Plena matronarum domus: l’ultimo Augusto, Livia e le donne della Domus Principis

This paper seeks to demonstrate the central role occupied by the figure of Livia throughout the late Augustan period, alongside her children and husband, while shedding light on the role of the matrona in the construction of the domus principis. Particular emphasis is placed on the growing influence she came to wield, beginning in 35 BCE—when she and Octavia were granted sacrosanctitas—and extending through her adoption by Augustus and the bestowal of the title Augusta. This trajectory encompasses the public rituals surrounding the death of her elder son Drusus and culminates in the dynastic settlement of 4 CE. In this light, Livia emerges as a model for subsequent imperial women.