Fulvia

Fulvia
Portrait of Fulvia on a 18 mm leaded bronze coin from the city Eumeneia (renamed Fulvia) of Phrygia. Obverse: Fulvia, reverse: Athena. Legend: ΦΟΥΛΟVΙΑΝΩΝ ΖΜΕΡΤΟΡΙΓΟΣ ΦΙΛΩΝΙΔΟΥ (Phoulovianoon Zmertorigos Philoonidou, the town magistrate). Around 41/40 BC.[1]
Died40 BC
Years active52–40 BC
Spouse(s)Publius Clodius Pulcher
Gaius Scribonius Curio
Mark Antony
Children
FamilyFulvii

Fulvia (Classical Latin: [ˈfulwi.a]; d. 40 BC) was an aristocratic Roman woman who lived during the Late Roman Republic. Fulvia's birth into an important political dynasty facilitated her relationships and, later on, marriages to Publius Clodius Pulcher, Gaius Scribonius Curio, and Mark Antony.[2] All of these men would go on to lead increasingly promising political careers as populares, tribunes, and supporters of Julius Caesar.

Fulvia remains an important figure in ancient Roman history due to her perseverance as a woman heavily involved in politics, as well as her role in the Perusine War against Caesar Augustus (Octavian, future emperor Augustus).[3] She played an important political role behind the scenes of her three marriages. Though she is most famous for her involvement in Antony's career, there are many scholarly debates taking place over whether or not Fulvia was already involved in politics before her husbands or as a result of marrying them. However, one thing is for sure: she was highly interested in politics and developed an increasingly strong public voice over time.[4] She is most famous for her activities during her third marriage and her involvement in the Perusine War of 41–40 BC.[5] She was the first Roman non-mythological woman to appear on Roman coins.[citation needed]

  1. ^ "Volume: I №: 3139 Reign: Roman Republic Persons: Fulvia Magistrate: Zmertorix, son of Philonides". rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk. Roman Provincial Coinage online. Ashmolean Museum, Oxford University. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  2. ^ Babcock, Charles L. (January 1965). "The Early Career of Fulvia". The American Journal of Philology. 86 (1): 1–32. doi:10.2307/292619. ISSN 0002-9475. JSTOR 292619.
  3. ^ "With all the vitriolic propaganda surrounding her, it is now very difficult to judge Fulvia's real character and role fairly, but she was certainly one of the most politically visible women of her generation." Adrian Goldsworthy: Augustus. From Revolutionary to Emperor, London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson 2014, p. 156.
  4. ^ Welch, Kathryn E. (October 1995). "Antony, Fulvia, and the Ghost of Clodius in 47 B.C." Greece and Rome. 42 (2): 182–201. doi:10.1017/s0017383500025638. ISSN 0017-3835. S2CID 162532957.
  5. ^ Weir, p. ii.