Publication Date
10-25-2024
Abstract
This article argues that Tacitus’ characterizations of female members of the Vitellii evoke literary representations of several prominent Roman women of the late Republic and Julio-Claudian era. Tacitus draws upon a range of figures for his Vitellian women, from Fulvia to Livia, Antonia the Younger to Octavia. Literary resonances contribute to Tacitus’ representation of Vitellius as a bad emperor who nevertheless cared about his family. In rejecting or reflecting literary models, Tacitus uses Vitellius’ mother Sextilia, wife Galeria, and sister-in-law Triaria to create echoes and distinctions between past and present civil conflicts.
First Page
31
Last Page
48
Recommended Citation
Gillespie, Caitlin
(2024)
"Echoes of the Past: The Vitellian Women in Tacitus’ Histories,"
New England Classical Journal: Vol. 51
:
Iss.
2
, 31-48.
Keywords
Galeria Fundana, Triaria, Sextilia, Vitellius, Tacitus’ Histories, Roman imperial women