Gregory Aldrete

Because the sources are all these male elites who have very definite ideas about women. The conventional notion has always been that business in the Roman Empire was a male field.

Because the sources are all these male elites who have very definite ideas about women. The conventional notion has always been that business in the Roman Empire was a male field.

Because the sources are all these male elites who have very definite ideas about women. The conventional notion has always been that business in the Roman Empire was a male field.

Well, but then there's this woman, Eumachia in Pompeii, who actually had the largest building in Pompeii right on the forum named after her with a giant statue over it, and she was a patron to a bunch of the most important guilds in Pompeii. Okay, she's the exception to the rule. Oh, but then there's these other four women we have from Pompeii. Pompeii, who also were patrons of guilds.

Well, but then there's this woman, Eumachia in Pompeii, who actually had the largest building in Pompeii right on the forum named after her with a giant statue over it, and she was a patron to a bunch of the most important guilds in Pompeii. Okay, she's the exception to the rule. Oh, but then there's these other four women we have from Pompeii. Pompeii, who also were patrons of guilds.

Well, but then there's this woman, Eumachia in Pompeii, who actually had the largest building in Pompeii right on the forum named after her with a giant statue over it, and she was a patron to a bunch of the most important guilds in Pompeii. Okay, she's the exception to the rule. Oh, but then there's these other four women we have from Pompeii. Pompeii, who also were patrons of guilds.

And then there's this woman, Plancia Magna, in this other place. And she was the most important patron in the town and put up all these statues. So at some point, when you start to say, well, maybe women did play more of a role, but they just haven't been recorded in the sources in the way that maybe they deserve to be.

And then there's this woman, Plancia Magna, in this other place. And she was the most important patron in the town and put up all these statues. So at some point, when you start to say, well, maybe women did play more of a role, but they just haven't been recorded in the sources in the way that maybe they deserve to be.

And then there's this woman, Plancia Magna, in this other place. And she was the most important patron in the town and put up all these statues. So at some point, when you start to say, well, maybe women did play more of a role, but they just haven't been recorded in the sources in the way that maybe they deserve to be.

And the bias of the historians who have written history up to this point. I was just writing a lecture, which was about this woman, Musa, who is a crazy story. And she ties into Augustus, actually. Augustus

And the bias of the historians who have written history up to this point. I was just writing a lecture, which was about this woman, Musa, who is a crazy story. And she ties into Augustus, actually. Augustus

And the bias of the historians who have written history up to this point. I was just writing a lecture, which was about this woman, Musa, who is a crazy story. And she ties into Augustus, actually. Augustus

His biggest diplomatic triumph that he boasted about constantly was that about 50 years before him, the Romans had sent an expedition into Parthia, this neighboring kingdom led by Crassus, and they'd gotten wiped out. So it was this big disaster, military disaster. And the standards of the Roman legions, the eagles that each Roman legion carried, had been captured by the Parthians.

His biggest diplomatic triumph that he boasted about constantly was that about 50 years before him, the Romans had sent an expedition into Parthia, this neighboring kingdom led by Crassus, and they'd gotten wiped out. So it was this big disaster, military disaster. And the standards of the Roman legions, the eagles that each Roman legion carried, had been captured by the Parthians.

His biggest diplomatic triumph that he boasted about constantly was that about 50 years before him, the Romans had sent an expedition into Parthia, this neighboring kingdom led by Crassus, and they'd gotten wiped out. So it was this big disaster, military disaster. And the standards of the Roman legions, the eagles that each Roman legion carried, had been captured by the Parthians.

And this is the most humiliating thing that can happen to a Roman legion, to have its eagles captured. And Augustus desperately wanted to negotiate with the Parthians to get these eagles returned. Okay, this was his big diplomatic thing. So he was constantly sending these embassies to Parthia. On one of these embassies, he sent along as a gift to the Parthian king a slave woman named Musa.

And this is the most humiliating thing that can happen to a Roman legion, to have its eagles captured. And Augustus desperately wanted to negotiate with the Parthians to get these eagles returned. Okay, this was his big diplomatic thing. So he was constantly sending these embassies to Parthia. On one of these embassies, he sent along as a gift to the Parthian king a slave woman named Musa.

And this is the most humiliating thing that can happen to a Roman legion, to have its eagles captured. And Augustus desperately wanted to negotiate with the Parthians to get these eagles returned. Okay, this was his big diplomatic thing. So he was constantly sending these embassies to Parthia. On one of these embassies, he sent along as a gift to the Parthian king a slave woman named Musa.

Musa seems to have pleased the king of Parthia because she becomes one of his concubines. And then she gives birth to a son by the king, and eventually she becomes upgraded to the level of a wife. And Musa eventually murders the Parthian king. arranges it so that her son becomes the king of Parthia, and she's really ruling the whole empire behind the scenes as his mother.

Musa seems to have pleased the king of Parthia because she becomes one of his concubines. And then she gives birth to a son by the king, and eventually she becomes upgraded to the level of a wife. And Musa eventually murders the Parthian king. arranges it so that her son becomes the king of Parthia, and she's really ruling the whole empire behind the scenes as his mother.