Which, considering the history of imperial women, means she got off pretty lightly.
50. Helena
There are many interesting women of the later Roman Empire, but if you’re only going to choose one, an obvious candidate springs to mind.
After the death of Alexander, Rome fell into a time of chaos brought about by very short imperial reigns, assassination, political plotting and civil strife. No Emperor after the Severans managed to found a stable dynasty, which meant that the role of women was quite limited in the public political sphere.
Helena was the daughter of a tavern-keeper, which in social terms put her somewhere between freedwomen and prostitutes. As a teenager, she fell in love far ‘above her station’, with an ambitious young soldier called Constantius Chlorus, and she lived with him as a common law wife though legal marriage was impossible because of the gulf in status between them both.
Twenty years later, the Emperor Diocletian, in the hopes of restoring stability to the troubled Roman Empire, divided the Empire into two halves, East and West, and gave the Western portion of the Empire to Maximianus Herculius. Each Emperor chose his heir, and the man that Maximianus picked was Helena’s lover Constantius.
Constantius promptly dumped Helena for a woman more suitable to be the wife of a Caesar. He had six children with his new aristocratic wife, but nevertheless ensured that his son by Helena (Constantine) was educated in a suitably imperial manner. Just in case.
A little more than a decade after Constantius became a Caesar, Diocletian and Maximianus both abdicated, letting their Caesars step up to take power. Constantius died while on campaign in Britain with his son, and young Constantine persuaded the troops to name him Emperor.
After securing his position by marrying Maximianus’ daughter Fausta, Constantine brought his mother to court. Helena, who had been considered too lowly to be an Emperor’s wife, now shone in public as the new Emperor’s mother.
It is unclear whether it was Helena who discovered Christianity and influenced her son in that regard, or vice versa, but it is certainly true that she embraced the religion wholeheartedly, and supported Constantine in his campaign to make Rome a Christian Empire. In doing this, she further established herself as an integral member of the imperial household. Both she and her daughter-in-law Fausta were awarded the title Augusta.
In the midst of Constantine and Helena’s work to bring Christianity to the Empire, Constantine suddenly (the reason is not recorded in history, though there are some salacious rumours) ordered the execution of his wife Fausta and his son from a previous marriage, Crispus. Around the same time (possibly because of this violent episode), Helena began a tour of holy sites in Palestine, on a journey now considered to be the inspirational model for the classic Christian pilgrimage.
Helena’s pilgrimage was the stuff of legend—she performed acts of charity, founded churches, and collected holy relics by the bucketload. In doing so, she performed the dual purpose of publicising her son Constantine as a pious Christian, and publicising her religion to those Romans who saw Helena as a figure of influence.
Good PR, religious brownie points, and the ability to multi-task: all useful requirements for holding an Empire together.
Stories are divided as to how Helena died; whether she had returned home or was still abroad doing her good works. But she certainly lived into her eighties, and was buried with high ceremony in Rome.
Helena’s lifetime saw many changes in Rome, only one of which was the religious landscape of the Empire. Her biography shows many parallels with the powerful imperial women of the early Empire, but also formed a model for the Mighty Byzantine Empresses who would follow her.
SO, WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED HERE ABOUT ANCIENT ROMAN LADIES?
While wives and mistresses often had an integral role in the politics and public image of the Roman men who ‘made history’, it was usually as mothers that women exerted greater influence.
Accusations of sexual transgression were the best way to destroy a woman’s reputation, during her lifetime as well as posthumously, but ambition was always seen as the greatest female vice.
The women that are remembered and recorded by history are those connected to men who were perceived as important. The women who could most easily be described as the ultimate extreme of Good or Bad femininity were usually those who had the most written about them.
