Fulvia

'A thoroughly rapacious woman…as cruel as she is greedy' Cicero

'A woman who took no thought for spinning or housekeeping…meddlesome and headstrong' Plutarch

'[She] caused the death of many, both to satisfy her enmity and to gain their wealth' Cassius Dio

'She acted in a haughty manner towards those who were placing her in a position to be arrogant' Orosius

'Nothing of the woman in her except her sex' Velleius Paterculus

The charismatic Fulvia amassed a degree of military and political power that was unprecedented for a woman in Ancient Rome. Married three times to men who moved in powerful circles, including Marc Antony, Fulvia was not content to play the usual background role that was expected of a wife – instead she challenged the Roman patriarchy and sought to increase her influence in the face of determined opposition.

It's rare to know so much about a particular Roman woman, but Fulvia was so despised by her male detractors that she was much written about. Acclaimed historian Jane Draycott has used original sources to piece together Fulvia's life and sort fact from fiction, while also exploring the role of women in Roman society.