THE POSSIBILITY

14 CE

THE DIRECT ROUTE

Julia, daughter of Augustus, would have been empress instead of Tiberius, changing the entire Julio-claudian succession. Augustus would have been able to bestow his rule of Rome upon his only child; and with a completely different bloodline through new rules of direct succession, the character and decisions of those replacing Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius and Nero may well have taken the Roman Empire down a very different road to the one we are so familiar with.

64 CE

RESTING ON THEIR LAURELS

The emergence of an imperial court reduces competition for status among the Senate, and means that Romans spend their money building luxuries for themselves instead of amenities for the people. We would be left with an almost two dimensional legacy and archaeological record of the Roman Empire, with fewer theatres, baths and temples, and far more Golden Houses. With the introduction of a monarchy-style rule and succession, and the Senate powerless puppets, Rome as a shining example of ‘democracy’ would be deeply damaged.

395 CE–PRESENT

THE BALANCE OF HISTORY

The ownership of history as a male preserve may have changed. History has traditionally been written and recorded by men about men. But with female Roman rulers as role models, their words, actions and decisions recorded for posterity, this exclusive club may have been overturned. The influence and inspiration of Rome has carried through the centuries, with many subsequent rulers such as Napoleon using it as the model for their own empire. But with a much stronger female voice echoing down through the centuries, the role and perception of women in positions of power may have become a reality sooner than it did.