Messalina: The most Notorious Woman of the Roman Empire
b"Messalina was the third wife of the Emperor Claudius and one of the most notorious women of the Roman world. Historians Tacitus and Suetonius wrote that the Empress Messalina was \\u2018a ruthless and sexually insatiable schemer.\\u2019 The stories they told about her included nightly visits to a brothel and a twenty-four-hour sex competition with a prostitute. Tales like these have defined the empress\\u2019s legacy but is her story more complex? Classicist Honor Cargill-Martin joins us to reveal the truth about arguably one of the most slandered and underestimated female figures of ancient history who is the subject of her recent book, Messalina: A Story of Empire, Slander and Adultery. She describes a woman battling to assert her position in the overwhelmingly male world of imperial Roman politics \\u2013 and succeeding. Intelligent, passionate and ruthless when she needed to be, Cargill-Martin argues that Messalina\\u2019s story encapsulates the cut-throat political maneuvering and excessive lifestyle of the Roman elite in their heyday. Joining Cargill-Martin in conversation is Dan Jones, one of Britain's best known historians.\\nWe\\u2019d love to hear your feedback and what you think we should talk about next, who we should have on and what our future debates should be.\\xa0\\nSend us an email or voice note with your thoughts to podcasts@intelligencesquared.com or Tweet us @intelligence2.\\xa0\\nAnd if you\\u2019d like to get ad-free access to all Intelligence Squared podcasts, including exclusive bonus content, early access to new episodes and much more, become a supporter of Intelligence Squared today for just \\xa34.99, or the equivalent in your local currency .\\xa0\\nJust visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more.\\xa0\\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices"