Historical figures Blog spot.

In honor of the release of Katie Hamstead (aka Ozz from Typelings)'s new book : Kiya: hope of Pharaoh The Typelings are hosting a blog hop where they asked what person from history would you like to meet and why?

This question is actually right up my ally because while I write fantasy my first love is probably history. now I have to admit that the first person to jump in my head was Martin Luther, if you have ever discussed Christian theology or philosophy over a pint (or three) of beer you know why, seriously this man had was crazy passionate and like any good German he liked his beer.

But then I thought and realized that they said any person in history that meant one person: Vibia Sabina the wife of emperor Hadrian. (may his bones be crushed.) Most people only know that Hadrian built a wall, but he was a charismatic emperor who probably stayed off the fall of rome for several years to come, and he was one of the five good emperors.

But Vibia, I find her fascinating  First she is the empress of Rome, possibly one of the most powerful women of her time. and yet as far as we know she and Hadrian never had sexual relations. How do we know that? well because Hadrian was for the purpose of this discussion a homosexual. We can discuss the ins and outs of his relationship with his lover Antonius somewhere else.

Now just think about what this meant for Vibia. she is married to the most powerful man in the empirer, she is living in an extremely patriarchal society which means that as a women you marry and have kids. What kind of things were said behind her back? How did she the change from what she may or may not have thought her life was going to be? Did she know before their wedding night or did it become a surprise? Was she reviled that she was now safe from the threat of dying in childbirth or did she lose her dream of being a mother? did she play the game of sleeping around behind her husband's back- not that he would necessarily care so long as no one else found out, or was it through in the raising of her fosterson Trajan.

I want to know how this women dealt with the people who 'joked' about her lack of children. How she dealt with Antonius, how Antonius dealt with her. She is hardly more then a foot note in history but She was a women with hopes and dreams and an unattainable job: to give an emperor an hier when the emperor shunned his marital bed. Seriously I want to read her diary.

Well that is it, be sure to watch out for Katie's new book, if I get ahold of a copy there will be a review here, eventually. So till next time God Speed.