Dr Jane Draycott

Six weeks today, on 3rd April 2025, my second popular history book, Fulvia: The Woman Who Broke All the Rules in Ancient Rome, will be published and on sale in bookshops. There are proofs (also known as ARCs, advanced reader copies) out in the world and they have been popping up on social media, and the people who have read it have really enjoyed it. So who is Fulvia?

The blurb: ‘The charismatic Fulvia amassed a degree of military and political power that was unprecedented for a woman in Ancient Rome. Married three times to men who moved in powerful circles, including Marc Antony, Fulvia was not content to play the usual background role that was expected of a wife – instead she challenged the Roman patriarchy and sought to increase her influence in the face of determined opposition.

It’s rare to know so much about a particular Roman woman, but Fulvia was so despised by her male detractors that she was much written about. Acclaimed historian Jane Draycott has used original sources to piece together Fulvia’s life and sort fact from fiction, while also exploring the role of women in Roman society. Set during the chaotic period when Rome was violently transitioning from a republic to the dictatorship of the Roman Empire, this is an original and fascinating take on an endlessly popular period of history’.

You can pre-order a copy of Fulvia from whichever bookseller you like, but Waterstones are doing a special signed edition with bonus Cicero severed head content (!) so if you fancy that, you can find it here.