CLODIA OF ROME

a thrilling new history of the late Roman Republic, told through one woman's quest for justice.

A pioneering political voice, with charisma and power that rivaled many of her male contemporaries, Clodia of Rome was a pivotal figure in the late Roman Republic until a murder trial, rife with corruption, catalyzed her fall from grace. Taking readers inside the courtroom to follow the trial and Clodia's family's tumultuous political history, Douglas Boin brings a modern perspective to a long-buried story, full of juicy details and fascinating anecdotes. With countless examples of the surprising roles that Roman women played, followed by the attempts of powerful men to erase their stories, Boin challenges the male-dominated narrative of classical antiquity. Clodia of Rome offers a new understanding of the radical modernity of first-century Rome?one that mirrors our own in its volatile conflicts between forces of change and those of reaction. Douglas Boin is professor of history at Saint Louis University and author of Alaric the Goth. His essays have appeared in Time, the New York Times, and the Washington Post. He lives in Austin, Texas, with his husband.