
This is the story of Messalina - third wife of Emperor Claudius and one of the most notorious women to have inhabited the Roman world.
According to the Roman historians Tacitus and Suetonius, the Empress Messalina was a sexually insatiable schemer. The tales they told about her – including a twenty-four-hour sex competition with a prostitute – have taken deep root in the Western imagination, but Messalina’s real story is much more complex.
In her reappraisal of one of the most slandered female figures of ancient history, Honor Cargill-Martin finds an intelligent, passionate and ruthless woman who succeeded in asserting herself in the overwhelmingly male world of imperial Roman politics. Rather than setting out to ‘salvage’ Messalina’s reputation, she looks at her life in the context of her time. Above all, she seeks to reclaim the humanity of a life story previously circumscribed by currents of high politics and patriarchy.
Author: Honor Cargill-Martin
Brand: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Number of pages: 432
Binding: Paperback
Dimensions: h198mm x w129mm
Our deliveries are now carbon neutral.
Orders over £75* will qualify for FREE standard shipping within the UK.
Order value |
Under £25 |
£25 - £75 |
Over £75 |
Timescale |
UK Standard |
£ 3.50 |
£ 5.00 |
FREE |
up to 7 Business Days |
Please allow 7 working days from the time you place your order to contact us about undelivered orders.
*does not include custom prints or custom clothing.
Local pick up
Local pick up is free and allows you to buy online and collect your items from our shop in St. Pancras (London) or from Reception in Boston Spa.
London
Orders placed before 3pm will be ready to collect from noon the following day (including weekends). Please ensure you check our opening times before coming to collect.
Boston Spa
Orders placed before 3pm will be ready to collect between 2 - 4 working days, though this is usually quicker.
North American and Rest of the World orders
Order value |
Under £25 |
£25 - £50 |
£50 - £100 |
Over £100 |
Timescale |
Airmail |
£ 20 |
£ 30 |
£ 40 |
£ 50 |
Usually 2 - 4 weeks |
EU and Europe orders
Due to the new EU Regulation 2023/988 (GPSR), we are temporarily pausing shipments to Europe, including the Republic of Ireland. We understand this may be disappointing, and we are working to resume our services as soon as possible. Please check this page for updates.
For more detailed information click here