A woman's world

BRONWEN RILEY appraises an irreverent study that examines the Roman empire through the lives of 21 of its female subjects, from fearsome queens to vestal virgins

- BRONWEN RILEY

A History of the Roman Empire in 21 Women
by Emma Southon Oneworld, 416 pages, £18.99

Emma Southon's lively, alternative history begins with the story of Hersilia - one of the abducted Sabine women who married Romulus, the legendary founder of Rome, in around 750 BC. It ends with the plight of the Christian empress Galla Placida, kidnapped by the Gothic king Alaric during the sack of Rome in AD 410. Both of these women from the start and end of Roman history, respectively - were victims of male aggression, caught up in wars and politics not of their making. Although denied official roles as soldiers or politicians, they were both integral to the story of their times, able and willing to influence events in their own way.