CLAUDIA METRODORA
mid-1st Century Ce-unknown
Women weren’t allowed to be directly involved in politics, but that didn’t stop Claudia Metrodora. A Greek woman with Roman citizenship, she held extraordinary power on the island of Chios, holding the highest magistracy that island had to offer twice and a high priestess-hood for life of Aphrodite Livia. On top of all of that, she was president of the Heraklea Kaisarea and Romaia festival on three separate occasions – almost unheard of at the time.