I had the pleasure of listening to Southon speak on this book shortly after I received it to review. I had read some of the chapter on Turia, as I was teaching her for the Classical Civilisation (CC) module on Women, and this is what she spoke on. Instantly, she had the audience gripped, laughing and shocked in equal parts at her detailed, amusing account of Turia’s amazing life, all told in an extremely down-to-earth manner, allowing the story to be accessible to all, irrespective of their level of Classical knowledge. The book was of particular interest to me, as it is on one of my favourite topics, and I was teaching the women module for the first time. However, while some of the 21 women covered are in the specification, her choice of women is quite unique in that there are many, particularly from the Empire and Late Antiquity, who most will not have encountered before, and her light-hearted tone helps engage the reader instantly. Tarpeia, Lucretia, the Sabine Women, Turia, Oppia, and Clodia are directly useful for the CC specification, but it would be worth encouraging all students to read the book and gain a sense of other remarkable women they can refer to in the exam. For those considering Classics at university, the book also provides a great overview and would be helpful for a Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) statement. You can also dip in and out and read a chapter at a time, as each is stand alone and focuses on a different woman.

Southon also explains the role these women play in the early history of Rome and the fact that, with the exception of Lucretia, the inclusion of them is always optional, and when they are included, one must consider why and what meaning they hold, for example, the Sabine women being used to explain the origins of marriage. She is careful to consider all versions of the women’s stories and their impact on history. Quoting Laurel Thatcher Ulrich’s statement ‘well behaved women seldom make history’, she explains that Roman women had to get themselves into a huge amount of trouble, either politically or personally, to be remembered.

Southon has a clear, humorous style of writing, which is often colloquial and adds in extra explanation for those new to the subject and sufficient detail for those familiar with the stories to still glean some more information about these women. There are many laugh-out-loud moments within her descriptions or comments about certain historical figures needing therapy, and this makes the book very easy to read. She makes the stories that much more accessible by likening them to the real world – Tanaquil and Lucumo become a young couple, drawn to Rome as the place of opportunity, much like the American Dream, and Southon likens this to a Broadway show documenting their lives. This little-known Lucumo ended up changing his name to Tarquinius and becoming a ruler of Rome itself. The story then becomes slightly graphic in nature when explaining how their slave girl, Ocrisia, became pregnant, so it would probably be best to restrict the reading of this book to Years 10 and above! Southon retells some of Rome’s most famous stories in the manner of a scandalous, gossip magazine with authorial inserts about the men’s behaviours and the odd swear word!

Information on Roman politics, history, and religion are interspersed to help the reader understand the life and context of each woman. The cult of Vesta and Vestal Virgins are described in great detail, and primary sources, such as Livy and Tacitus, are used to explain the evidence for each story. She also compares the accounts of different historians (Dio and Tacitus, for example) and contemporaries such as Cicero and Catullus, making the text appeal to those more experienced with the topics. This book is highly recommended to all students of Classics (again age dependent) and those with an interest in the Ancient World; the selection of women makes it a good starting point for those new to women of the Ancient World but also offers unique stories for those more familiar with the period.