Ruthless Facts about Livia Drusilla, The First Empress of Rome
Roman history is bursting with political strife, shocking scandals, and epic battles—and the life of the first Roman Empress Livia Drusilla is no exception.
Consumed by ambition, she followed a treacherous path to glory, crushing her loved ones along the way. Although her beauty won her favor with the emperor, the cunning empress' fine features hid a chilling dark side.
1. She Was Born Into Privilege
Livia Drusilla was born in 59 BC in Italy. Her father, Marcus Livius Drusus Claudianus, was part of both the Livii and the Claudii families, two influential and highly respected lineages. Livia would grow up immersed in the prestige and privilege of these influential families—but her easy life wouldn't last forever. With conflict looming on the horizon and fraught alliances, fate propelled Livia down a path she never could have imagined.
2. She Married Her Cousin
In approximately 43 BC, when Livia was only about 16, her life changed dramatically when her father arranged her first marriage. But her new husband wasn’t a stranger. Her cousin Tiberius Claudius Nero was the groom and also happened to be about 40 years old. Not exactly a teenager’s dream wedding. Soon, however, the motivations behind this union became startlingly clear—and they had nothing to do with love.
3. She Had A Turbulent Relationship
It didn’t matter to Livia’s father whether she loved her new husband; her father had his own reasons for marrying Livia to her cousin. As a member of the ruling class, Nero had political power, and the marriage would bring together and strengthen two influential family ancestries. It was a recipe for disaster. Before long, this two-year marriage found itself drowning in turmoil.
4. She Was Terrified
After Livia entered into this tumultuous union, she soon became pregnant with her first child. Sadly, horrors raged on behind the scenes. After the downfall of Julius Caesar, chaos erupted. Livia and her husband found themselves caught in the middle of an ever-growing conflict. Livia’s father and husband supported the slayers of Caesar, choosing to fight against the army of Marc Antony and Octavian.
But, the fight was about to become even more complicated and dangerous for Livia herself.
