Before Cleopatra: The Woman Who Ran Rome (and Antony)

You know Cleopatra—the scandal, the eyeliner, the drama. But before she stepped onto the scene with Marc Antony, there was Fulvia: a Roman powerhouse, political strategist, and all-around boss. In this episode, we dig into the story of the woman who didn’t just love Antony—she leveraged him. From leading armies to stirring up civil war, Fulvia was making major moves long before Cleopatra made headlines. Let’s give credit where it's very overdue. Episode 1 Sources: Appian. The Civil Wars. Translated by Horace White, Loeb Classical Library, Harvard University Press, 1913.Asconius. Commentary on Cicero’s Speeches. Translated by R.G. Lewis, Clarendon Press, 1990.Babcock, Charles L. “The Early Career of Fulvia.” The American Journal of Philology, vol. 86, no. 1, 1965, pp. 1–32. JSTOR, https://www.jstor.org/stable/292619. Accessed 29 May 2025.Cassius Dio. Roman History. Vol. 5, Book 48, translated by Earnest Cary, Loeb Classical Library, Harvard University Press, 1916.Cicero, Marcus Tullius. The Philippics of Cicero. Translated by W. C. A. Ker, Harvard University Press, 1926.Huzar, Eleanor G. “Mark Antony: Marriages vs. Careers.” The Classical Journal, vol. 81, no. 2, 1985, pp. 97–111. JSTOR, https://www.jstor.org/stable/3296739. Accessed 29 May 2025.Levick, Barbara. Women in Roman Politics. Historical Review Publications, vol. 78, 2000, pp. 35–48. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.