a banquet for the wives of the senators at the time of the Triomphe of Tibère and dedication the temple of the '' Fortuna muliebris '' and the aedes Concordia , symbols respectively female and matrimonial.

Honors without precedent to him are conferred the alive one of Auguste: in 35 av. J. - C., jointly with Octavie (the sister of César Octavien, then wife of Marc Antoine), it is released from the supervision of her husband, is seen conferring inviolability (the sacrosanctitas of the Tribuns of the plebs) and raising statues in public places. In 9 av. J. - C., with died of Drusus, the right to statues is again granted to him, as well as the Ius trium liberorum (privilege granted by Auguste to the women having put at the world three children or more, in particular allowing them to have their goods).

Succession of Auguste

Auguste wished that its heir go down from the people Iulia : its two grandsons (Gaius and Lucius Caesar) have both summer carried by an untimely death. Thus the oldest son of Livie, Tibère, adopted in 4 a. J. - C., is designated as successor of Auguste, on active recommendation of his mother. With died of Auguste, on August 19th, 14 a. J. - C. with Nola, Livie takes in hand the question of the succession: it locks the access to the house of the emperor and control information which leaves there. Tibère, pointed out of Illyricum, is proclaimed emperor; Clutched Postumus, the exiled grandson of Auguste, is killed - on order of Tibère or Livie.

The ancient sources are made the echo of rumors showing Livie to have poisoned the various potential successors who made obstacle with the nomination of his/her Tibère son, as Auguste himself whereas it seemed to prefer a reconciliation with his grandson Agrippa Postumus. These charges could be well the fruit of the distrust of old with regard to the women of being able and an abusive bringing together with the intrigues, also partly supposed, of Agrippine the Young person.

Augusta and Tibère

3 or on September 4th, 14 a. J. - C., the will of Auguste allots to Livie the title of Augusta as well as a third of the fortune of the emperor. By adopting it like his daughter, Auguste also integrates his wife into the people Iulia : Livie is called from now on Iulia Augusta . The senate having proclaimed the Apotheosis of Auguste (his integration among the gods), Augusta is seen entrusting the responsibility for the worship of her divine husband. This official load gives right to him a Licteur in the exercise of its functions. Other honors (whose title of to subdue patriae , mother of the fatherland), proposed by the senate, are refused to him by Tibère, which makes a point of limiting the honors decreed to a woman, was it her mother.

In withdrawal of living of Auguste, Augusta leaves the shade under the reign of Tibère: it receives delegations, supports careers, exempts her friends to appear before justice and takes an active part in the capacity (the heading of the official letters carries the names of Tibère and of Augusta and one wrote to both indifferently), without to attend the senate, the military camps or the assemblies. The ancient authors advance that the retirement of Tibère with Capri as of 26 is due to its increasing disagreement with Livie, which requires a share of the capacity that it gave him.

Other honors are decreed in Augusta during this period: as of 21, it appears in the wishes of the Arvales brothers. In 22, whereas it is seriously sick, the senate votes thanksgivings and plays for its re-establishment. In 23, it profits from honors hitherto reserved for the Vestales: it takes seat among these last with the theater and can make use of the Carpentum (a covered tank with two wheels). In the absence of Tibère, it dedication a statue with Auguste close to the Theater of Marcellus: to the great displeasure of his/her son, the inscription dédicatoire presents the name of Augusta before that of the reigning emperor.

Livie disappears into 29. Its skin is deposited in the mausoleum of Auguste, in Rome, in the absence of Tibère: it is Caligula which pronounces its funeral praise. The senate, inter alia honors, proposes diviniser and to raise an honorary arc to him: Tibère, in addition to diverting its testamentary wills, refuses the Apothéose to him and prevents the construction of the arc - two honors without precedent for a woman. It is the emperor Claude who it divinise, on January 17th, 42 a. J. - C., putting on an equal footing the two founders of the principat, Divus Augustus and Diva Augusta (Suétone, Vie of the twelve Césars, Claude , XI).

Posterity

Livie is the first, and thus the model of the imperial wife. The honors which were granted to him will be exempted to the women of the imperial house thereafter. As for the title of Augusta, it will be initially granted to Agrippine the Young person at the time of the adoption of Néron by Claude into 50, then will become the title of the wife of the emperor under the reign of Domitien, as of 81. Livie is also the common ancestor by the blood ties of the whole of the emperors Julio-Claudiens who succeeded her husband: mother of Tibère, great-grandmother of Caligula, grandmother of Claude and great-great-grandmother of Néron.

The monetary emissions and the many statues found through the Empire prove the immense popularity of Livie. As for the literary sources, they offer a contrasted portrait of it. While recognizing qualities to him, Tacit, Suétone and Dion Cassius present it like a empoisonneuse mantle and a wife manipulator, “ grauis in rem publicam to subdue, grauis domui Caesarum nouerca ” (fatal, like mother, with the republic, more fatal, like mantle, at the house of Césars; Tacit, Yearly , 1,10: translation J.L. Burnouf, 1859), whereas Velleius Paterculus, courtier of Tibère, in fact concerning funeral praise: “ eminentissima and per omnia deis quam hominibus similior foemina, cuius potentiam nemo sensit nisi aut leuatione periculi aut accessione dignitatis ” (a so remarkable woman and in all more similar to the gods than with the men, of which nobody tested the capacity if not by the suppression of a danger or the increase in dignity; Velleius Paterculus, Roman History, 2,130). It is necessary to await the end of XX^e century and the advent of the " Gender Studies " so that researchers are interested to make an image objective of Livie.

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