**All Colosseum tours require photo ID for all participants; plan to bring your passports on the day of your tour. Failure to show identification will result in the denial of entry to the site.**
Your LivTours Women of Ancient Rome Tour will begin outside of the Colosseum. After a short introduction from your expert tour guide, you’ll be taken back to the era of gladiators, generals, and Caesars to learn about the role of women in ancient times.
The Colosseum
Enjoy smooth entry to the Colosseum, maximizing your time in this incredible historical site. Once inside the Colosseum, take a moment to admire its amazing architecture and engineering. The Colosseum is famous for its gladiators, but did female gladiators exist? Did they ever fight in the arena? And what about the women who came to watch the games? See where female spectators sat and understand the importance of how they dressed. Learn also about the cult of Vesta, whose priestesses were important enough to sit in the royal box.
Gladiators were often wounded, and women had an important role in medical care. What were their medical and healing skills and how much did they know about treating the wounded?
The Roman Forum
Your guide will introduce you to the origins of Rome, the Monarchy, Republic, and Imperial eras while you walk across the road to the Forum. The second part of the tour will look in detail at some of the Imperial women of ancient Rome: the wives, mothers, and daughters who lived here.
In no particular order, you will see the Arch of Septimius Severus and learn about his wife, Julia Domna. Like all women of her time, Julia had an arranged marriage. She took care of her children’s education and assisted her husband with his political duties. But when their older child became emperor, conflict developed between her sons. Julia’s attempts at mediation were useless, and her younger son was killed. Amazingly she then became co-empress with her son, Caracalla.
You will then lean on the Rostra Iulia and learn about Fulvia, Marc Anthony’s wife. A dominating woman who wanted to command not only a husband but the great commander of armies.
The Palatine Hill
The intrigue and amazing facts and anecdotes of the lives of women in ancient Rome continue among the ruins of the imperial palaces.
While exploring ancient Rome, learn about Livia Drusilla, the first Empress and a powerful figure in Roman history. Faithful, reliable, and a quiet supporter of her family, she was deeply respected for her wisdom and influence. Her son Tiberius and grandson Claudius would both become emperors, and she was eventually deified as Diva Augusta.