CAESARS' WIVES: Sex, Power, and Politics in the Roman Empire by Annelise Freisenbruch, 2010.

Finished this last night, a competent, compelling, and totally absorbing history of the women who helped make (or break) the Roman Empire. Starting with the well known Livia and Octavia, the author relates the stories of such diverse characters as the various Julias, Fausta, the Agrippinas, Antonia, Galla Placidia, Pulcheria, Helena, Serena, and others, covering some 500 years of Roman history. Using available scholarship and excellent storytelling, the author presents their lives as more than just schemers, poisoners and murderesses, but as flesh and blood women who assisted in government and politics and who set examples for other women to follow. Excellent descriptions of Roman life and customs, religious issues, architecture, class distinctions, internal warfare, family feuds, and political rivalries help to set these women firmly in context of their times, and make for interesting reading, although sometimes all the family inter-connectedness could be overwhelming and confusing (thank goodness family charts are included!). The author clearly enjoys her subjects and her narrative shows it. One little thing--she seems to have a bit of pick against Robert Graves and his novel I, Claudius, for helping to create the prevailing perception of several of these women, most notably Livia and Agrippina the Younger. Graves used many of the same historical sources as this author, but as a novelist he chose to focus on his characters in his own way. As an historian, Freisenbruch used those sources and others to create more honest and well rounded portraits of these women. As a reader of historical fiction, I love I, Claudius, but I enjoyed this book because the author dug deeper and managed to make these powerful and flawed women real and provided the reader with documented proof of their places in history. Should appeal to any Roman history fan.