A bit ago I read Emma Southon's A Fatal Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and loved the deep dive into how murder and assassination were viewed in ancient Rome. Not long after posting that review I heard about another book about ancient roman history. The podcaster mentioned how much they'd enjoyed a biography about Agrippina, a woman who was a descendant of Julius Caesar. She was also a sister, niece, wife, and mother to three other emperors. It sounded intriguing so I put the book on hold and lo! It's also by Emma Southon. A happy surprise.
In this biography Southon explores the life of this extraordinary woman who was one of the most important figures in the Julio-Claudian Roman Empire, and yet, what we know of her is only made possible because she was connected to those rulers. When she's mentioned in the writings about those powerful men, there is a clear bias or agenda for each story told. Southon's history tries to find the truths hidden in those tales. She takes all the pieces of Agrippina and fleshs them out into a more realistic, rational understanding of her. Southon highlights the power Agrippina was able to wield on her own behalf.
As with A Fatal Thing, Southon uses dry humor and sharp wit to point out the humanness of the historical figures she's studying. I loved every bit of it. Which means I'll be placing a hold on her other book about ancient Rome, A Rome of One's Own: The Forgotten Women of The Roman Empire.