Domina
The Women Who Made Imperial Rome
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Narrated by:
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Julian Elfer
About this listen
A captivating popular history that shines a light on the notorious Julio-Claudian women who forged an empire
Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, and Nero - these are the names history associates with the early Roman Empire. Yet, not a single one of these emperors was the blood son of his predecessor. In this captivating history, a prominent scholar of the era documents the Julio-Claudian women whose bloodline, ambition, and ruthlessness made it possible for the emperors' line to continue.
Eminent scholar Guy de la Bedoyere, author of Praetorian, asserts that the women behind the scenes - including Livia, Octavia, and the elder and younger Agrippina - were the true backbone of the dynasty. De la Bedoyere draws on the accounts of ancient Roman historians to revisit a familiar time from a completely fresh vantage point. Anyone who enjoys I, Claudius will be fascinated by this study of dynastic power and gender interplay in ancient Rome.
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- Unabridged
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The startling truth behind one of the most notorious dynasties in history is revealed in a remarkable new account by the acclaimed author of The Tudors and A World Undone. Sweeping aside the gossip, slander, and distortion that have shrouded the Borgias for centuries, G. J. Meyer offers an unprecedented portrait of the infamous Renaissance family and their storied milieu.
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Marvelous !
- By Cinders on 08-02-13
By: G. J. Meyer
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Augustus
- First Emperor of Rome
- By: Adrian Goldsworthy
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 18 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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Caesar Augustus's story, one of the most riveting in western history, is filled with drama and contradiction, risky gambles and unexpected success. He began as a teenage warlord, whose only claim to power was as the heir of the murdered Julius Caesar. Mark Antony dubbed him "a boy who owes everything to a name," but in the years to come the youth outmaneuvered all the older and more experienced politicians and was the last man standing in 30 BC.
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You know my name...say it.
- By Steven on 12-10-14
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Alexander the Great
- The Hunt for a New Past
- By: Paul Cartledge
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 9 hrs and 28 mins
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Paul Cartledge, one of the world's foremost scholars of ancient Greece, illuminates the brief but iconic life of Alexander (356-323 B.C.), king of Macedon, conqueror of the Persian Empire, and founder of a new world order. Alexander's legacy has had a major impact on military tacticians, scholars, statesmen, adventurers, authors, and filmmakers.
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NOT a Chronology of Alexander’s Life
- By Blane Richoux on 12-30-20
By: Paul Cartledge
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The Tudors
- The Complete Story of England's Most Notorious Dynasty
- By: G. J. Meyer
- Narrated by: Robin Sachs
- Length: 24 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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For the first time in decades, here, in a single volume, is a fresh look at the fabled Tudor dynasty, comprising some of the most enigmatic figures ever to rule a country. Acclaimed historian G. J. Meyer reveals the flesh-and-bone reality in all its wild excess.
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OUTSTANDING!
- By The Louligan on 03-15-10
By: G. J. Meyer
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Bosworth 1485
- Psychology of a Battle
- By: Michael K. Jones
- Narrated by: Peter Wickham
- Length: 6 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
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On August 22, 1485, at Bosworth Field, Richard III fell, the Wars of the Roses ended, and the Tudor dynasty began. The clash is so significant because it marks the break between medieval and modern; yet how much do we really know about this historical landmark? Michael K. Jones uses archival discoveries to show Richard III's defeat was by no means inevitable and was achieved only through extraordinary chance. He relocates the battle away from the site recognized for more than 500 years.
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At last I am able to grasp this important history!
- By NC-N-NC on 03-29-16
By: Michael K. Jones
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Cicero: The Life and Times of Rome's Greatest Politician
- By: Anthony Everitt
- Narrated by: John Curless
- Length: 15 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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In this dynamic and engaging biography, Anthony Everitt plunges us into the fascinating, scandal-ridden world of ancient Rome in its most glorious heyday. Accessible to us through his legendary speeches but also through an unrivaled collection of unguarded letters to his close friend Atticus, Cicero comes to life here as a witty and cunning political operator.
