288:
253:, and alluded to the persistent rumors of an incestuous relationship with Clodius. Cicero stated that he "would still more vigorously, if I had not a quarrel with that woman's husband—brother, I meant to say; I am always making this mistake. At present I will proceed with moderation ... for I have never thought it my duty to engage in quarrels with any woman, especially with one whom all men have always considered everybody's friend rather than anyone's enemy." He declared her a disgrace to her family and nicknamed Clodia the
174:. This was an established, aristocratic family whose history stretched back into the legends of Ancient Rome and who were active in the political construct of the city serving as consuls and senators onwards from the third century BC. She was born circa 97 BC, a daughter of Appius Claudius Pulcher, but her mother is unknown. Many historians believe she was a Caecilia Metella, possibly
38:
239:, Catullus's friend. This particular affair caused an immense scandal. After the relationship with Caelius was over in 56 BC, Clodia publicly accused him of attempted poisoning. The accusation led to a murder charge and trial. Caelius' defense advocate was Cicero, who took a harsh approach against her, recorded in his speech
353:
is present in close proximity. Accusations of incest (as here) against the brother and sister also appear in Cicero. Reading
Publius Clodius Pulcher for "Lesbius" makes one element of the poem a pun on his name and another a reminder of one of the political attacks Cicero aimed at P. Clodius Pulcher.
227:. The marriage was not happy. Clodia had several affairs with married men (probably including the poet Catullus) and slaves. Arguments with Metellus Celer were constant, often in public. When he died in strange circumstances in 59 BC, Clodia was suspected of poisoning him.
206:
respectively. It is not certain whether Clodia was the eldest or a middle daughter, it is only known that she was not the youngest sister. Along with her brother
Clodius, she changed her patrician name from Claudia to Clodia, with a
279:
In 45 BC, Cicero hoped to buy a property owned by Clodia. Marilyn
Skinner argues that the two must have reconciled following the trial of Caelius. Nothing more is known of her life past this point.
1044:
191:
1539:(Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1995), 154. Other affinities exist, though, and major reference works on the classical world admit the identification. cf. Hornblower, Simon, ed.
245:. Cicero had a personal interest in the case, as Clodia's brother Clodius was Cicero's most bitter political enemy. Cicero accused Clodia of being a seducer and a drunkard in
320:
value was frequent in Latin poetry of that era. In modern times, the resulting identification of Lesbia with Clodia
Metelli, based largely on her portrayal by
1499:
1338:
1268:, additional names being used when necessary to distinguish between the three. Clodia affected the "plebeian" spelling of her name, which her brother,
446:
442:
and suggests that Clodia's scandalous lifestyle is inspired by anger at the perceived hypocrisy of her upbringing and by being abused as a child.
1426:
224:
1459:
220:
1570:
857:
510:
1472:
1031:
826:
187:
131:
815:
349:. This is the only one of Catullus' poems in which a character named "Lesbius", the masculine form of the name, appears and
179:
1652:
1396:
1022:
199:
1436:
1485:
1059:
81:
1657:
435:
44:
1595:
1288:
was never part of her name; Roman women did not change their names or acquire new surnames when they married.
271:
suffered from
Terentia's persistent suspicions that Cicero was conducting an illicit affair with Clodia.
1460:
https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Cic.+Cael.+13.32&fromdoc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.02.0020
1264:
As daughters of Appius
Claudius Pulcher, Clodia and her sisters would normally have been referred to as
327:
The predominant view, however, identifies Clodia with Lesbia primarily on the basis of
Catullus 79.1-2:
1218:
175:
468:
1662:
1272:, had assumed after arranging for his adoption into a plebeian family, so that he could be elected
413:, where Cicero shames her into obscurity as retribution for her actions against his wife, Terentia.
400:
128:
20:
1269:
1068:
409:
346:
287:
195:
154:
1526:(London: Duckworth, 2001), 133–156 (chapter 9, "The Allure of 'La Dolce Vita' in Ancient Rome").
345:", the Latin word for "beautiful" (see line 1 above), is also the cognomen of Clodia's brother,
1647:
1431:. Studies in the History of Greece and Rome (reworked ed.). UNC Press Books. p. 249.
