Livia, Empress of Rome: A Biography
Dennison attempts to set the historical record straight in this balanced biography of one of the most maligned females in ancient history. Portrayed in both fact (The Histories and The Annals) and fiction (I, Claudius, anyone?) as a serial poisoner who would stop at nothing to ensure that her son Tiberius succeeded his stepfather Augustus as emperor of Rome, the Livia that is resurrected here is far from the femme fatale of legend. Unfortunately, the real woman is a great deal less interesting than her infamous fictional counterpart. Since what is actually verifiable about his subject is sometimes rather sketchy, Dennison pads Livia’s chronicle with cultural, societal, and historical details and events that ground her firmly in the context of her times. Ancient Rome always appeals, and it is nice to see an unjustly tarnished reputation polished up for posterity. --Margaret Flanagan