FULVIA

Roman matrona (r.c. 40 b.c.e.)

Fulvia was the wife of Mark Antony, who led a military campaign against Octavian Caesar on behalf of her husband.

Born: 1st century b.c.e., date unknown
Died: 40 b.c.e. on Sicyon
Area of Achievement: war and conquest, government and politics

Early Life:  Fulvia was born sometime in the 1st century b.c.e. to Marcus Fulvius Flaccus Bambulus and Sempronia, daughter of Gaius Gracchus.  Fulvia's first husband was the demogogue Clodius Pulcher.  After his death in 52 b.c.e., Fulvia married Scribonius Curio, a tribune who supported Julius Caesar in his rise to power.

Life's Work:  After her third marriage, to Marcus Antonius (Mark Antony), Fulvia demonstrated her own ability in the political arena.  According to Plutarch, Fulvia was a woman who was not interested in domestic tasks, and dominated Antony both at home and in his political actions (Ant. 10).  

After Antony, Lepidus and Octavian formed the second triumvirate in 44 b.c.e, Fulvia offered her daughter Clodia (Fulvia’s daughter by Clodius Pulcher and Antony’s stepdaughter) in marriage to Octavian to strengthen the political alliance between Octavian and Antony.  

After Antony solidified his power base, he sought to undermine his political opponents, especially Marcus Tullius Cicero, the famous rhetorician.  After Cicero was captured and killed by Antony’s forces, Antony displayed Cicero’s head and hands in the Roman Forum.  Cicero had previously criticized Fulvia’s first husband Clodius Pulcher.  According to Dion Cassius, Fulvia took great pleasure in piercing Cicero’s tongue with her hairpins, as it was his tongue that had most offended her (Dion, xlvii. 8.).

A short time later, the triumvirs Octavian, Lepidus and Antony divided the Roman provinces amongst themselves.  Octavian took charge of Italy, while Lepidus took the western provinces and Antony sailed to Egypt.  There Antony met the Egyptian queen Cleopatra and began an affair with her.  

Meanwhile, Octavian was redistributing lands within in Italy to the veteran soldiers that had supported him during his rise to power.  The redistribution of land displeased the populace.  When Octavian requested a divorce from Clodia, Fulvia took action against Octavian.  Fulvia and her brother-in-law Lucius Antonius raised eight legions of Roman troops to support Antony against Octavian’s grab for power.  Her army was only able to occupy the city of Rome for a short time before it was driven out and retreated to Perusia.  Octavian laid siege to Fulvia and her troops during the winter of 41-40 b.c.e., and eventually starved them into submission.  Fulvia surrendered and was exiled to Sicyon, where she fell ill and died while Antony was on his way to meet her.

Significance:  In a time when women were expected to run the household and raise children, Fulvia was not only able to raise an army, she was remembered for it.  The fact that she is the first non-mythological woman featured on Roman coins speaks of her importance.  History only considers her a traitor because she happened to be on the losing side.  If Antony and his supporters had carried the day, Fulvia may well have been honored as a hero by the Romans.  – Caitlin L. Moriarity

Additional Reading

Bauman, Richard A. Women and Politics in Ancient Rome. London & NY: Routledge, 1992.  A study of women's involvement in and influence over politics and society in antiquity.

Augusto Fraschetti, Ed. Roman Women. Tr. Linda Lappin. London & Chicago: U Chicago Press, 2001.  A collection of essays of influential Roman women.  

Hemelrijk, Emily A. Matrona Docta: Educated Women in the Roman Elite from Cornelia to Julia Domna. London, NY: Routledge, 1999.  This book discusses the opportunities that upper-class Roman women (including Fulvia) had to acquire an education.

Kleiner, Diana E. E., Susan Matheson, eds. I, Claudia: Women in Ancient Rome. New Haven: Yale University Art Gallery, 1996.  A comprehensive study on women as depicted in Roman art.  

Pomeroy, Sarah B., ed. Women’s History and Ancient History. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1991.  A collection of essays on the roles of women in ancient history as portrayed by the ancient sources.

Click here to download a PDF file of this article

Back to Writing Samples