Servilia: The Woman Caught Between Caesar and the Assassin’s Son
I have been learning about the final years of the Roman Republic, and I wanted to find out just a little about Servilia.
She was born into a distinguished Roman family in around 100 BC, a time when status was everything. Her father was a consul, and she would have been raised to understand how important reputation was. She would have also had political awareness.
Servilia’s father, Quintus Servilius Caepio, fell from influence after defeat at the Battle of Arausio in 105 BC, and this must have made her more aware than most of the dangers that surrounded politics. She would have learned to be careful. She did go on to marry into another important family, which would have elevated her position in Roman society but like many Roman women, her marriage was more about creating an alliance than it was about her choice.
She went on to have Marcus Junius Brutus, someone who many of you would have heard of. He went on to become a very famous figure in Roman history. As his mother, she would have influenced his character. It is often said that Roman mothers were more influential than they were given credit for, they would have had a strong influence over their children, including their sons. In Servilia’s case, that influence was very strong.
Servilia also became close to some of the most powerful men in Rome. It is widely believed that she had a long relationship with Julius Caesar. This relationship would have made her acutely aware of the tensions.
Her son, Brutus, became involved in a conspiracy against Caesar. On the one side was a man that she had been close to, and on the other was her son. Was she scared of what was coming? Do you think she tried to influence events? Or do you think she just watched as everything unfolded?
After the assassination of Caesar on the 15th of March 44 BC, the world she had knew had begun to collapse. The Republic was thrown into complete chaos, and Brutus would eventually meet his end.
Her life shows us that even without power, women like Servilia were influential into the world of politics. Their influence was often unseen, but most definately present. They stood at the centre of the family and the decisions that shaped history itself.
Do you think Servilia had more influence than history gives her credit for, or were women still powerless in a world controlled by men?
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| Author | : Emile Reiber |
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