We have so few words of Roman women preserved in our histories, because for the millennia that followed, no one thought they were worth saving. But oh, what stories those women could have told us…
Image Attributions
Julia Domna – The Metropolitan Museum of Art
http://www.metmuseum.org/collection/the-collection-online/search/246886?rpp=30&pg=1&ft=Julia+Domna+&pos=2
Orbiana – Flickr user Portable Antiquities Scheme, licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0
https://www.flickr.com/photos/finds/1194945226/in/photolist-2PApzU-4VNBmn-bm8aAF
Plotina – Flickr user Carole Raddato, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
https://www.flickr.com/photos/carolemage/12453374733/in/photolist-H1DL-7DhTQw-4aMF7v-SXTa-dTGbq2-H37p-bEj3Qz-fpU4Rt-SXL2-5U5reZ-frGp6C-froFgk-frCuVh-frGsoQ-eKPnv1-eKPntm-eKPn3C-jYsNrt-fq8YrN-nvEALH-nPW5RZ-nL71Vu-brc4bb-9KqRDu/
Marciana – Flickr user Portable Antiquities Scheme, licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0
https://www.flickr.com/photos/finds/1194047211/in/photolist-5G9UnQ-5G9UrU-nPW5RZ-nL71Vu-cE6Uus-fF7TM5-2PvNCT-8NTE3C-2KTK8L-5G9Uqo-arW6nw-5G9Uph-nvEALH
Matidia – Flickr user Carole Raddato, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
https://www.flickr.com/photos/carolemage/9441612439/in/photolist-5EpNsU-5M1cbL-hu4S1K-ayHNXn-8qLZqD-676kBM-ayHNLz-ayLtUj-ayHNEB-4nsgov-4PBkc7-4PBi3U-kLjk3k-nPW5RZ-nL71Vu-47FS47-fojJrn-47BN1g-fqEsbs-fpZpYo-nvEALH
Portrait of a Flavian lady – Flickr user Momo, licensed under CC BY 2.0
https://www.flickr.com/photos/kudumomo/5886528565/in/photolist-6qo8Xo-PZe5J-cpNrH3-PZLNR-29Xxte-2a2UWS-6d9Ma-2wsoSb-3efYXk-RunCh-djfMTP-j9Lmu-GmtTw-N546A-4qydWM-9YaZRP-2TuMFR-PZebq-d5jsno-jeSoxQ-65gKdV-N3aaL-djv1Pq-4qfnC2-5JczoU-N2zQf-H1Dr-4qChZq-8WqVi8-7jd7Mt-nn3UXo-jeMZdR-6DWdHE-jghPcJ-4CykSf-6MgR8c-4qybzM-2JhKu3-7n1Hi1-7K1DSM-2D3pmb-2HihnS-8WqSJp-a9psiM-o6K2Ha-jvfVHb-GmysR-4izNMN-a9sfd5-4ivF86
Claudia Octavia – Flickr user Ian Scott, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
https://www.flickr.com/photos/ian-w-scott/4886803468/in/photolist-cQwF9u-94kxig-kMX1Tf-7HEqaL-cQwEXY-8rQ9qd-59k2Cu-59k2Gh-eRYjsP-7DMDkm-7DNpvL
Agrippina Major – Flickr user Evil Berry, licensed under CC BY 2.0
https://www.flickr.com/photos/16099840@N05/2361958338/in/photolist-4AHDVC-KnYne-fxgSyy-8UFWi5-fx2zmK-GTzKM-8XTYCb-548NSN-544yE4-8XTZc3-8XQSka-51tiVV-5NSseZ-94kx6X-bD5tmf-SXUp-4AHE3y-GmDHj-bD5tsf-fxgSW7-fxgSQL-fx2zDk-fPVE3S-fPD7UP-GmDJq-c16pSL-FBLgf-9y8tvR-cQwECu-bD5sVN-6MnPvW-bD5tBY-bD5tdo-cQwEMW-dVxGef-dwqJsr-8ChbhE-2iDFnD-2iDFqt-4HhKsG-bEiLaR-jeyEGs-2Cjhb5-6ufnis-6ubcqc-6rdvsS-8onepN-5n2xPP-6rhx2w-4Yu3Sa
Agrippina Minor – Flickr user Evil Berry, licensed under CC BY 2.0
https://www.flickr.com/photos/16099840@N05/2559851257/in/photolist-4UcUAv-bcsUbx-asjR4G-bcsUFK-8XTXs7-5NSsi6-8XTY65-Xe6Dj-dAwwwf-5feDiX-8XTVdy-aDq7sC-5fdFXX-4AHDVC-KnYne-fxgSyy-8UFWi5-fx2zmK-GTzKM-8XTYCb-548NSN-544yE4-8XTZc3-8XQSka-51tiVV-5NSseZ-94kx6X-bD5tmf-SXUp-4AHE3y-GmDHj-bD5tsf-fxgSW7-fxgSQL-fx2zDk-fPVE3S-fPD7UP-GmDJq-c16pSL-FBLgf-9y8tvR-cQwECu-bD5sVN-6MnPvW-bD5tBY-bD5tdo-cQwEMW-dVxGef-dwqJsr-8ChbhE
Messalina & Britannicus – Flickr user ἀλέξ, licensed under CC BY NC SA 2.0
https://www.flickr.com/photos/23378237@N08/3366257000/in/photolist-68sWVN-4CPZaE-7mbhVd-8sqWbG-87hVXt-8snTbn-4njexp-6ca5rY-4EH4ua-cPthzo-kMX1Tf-8rQ9qd-59k2Cu-59k2Gh-bbRg58-eb2xmb-4ZiQ2x-8kvPeB-4ZiNgn-4ZiNCK-4Zo3om-9zqQNy-bwAsNo-87ijb4-naE2Ms-7vL76g-eLGnX3-nrSh7U-4CPZcQ
Antonia Minor – Flickr user Evil Berry, licensed under CC BY 2.0
