Verkannte Weiblichkeit? – Fulvia in der Erfüllung sozialer Rollen einer matrona Romana

Abstract

Fulvia held an outstanding position among the women of the
late Republic. Th is position was based partially on her family status and
partially on her successive marriages with three important politicians:
P. Clodius Pulcher, C. Scribonius Curio and M. Antonius. Even her
contemporaries accused her of having a negative character image,
stylizing her as a mannish woman. Only recently modern researchers
have begun to weaken this distorted picture. Yet, they continued to
completely ignore Fulvia as a female role model. A revaluation shows,
however, that Fulvia could indeed meet the ideal of a matrona Romana.
As fi lia familia she was able to produce a respectable family background,
considerable assets and an adequate education. Furthermore, since
she gave birth to fi ve children, raised and protected them, as well as
uncompromisingly supported her husbands, she was also considered
a respectable mater familias. Ultimately, her rigorous stance during
the Perusian War of 41/40 B.C. has to be valued as a demonstration
of unconditional pietas, even though by doing so she violated the
boundaries of traditional womanhood once and for all.