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An eloquent man, and a patriot
- By Darwin8u on 01-19-15
By: Anthony Everitt
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Hadrian and the Triumph of Rome
- By: Anthony Everitt
- Narrated by: John Curless
- Length: 14 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
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Acclaimed British historian Anthony Everitt delivers a compelling account of the former orphan who became Roman emperor in A.D. 117 after the death of his guardian Trajan. Hadrian strengthened Rome by ending territorial expansion and fortifying existing borders. And - except for the uprising he triggered in Judea - his strength-based diplomacy brought peace to the realm after a century of warfare.
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A Biography "too tall for the height of the cella"
- By Darwin8u on 08-23-12
By: Anthony Everitt
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The Medici
- Power, Money, and Ambition in the Italian Renaissance
- By: Paul Strathern
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 16 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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Against the background of an age that saw the rebirth of ancient and classical learning, Paul Strathern explores the intensely dramatic rise and fall of the Medici family in Florence as well as the Italian Renaissance, which they did so much to sponsor and encourage. Interwoven into the narrative are the lives of many of the great Renaissance artists with whom the Medici had dealings, including Leonardo, Michelangelo, and Donatello as well as scientists like Galileo and Pico della Mirandola.
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Fun Story Bad History
- By Elizabeth Barrett on 05-09-16
By: Paul Strathern
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Matilda
- Empress, Queen, Warrior
- By: Catherine Hanley
- Narrated by: Jennifer M. Dixon
- Length: 12 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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A life of Matilda - empress, skilled military leader, and one of the greatest figures of the English Middle Ages.
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Both entertaining and scholarly
- By Anonymous User on 09-10-19
By: Catherine Hanley
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Blood Will Tell
- A Medical Explanation of the Tyranny of Henry VIII
- By: Kyra Cornelius Kramer
- Narrated by: Pam Ward
- Length: 13 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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With his tumultuous love life, relentless pursuit of a male heir, and drastic religious transformation, England's King Henry VIII's life sounds more like reality television than history. He was a man of fascinating contradictions. What could have caused his incredible paradoxes? Could there be a simple medical explanation for the king's descent into tyranny? Where do the answers lie? Blood will tell.
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A vindication for Anne Boleyn?
- By Missee on 03-26-19
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What made the Romans laugh? Was ancient Rome a carnival, filled with practical jokes and hearty chuckles? Or was it a carefully regulated culture in which the uncontrollable excess of laughter was a force to fear-a world of wit, irony, and knowing smiles? How did Romans make sense of laughter? What role did it play in the world of the law courts, the imperial palace, or the spectacles of the arena?
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An eloquent man, and a patriot
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Hadrian and the Triumph of Rome
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Acclaimed British historian Anthony Everitt delivers a compelling account of the former orphan who became Roman emperor in A.D. 117 after the death of his guardian Trajan. Hadrian strengthened Rome by ending territorial expansion and fortifying existing borders. And - except for the uprising he triggered in Judea - his strength-based diplomacy brought peace to the realm after a century of warfare.
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A Biography "too tall for the height of the cella"
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Greece Against Rome
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Towards the middle of the third century BC, the Hellenistic kingdoms were near their peak. In terms of population, economy, and military power, each was vastly superior to Rome, not to mention in fields such as medicine, architecture, science, philosophy, and literature. But over the next two and a half centuries, Rome would eventually conquer these kingdoms while adopting so much of Hellenistic culture that the resultant hybrid is known as "Graeco-Roman." In Greece Against Rome, Philip Matyszak relates this epic tale from the Hellenistic perspective.
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Really enjoyed the book and snark
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The Twelve Caesars
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As private secretary to the Emperor Hadrian, the scholar Suetonius had access to the imperial archives and used them (along with eyewitness accounts) to produce one of the most colorful biographical works in history. The Twelve Caesars chronicles the public careers and private lives of the men who wielded absolute power over Rome, from the foundation of the empire under Julius Caesar and Augustus, to the decline into depravity and civil war under Nero and the recovery that came with his successors.