1388:
1245:
421:
150:
149:. Her life, which was characterized by perpetual scandal, is immortalized in the writings of
1473:
https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.02.0020:text=Cael.:chapter=8
1380:
1284:, meaning "Clodia (the wife) of Metellus"; but this style is potentially misleading, since
1273:
1188:
236:
8:
383:
1578:
1622:
1504:
1363:
1343:
1432:
1392:
1381:
679:
464:
459:
427:
316:
10) as a "Clodia". This practice of replacing actual names with ones of identical
1667:
1486:
http://data.perseus.org/citations/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0007.tlg055.perseus-eng1:29
431:
391:
342:
317:
138:
1415:, The Classical Quarterly, New Series, Vol. 21, No. 1 (May, 1971), pp. 180-182
1641:
1519:
479:
370:
365:
258:
183:
235:
As a widow, Clodia became known for taking several other lovers, including
171:
137:
Like many other women of the Roman elite, Clodia was very well-educated in
125:
1560:
30-8, e.g., though elsewhere in the speech itself, as well as the corpus.
378:
1367:
1602:
302:
wrote several love poems about a frequently unfaithful woman he called
241:
142:
1508:
1347:
324:, is usually treated as accepted fact, despite occasional challenges.
198:(tribune of the plebs in 58 BC); and two sisters, who were married to
416:
Clodia is a central character in the novel Clodia by Robert DeMaria.
1222:
1081:
439:
309:
299:
268:
264:
203:
1543:(Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1996), 350; Cancik, Hubert, ed.
1484:
Plutarch, Lives, Cicero, 29.2 translation
Bernadotte Perrin |url=
1332:
1330:
37:
404:
350:
321:
304:
146:
124:("Metellus's Clodia"), was one of three known daughters of the
1327:
1324:
Wiseman, T. P.: "Catullus and His World: A Reappraisal".(1987)
335:
But let this beautiful man sell
Catullus along with his tribe
254:
250:
208:
170:
Clodia
Metelli was born into the ancient Roman family of the
463:
identifies Clodia as the primary basis for the character of
369:
series of historical mystery novels by the American author
246:
70:
58:
454:
450:
376:
Clodia plays a significant role in several books of the
308:, identified in the mid-second century AD by the writer
331:
Lesbius is beautiful. Why not? And Lesbia prefers him
1500:
Transactions of the American Philological Association
1339:
Transactions of the American Philological Association
112:, in sarcastic reference to her alleged wantonness),
1471:
Cicero, Pro Cael. 8.19 translation C.D. Yonge |url=
1458:Cicero Pro Cael. 13,32 translation C.D. Yonge|url=
1276:. Nearly all scholarship refers to her simply as
438:. The author describes Clodia's relationship with
407:. She makes a final appearance in the third book,
389:Clodia also plays a significant role in the novel
120:), and occasionally referred to in scholarship as
1320:
1318:
403:, the second book in a trilogy about the life of
223:, her first cousin, with whom she had a daughter
1639:
1596:English translations of Catullus' "Lesbia" poems
474:Clodia and Catullus are the main characters in
153:and, it is generally believed, in the poems of
1610:The Patrician Tribune. Publius Clodius Pulcher
1428:The Patrician Tribune: Publius Clodius Pulcher
1315:
337:if he finds three kisses from people he knows.
178:, or her cousin, Caecilia Metella daughter of
282:
104:, the price of a visit to the public baths),
1571:"HBO: Jonathan Stamp - Rome - Cast and Crew"
467:as little detail is known of the historical
1547:(Stuttgart: Metzler, 1996), s.v. "Clodia".
36:
1443:Clodius's mother, therefore, must remain
1405:
19:For other people with similar names, see
363:Clodia makes several appearances in the
286:
1378:
1640:
1497:Marilyn B. Skinner, "Clodia Metelli",
1336:Marilyn B. Skinner, "Clodia Metelli",
1280:. Occasionally she is referred to as
357:
333:to you and your whole tribe, Catullus.
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267:claims that Cicero's own marriage to
116:("Medea of the Palatine") by Cicero (
1627:Clodia Metelli: The Tribune's Sister
1418:
180:Lucius Caecilius Metellus Diadematus
145:, with a special talent for writing
1383:Julius Caesar: The Colossus of Rome
434:covering the events leading to the
182:. Another theory is that she was a
13:
1629:(Women in Antiquity), Oxford 2011.
