Women in roman politics under the eyes of Livy: Tanaquil and Tullia as opposite archetypes (1st century B.C.)

Abstract

This research analyzes the construction of the characters Tanaquil and Tullia, present in the first book of the work "Ab Urbe Condita", by Titus Livius (1st century BC), as representations of the author's vision of the female presence in Roman politics. Inserted in the context of transition between the end of the Republic and the beginning of the Empire, Livius elaborated his narrative in the midst of profound political and social transformations. The analysis will be conducted based on gender studies, with emphasis on the contributions of Judith Butler, and the theory of representation, based on Roger Chartier. By contrasting Tanaquil and Tullia, Titus Livius constructed antagonistic models of female presence in politics: one that is legitimate and functional to the maintenance of order, and another that represents deviation and a threat to stability.