Clodia of Rome Champion of the republic

This incisive account from historian Boin (Alaric the Goth) rehabilitates the reputation of Clodia Metelli, a high-born Roman woman slandered by Cicero, but who Boin contests was a stalwart defender of Rome's "most disadvantaged." Confident and well-educated, Clodia used her "proximity to power" to advocate for the downtrodden. When her husband, Metellus, became consul in 60 BCE, Clodia quarreled publicly with him over her championing of her populist younger brother, Clodius. After Metellus died suddenly a year into their marriage, Clodia used the wealth she inherited from him to propel Clodius into power; his electoral promises ranged from feeding the hungry to reinstating the right to assembly. Pro-establishment foes watched the siblings' rise with enmity, among them Cicero, who Boin recasts as a "bitter orator" with a "panicked sense of self-preservation." When Clodia was betrayed by her lover Rufus--in a maelstrom of political intrigue, he was charged with a diplomat's murder and an intent to kill Clodia herself--Cicero represented Rufus at trial. He turned the proceedings into a referendum on Clodia, inciting the jury's hatred of outspoken women, laying out sordid sexual accusations, and insinuating she murdered her husband. A humiliated Clodia left Rome for exile, but she is resurrected here with elegant literary flair by Boin. It's an astute feminist reframing of an ancient scandal. (Aug.)

The travails of an elite Roman. Classicist Boin depicts the final years of the Roman Republic by tracing the life and fortunes of Clodia (c. 95-44 BC), a prominent aristocrat from a politically progressive family, whose reputation was maligned during an infamous court trial. Daughter, granddaughter, and great-granddaughter of reform-minded statesmen, she was married to the wealthy--and "arch-conservative"--Metellus, whose frequent deployments left her in charge of household and financial affairs. Her position was enhanced as his political star rose: In 63 BC he was elected to a prestigious judgeship; in 60 BC he became a consul. When he died in 59 BC, his 36-year-old widow was left with a fortune. Although Roman law required that a widow remarry within 10 months of her husband's death, Clodia, who had been rebellious since youth, instead engaged in an affair with an ambitious 26-year-old, Marcus Caelius Rufus, and actively supported the reform policies of her brother, Clodius. Among the many Romans alarmed at Clodius' agenda was Marcus Tullius Cicero; their conflict, including charges of malfeasance, sent Cicero fleeing into exile. When he returned, he sought a chance to get revenge. That chance came in defending Rufus, accused of attempting to poison Clodia when their relationship soured. Renowned for his rhetorical prowess, Cicero cast blame on Clodia herself. Portraying opinionated women as scheming murderesses, he succeeded in getting Rufus acquitted. Besides casting aspersions on Clodia, the case led to a spate of misogynist laws, obliterating women's political gains and allowing men to maintain their firm grip on power. Boin traces volatile political intrigue and upheaval in Rome, Greece, and Egypt and also conveys quotidian realities of Roman life, including food, medicine, and women's cosmetics. A brisk, richly detailed narrative. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.