One thing to note: your description of Livia spinning is historically inaccurate. The spinning wheel was not invented for hundreds of years after Livia's lifetime, it was a medieval invention. She would have used a drop spindle

Except for Dio, other historians have described Livia as the model Roman wife, also caring very much for Claudius, by the way, other than she was depicted by Robert Graves. I also do not buy that she poisoned Augustus. And I named my daughter after her…

Jst finished reading, I Claudius. Livia features in it heavily.

I always think of Sian Phillips as Livia in "I, Claudius".

i used to hate my name, but now i love the fact i'm called livia lmao

Great intro already know about the collab channel. What would be hilarious what for Joe Buck to call one of these ngl that would be quite the scene!

Great video! as always

Man you should make videos about the mongol invasions

Augustus going out in style

I never forget Derek Jacob's performance in I, Claudius when he screams at Livia's memory in fury and horror "you wicked women, poison is queen!" when he realizes she killed them all. Probably not doing the historical Livia justice but damn, that was acted so well. The evil laughter of the actress that played her was truly terrifying. 😈

This is less about Livia, or the history of poison, than it is about Augustus' death and succession. As to Livia's suspected role in Augustus' death, I don't buy it. The most reliable source we have on the subject is Dio, writing at least a century later (don't have exact dates on the top of my head right now) and Roman "historians" were more focused on the moralistic or the scandalous than they were on the objective reporting even when they were eyewitnesses. Making a poison that would have had a reasonable chance of working after just a few figs would have required a pretty strong concentration of a substance which would have smelled and tasted noxious, and handling figs so treated would have left a telltale residue on Augustus' hands. Not to mention, treating a bunch of figs and then hoping Augustus - and nobody else, like herself - will eat them and not notice that they're not the same as unadulterated figs? Seems pretty random. It doesn't sound like the mind of a woman who had been the first Imperatrix, who navigated the intricacies of the new Imperial politics for herself and her son and kept him alive, who had been the ultimate trophy wife for decades in order to ensure her own son's rise to power... and then to "suddenly" fear that Augustus, a pretty rational actor, would for some reason prefer his untrained, estranged grandson over the adopted son he'd been grooming for the position for years? No, this theory does not hold water. I think Livia's name has been unfairly slandered for over a thousand years with this. She was not the only woman who held power in her own right to have been treated so by her enemies (Empress Wu, Empress Theodora, Lucrezia Borgia, and Erzbet Bathory all come to mind): the only wonder is that we are still so willing to believe it.

After all she were a Claudian ............

I always feel some weird sort of vindication and need to tell someone "I told you so" any time I see (or hear) someone acknowledge that Mr. FPH has the best voice in the business (even though he didn't speak in this video) as if I'm the first person to figure this out. Rereading this I'm aware I come off a bit crazy but Hippocrates assures me I just need to rebalance my humors. Could also be the three fingers of whiskey I had.

Living Livia Loco!

Just here to concur that FPH has the best voice & delivery !

Livia may have decided not to have any children with her husband. Everything was used as a political tactic. Battlefields for power is flexible. Great video 😊😊

His only surviving grandson Postumus.... 🤣

A little stuffy in hiatory doesnt hurt. Oterwise its hard to take it seriously if it seems its all taken from fiction novels, streaming shows and video games.

Livia did it

That Narrator has as awesome voice as yourself

Livia was weaver and she probably wove Augustus clothes. It was respectable for wife to weave clothes. A spindle is to create thread from wool and it was medieval invention.

He does it again....

The link to the History Experience KZfaq Channel does not work.

poison was the cure

👍👍👍

*If we're doing Romans and the history of poison... LOCUSTA.* Just maybe don't mention how she died...

👍 👌 ♥ 👏

I know you were probably joking but that V in “ave” should be soft. Pronounced like a “w”

What was this I come for flash point history not all these other guys I wish u would do the videos by yourself like u use to

Can you put in the title that you are not narrating it ? Colab/featuring... whatever word you choose is fine, just so people that are not interested don't waste their time? Thanks

Oh give me a break ! Livia never killed anyone . Overbearing and an Imperial Stagemother sure. But a murderess I am not buying it .