Livia Drusilla: Rome's First Empress and the Power Behind Augustus

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the life of Livia Drusilla, the formidable wife of Augustus and the de facto co-founder of the Roman Empire. From her dramatic escape from Italy while pregnant, to her marriage to Octavian in 38 BC, Livia navigated Rome's bloody politics with unmatched skill. She managed Augustus's image, built alliances, and amassed personal wealth, all while running her own political network. Lucas details her patronage of the arts, her role in shaping the imperial succession — including the controversial death of Agrippa Postumus — and her public deification after death. The episode also unpacks the gendered constraints of her era, how she turned marriage into a political institution, and why later emperors like Caligula and Claudius were haunted by her legacy. Along the way, Lucas and Luna touch on the Basilica Aemilia, the Porticus Liviae, and the subtle power of a woman who never held a title but defined an empire. It's a story of intelligence, survival, and ruthless pragmatism that redefines what power looked like in ancient Rome. #LiviaDrusilla #Augustus #RomanEmpire #AncientRome #FirstEmpress #JulioClaudian #RomanHistory #ImperialRome #WomenInHistory #PorticusLiviae #Deification #AugustanAge #RomanPolitics #Patronage #AgrippaPostumus #History #FexingoHistory #Podcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo