Roman history told through a focus on the wives of the emperors from Livia to Gallia Placida (and I will never tire of saying somebody needs to make a biopic or series about Gallia Placida). Interesting and enjoyable, but it's 14 years old and already some of the "contemporary" resonances and parallels are starting to age and I have to think for a bit to remember what they are about. ( )

Succinct biographies of the wives of the Roman emperors from Livia to Galla Placidia and Pulcheria and their times. Instructive, but the comparison to American presidents' wives is a narrative tool that soon becomes irritating. I, for my part, do not need constant reference to our times to make the past interesting. ( )

A very different lens through which to examine the Roman Empire from its beginnings and through the reigns of the first Caesars from Augustus to Domitian, and then again in the second and fifth centuries! Freisenbruch traces the evolution of imperial power through the dress, public roles and lives of the women who were the emperors' sisters, mothers and spouses. Much interesting detail as well, including the role of some of the imperial women in formulating early Christian doctrines. I was particularly surprised that one such woman was a major force behind the growth of Mariology in the Eastern churches. ( )

Caesars' Wives: Sex, Power, and Politics in the Roman Empire is an interesting book that looks at the women behind the Caesars. Annalise Freisenbruch is part of a new generation of academics who are attempting to write palatable history for the general population. Her attempt to recreate the lives of these women is commendable, especially since the historical record has left very little behind about the female population, and when it is present, it is often biased and unreliable. It is refreshing to see academic history presented in such an interesting way, and the reader will likely be inspired to read more about each individual woman, and maybe even the men. Ms. Freisenbruch also hosts a PBS documentary about Rome that is interesting and informative. ( )

A journey through the history of the women of the Roman patriarchy. It's interesting for Roman history buffs, though somewhat disappointing in that most of the personalities don't exactly leap off the page, unlike so many of the Roman men about whom one reads over and over. But this probably isn't the author's fault -- there just isn't that much information available about Roman women, except for a very few. In a society where the role of the virtuous woman was to be unseen, unheard, and unheard about, this isn't surprising; even ladies of talent and category were whitewashed in Roman histories, to preserve the virtuous image of their families. As noted above, this is an interesting and easy read for those who really love Roman history, but others may not be drawn in. ( )