1589:
117:
14:
1679:
1633:
1488:|website=Perseus Digital Library
1475:|website=Perseus Digital Library
1462:|website=Perseus Digital Library
261:. Caelius was found not guilty.
230:
221:Quintus Caecilius Metellus Celer
108:("The Unwilling", from the verb
82:Quintus Caecilius Metellus Celer
1563:
1550:
1541:The Oxford Classical Dictionary
1529:
1513:
1491:
1478:
1465:
1452:
1372:
1362:, 38 (2) (1969), pp. 501-506,
1352:
1302:
1258:
486:
436:assassination of Julius Caesar
45:Promptuarii Iconum Insigniorum
1:
1295:
274:
186:. Clodia had three brothers:
165:
96:, c. 95 or 94 BC), nicknamed
1379:Billows, Richard A. (2009).
160:
7:
1600:Cicero's defence speeches:
1358:H. D. Rankin, 'Clodia II',
1239:
419:Clodia plays a role in the
214:
10:
1684:
1653:1st-century BC Roman women
294:by Sir Edward John Poynter
283:Identification with Lesbia
176:Caecilia Metella Balearica
18:
1503:113 (1983), pp. 283–285,
1342:113 (1983), pp. 273–287,
1165:
1163:
1161:
1143:
1141:
1121:
1117:
1111:
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972:
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968:
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784:
772:
770:
746:
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736:
734:
722:
720:
718:
708:born 160s, married c. 143
701:
659:
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649:
637:
635:
633:
627:
625:
623:
617:
615:
613:
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599:
597:
595:
593:
591:
589:
587:
585:
583:
581:
563:
561:
549:
543:
541:
535:
522:
520:
518:
507:
505:
503:
77:
65:
52:
35:
28:
1251:
194:(praetor in 56 BC), and
1425:Tatum, Jeffrey (2014).
1310:Quaestiones Catullianae
1270:Publius Clodius Pulcher
347:Publius Clodius Pulcher
196:Publius Clodius Pulcher
188:Appius Claudius Pulcher
155:Gaius Valerius Catullus
132:Appius Claudius Pulcher
1537:The Student's Catullus
1387:. Routledge. pp.
445:Historical Consultant
339:
295:
292:Lesbia and her Sparrow
219:Clodia was married to
192:Gaius Claudius Pulcher
1658:1st-century BC Romans
1360:L'Antiquité Classique
1246:Women in ancient Rome
329:
290:
151:Marcus Tullius Cicero
1274:tribune of the plebs
511:Ap. Claudius Pulcher
237:Marcus Caelius Rufus
1612:, Chapel Hill 1999.
1524:Reading Roman Women
1312:(Gissae, 1862), 59.
514:cos. 143, cens. 136
384:John Maddox Roberts
358:Cultural depictions
200:Quintus Marcius Rex
190:(consul in 54 BC),
1623:Marilyn B. Skinner
1535:Garrison, Daniel.
1069:P. Clodius Pulcher
1060:Q. Metelli Celeris
706:mint IIIvir c. 129
476:Counting the Stars
296:
1617:Il tribuno Clodio
1308:Schwabe, Ludwig.
1234:
1233:
465:Atia of the Julii
184:Servilia Caepione
100:("Quarter", from
87:
86:
1675:
1619:, Roma-Bari 2008
1583:
1582:
1577:. Archived from
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1561:
1554:
1548:
1533:
1527:
1517:
1511:
1495:
1489:
1482:
1476:
1469:
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1456:
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1449:
1422:
1416:
1409:
1403:
1402:
1386:
1376:
1370:
1356:
1350:
1334:
1325:
1322:
1313:
1306:
1289:
1262:
491:
490:
428:epistolary novel
225:Caecilia Metella
42:Clodia from the
40:
26:
25:
16:Roman aristocrat
1683:
1682:
1678:
1677:
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1663:Claudii Pulchri
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1439:
1423:
1419:
1413:Celer and Nepos
1411:T. P. Wiseman,
1410:
1406:
1399:
1377:
1373:
1357:
1353:
1335:
1328:
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1307:
1303:
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1263:
1259:
1254:
1242:
1236:
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1221:
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1196:
1187:
1185:
1084:
1080:
1073:
1071:
1062:
1058:
1049:
1047:
1038:
1037:cos. 54, augur,
1036:
1034:
1025:
1021:
1014:
1012:
1010:
870:(c. 143–c. 105)
869:
862:
860:
831:
829:
820:
818:
707:
705:
698:
696:
689:
682:
678:
676:
669:
667:
528:
526:
515:
513:
500:
498:
489:
432:Thornton Wilder
360:
336:
334:
332:
285:
277:
233:
217:
168:
163:
73:
61:
57:c. 95 or 94 BC
48:
31:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
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1660:
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1634:External links
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1606:
1598:
1591:
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1581:on 2005-11-05.