https://www.flickr.com/photos/16099840@N05/2560581508/in/photolist-4UgDF3-4GyCSA-94oB2E-4VW4W3-kMX1Tf-92qLJ8-92tS4u-kLdwFz-4vexWa-dauAPM-dauyWF-dVia7E-gjXT-57d8sZ-iqbnQt-GZRD-c16uBJ-7eNWwc-H2FW-6b6ku9-j4akqC-dCbks3-c
17Ajw-c17EoG-j4cemG-dC5TWK-dC5TZ2-dC5U4x-dCbjH5-dC5U9F-dCbkzJ-dC5Ucc-dC5U7a-dCbjMW-dC5TT4-dCbk6b-dCbkcU-dCbkfq-dC5Ujp-dC5Uhc-dCbkhA-dC5UtK-dCbkq1-dCbkmY-dC5UEp-j2ZvZQ-ebziFc-2edsEJ-2e8ViZ-aB5Gjz
Livia Drusilla – Flickr user Luis García, licensed under CC BY 2.0
https://www.flickr.com/photos/zaqarbal/2393767557/in/photolist-GmQwc-4DwFGr-GmQwZ-bNheUg-cHryiN-cKStFY-c16yyy-dNrkMC-8mfDRb-cHrxx5-cHrC3h-cHrsvJ-8EPRiH-cHryKW-cHrwqq-cHrAso-cHrtoo-cHrvVd-cHrzgG-cHrA9s-3jVQch-e2j3KZ-kJgufZ-8tfLLz-bNhDHF-cHrwJq-cHrCro-cHrDa5-cHrBFf-cHrzwC-cHruAQ-cHrrbf-cHrxSL-cHrBdh-cHrzQA-cHrDyd-cHrDYd-cHrv3J-cHrtMs-cHrALY-cHrATS-cHrsTy-a9sfK3-a9psEP-8EPR8t-8EPR2n-cHrrts-cHru6h-cHrvuy-cHrrV5
Tarquin and Lucretia – Met Museum Collection Online
http://www.metmuseum.org/collection/the-collection-online/search/396204
About Tansy Rayner Roberts…
I’ve had a deep love, obsession and occasional shouting match with the history of Ancient Rome for most of my life. It started with Colleen McCullough’s Master of Rome series of historical novels, was fuelled by a great Ancient Civs teacher at college, and ended up with a Classics PhD because I always take things a little too far.
Roman history has leaked into most of my published novels, from the Mocklore Chronicles (Splashdance Silver, Liquid Gold and Ink Black Magic) to the Creature Court trilogy, in which the Roman festival calendar is chewed up and spat back out again by a bunch of magic-wielding shapechangers and flappers with swords.
My short story collection, Love and Romanpunk, is a fictional response to many of the ideas and historical soft spots that I express here in 50 Roman Women. It is mostly about Agrippina the Younger and werewolves, though it also manages to be about Mary Shelley, lamia, monster-hunters, eternal love and airships.
You can find my thoughts, my pop culture writing, and my gender-swapped Musketeer space opera web serial at my blog, tansyrr.com/
Find me on Twitter at @tansyrr
Find me on Tumblr at Tabitha Darling’s Bedroom Floor
Find me on Pinterest at http://www.pinterest.com/tansyrr/
Galactic Suburbia is a crunchy feminist podcast about science fiction reviews, publishing news and chat. Check out our episodes over here. I’m also a co-host on the all-female Doctor Who podcast: Verity!
Also from FableCroft Publishing…
Look out for our ebook-only collection and more FableCroft books at our website:
http://fablecroft.com.au/
Guardian by Jo Anderton
The Bone Chime Song and Other Stories by Joanne Anderton
The Mocklore Chronicles by Tansy Rayner Roberts
Splashdance Silver
Liquid Gold
Ink Black Magic
Isles of Glory trilogy by Glenda Larke
The Aware
Gilfeather
The Tainted
Worlds Next Door edited by Tehani Wessely
Australis Imaginarium edited by Tehani Wessely
After the Rain edited by Tehani Wessely
Epilogue edited by Tehani Wessely
One Small Step edited by Tehani Wessely
Focus 2012: highlights of Australian short fiction edited by Tehani Wessely
Canterbury 2100: Pilgrimages in a New World edited by Dirk Flinthart
Path of Night by Dirk Flinthart
“Sanction” by Dirk Flinthart
“Flower and Weed” by Margo Lanagan
To Spin a Darker Stair by Catherynne M Valente & Faith Mudge
Coming soon…
Insert Title Here… edited by Tehani Wessely
Phantazein edited by Tehani Wessely
Cranky Ladies of History
edited by Tansy Rayner Roberts & Tehani Wessely
50 Roman Mistresses Page 7
