Description
A standalone biography of the Empress Messalina - third wife of Emperor Claudius and one of the most notorious women to have inhabited the Roman world.
About the Author
Honor Cargill-Martin is an author, classicist, and art historian from London. She read Classical Archaeology and Ancient History at Oxford, winning a scholarship and graduating with a first-class degree in 2019. She has masters degrees in Greek and Roman history and Italian Renaissance Art. She is currently studying for a doctorate focusing on political sex scandals in Ancient Rome at Christ Church College Oxford. She has published a number of children's fiction titles. Her biography of Messalina is her first non-fiction title.
Reviews
Messalina is more than just a corrective biography of a misunderstood woman. It is a captivating journey into the wild world of imperial Rome and the most accomplished historical debut I have read in years. * Dan Jones *
Honor Cargill-Martin writes Messalina's story with a wonderful passion and precision, in a book that reads like a thriller while delivering a nuanced examination of one woman and her many depictions. * Elodie Harper *
Brisk, fun and fascinating, this delicious debut is the perfect marriage of scholarship and wit. * Suzannah Lipscomb *
For all the tales of sexual jealousy, vicious retribution and (occasionally) genuine love, this is also a serious and substantial account of the political machinations of the Roman imperial court in the first half of the first century ad, from a very considerable scholar. It left me longing for the surely-inevitable Netflix series. * Andrew Roberts *
a credible new narrative of Messalina's life... an impressive feat'... '[a] scholarly and engaging account * Literary Review *
This book is a lesson in ancient Rome, but more interesting is what is says about misogyny, patriarchy, and how women get written in or out of history. * New Statesman *
Erudite and entertaining * The Sunday Times *
Guides us deftly through the warren of high politics and the famously confusing Julio-Claudian family tree * The Telegraph *
Engrossing, thought-provoking... a wide-ranging and powerful work * All About History *
Book Information
ISBN 9781801102599
Author Honor Cargill-Martin
Format Hardback
Page Count 432
Imprint Apollo
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing PLC