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1545:Der Neue Pauly
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501:married c. 138
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1026:(born c. 98)
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1015:(born 100–99)
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480:Helen Dunmore
478:, a novel by
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422:Ides of March
418:
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401:Robert Harris
398:
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380:
375:
372:
371:Steven Saylor
368:
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366:Roma Sub Rosa
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231:Controversies
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211:connotation.
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126:ancient Roman
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102:quadrantarius
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55:
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39:
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1609:
1608:W.J. Tatum,
1601:
1579:the original
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1391:, 202, 203.
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1285:
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1277:
1265:
1260:
1235:
1199:
1085:(born 92/90)
1055:
868:Q. Philippus
858:L. Philippus
837:
704:Q. Philippus
699:born c. 157
683:born c. 161
670:born c. 163
525:(1) Antistia
516:(c. 186–130)
494:
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458:
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396:
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98:Quadrantaria
97:
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89:
88:
43:
1575:www.hbo.com
1223:C. Caesaris
1048:(96–c. 30s)
1032:Ap. Pulcher
830:(c. 130–76)
827:Ap. Pulcher
819:(c. 136–92)
688:Ap. Pulcher
487:Family tree
379:SPQR series
1642:Categories
1615:L. Fezzi,
1603:Pro Caelio
1296:References
1082:L. Luculli
1072:tr. pl. 58
1045:C. Pulcher
816:C. Pulcher
499:(Fonteia?)
397:Conspirata
275:Later life
242:Pro Caelio
166:Early life
143:philosophy
527:(Vetorum)
298:The poet
161:Biography
129:patrician
118:see below
1368:41648748
1240:See also
1195:Claudia
1189:M. Bruti
1184:Claudia
1039:cens. 50
1023:Q. Regis
1011:maior et
1009:Claudiae
440:Catullus
410:Dictator
318:metrical
314:Apologia
310:Apuleius
300:Catullus
269:Terentia
265:Plutarch
259:Palatine
215:Marriage
209:plebeian
204:Lucullus
1286:Metelli
1266:Claudia
1219:Claudia
1074:(93–53)
1035:(97–49)
863:cos. 91
832:cos. 79
821:cos. 92
695:Claudia
680:Gracchi
675:Claudia
666:Claudia
457:series
449:of the
392:Lustrum
343:Pulcher
257:of the
249:and in
172:Claudii
94:Claudia
21:Claudia
1668:Clodii
1509:284015
1507:
1445:ignota
1435:
1395:
1366:
1348:284015
1346:
1278:Clodia
1200:ignoti
1050:pr. 56
838:Ignota
697:Tertia
668:Vestal
495:ignota
405:Cicero
351:Lesbia
322:Cicero
305:Lesbia
147:poetry
92:(born
90:Clodia
78:Spouse
30:Clodia
1558:Cael.
1556:Cic.
1505:JSTOR
1364:JSTOR
1344:JSTOR
1252:Notes
1197:minor
1186:maior
1013:minor
677:minor
255:Medea
251:Baiae
139:Greek
1433:ISBN
1393:ISBN
469:Atia
460:Rome
247:Rome
202:and
141:and
110:nolo
106:Nola
71:Rome
66:Died
59:Rome
53:Born
1389:178
497:(2)
455:BBC
451:HBO
430:by
426:an
382:by
1644::
1625:,
1573:.
1522:,
1441:.
1329:^
1317:^
157:.
134:.
1447:.
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852:x
482:.
471:.
453:/
424:,
395:(
386:.
373:.
341:"
312:(
23:.
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