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Heavily modified and softly translated
- By NeoAtreides on 12-03-15
By: Suetonius
What listeners say about Domina
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- TheoBabe
- 04-30-24
Excellently read with an interesting thesis
Written to easily be followed by the average reader, its accessibility and topic are engaging, and the narration echoes this. Some parts seem a bit bogged down or overly reliant on coinage.
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- anne
- 08-20-21
Great read
History can be dry, at least for me. I found this enjoyable and very interesting. Highly recommend if you are curious about Roman history.
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- Kindle Customer
- 06-08-24
.
overall good but the voice does get annoying after a bit. Interesting view into Roman politics from a female perspective
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- Anonymous User
- 12-21-23
Just Brilliant!
Very well researched and brilliantly written! But as always, I would have liked it even better if Guy de la Bédoyère had read it himself in his own imitable and soft-spoken way.
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- boleyn1532
- 11-25-24
Detailed and fascinating read
I would rate this 4.5 overall.
This book thoughtfully examines how women wielded power in imperial Rome. The author also does a fairly good job distinguishing each of these women from each other and the powerful men in their lives. It was an exceptional feat when many of these women had similar names, changed names, or were named for one another or a male family member (e.g., Livia became Julia Augusta, and her husband was Augustus).
This book begins by examining Julius Caesar's downfall and the rise of Octavian (the aggressor of Cleopatra and Marc Anthony) to the role of emperor. The women who are the primary focus of this period are Octavian's three wives: Fulvia (Marc Anthony's stepdaughter), Scribonia, and Livia. The author does an excellent job of detailing what is known of these women's backgrounds and how their marriages were politically advantageous to Octavian.
Interestingly Octavian only had one surviving child from these marriages, Julia the Elder from whom the mantle of Emporer descended. Octavian wished her to continue the male dynastic line by first marrying her cousin Marcus Claudius Marcellus who died within two years of marrying. With the death of Marcus Claudius, Julia the Elder and her female cousins, sought to gain political power through advantageous marriages all of which impacted the imperial succession. This was the most confusing part of the book to follow. Not due to the writing but because all of the main players at this time had very similar names and sometimes married the same people or people with similar names. I think that might be the biggest disadvantage of the audiobook because I could not refer to a family try at any point. It also didn't help that there was so much intermarriage within the noble houses of Rome. I mean Julia the Elder, daughter of Octavian and Scribonia, married Emperor Tiberius, son of Tiberius Claudius Nero and Livia (i.e., third wife of Octavian). So my best advice is to read this book with the family tree near.
My favourite part of the book was the section surrounding Emperor Nero. Not being well versed in Roman history all I knew of this time was the saying "Nero fiddled while Rome burned". Honestly, that is a relatively nice account of a narcissistic lunatic. As with all of the women discussed in this book, the lives of Nero's four wives: Claudia Octavia, Poppaea Sabina, Statilia Messalina, and Sporus were full of intrigue and heartbreak.
I'm not entirely sure how de la Bédoyère packed so much history into this book and made it so enthralling to read. His writing drew me into these women's lives and times and whenever possible used the first-hand accounts of their lives. I did appreciate how de la Bédoyère also provided context as many of the Roman sources are misogynistic, inflammatory, pieces of patriarchal propaganda pieces. His ability to use the sources and say what is and is not supported by all the known evidence was refreshing
I recommend this book if you want to learn more about Roman history, particularly history centred on the women of the period.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Incest, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
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- John Allred
- 12-01-19
Fills a Large Gap in Roman History!
This book was an excellent read and wonderfully narrated! I would recommend it to anyone interested in First Century to Third Century Roman history. But most of all, to any readers interested in the very strong part Roman women played as movers and "kingmakers" during that age.
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- Alessandra
- 06-20-22
History has two type of women
The author gives a balanced accounted of the women from Livy to Julia Mamaea. They aren’t idealized or demonized but rather the author picks out an even account of their actions from the writings of Roman historians who demonized them. These women had very few avenues open for them so they operated and realized their ambitions by creating avenues.
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