▁woman ▁such ▁men ▁are ▁in ▁no ▁way ▁different ▁from ▁stat ues . ▁When ▁someone ▁asked ▁her ▁how ▁she ▁had ▁obtained ▁such ▁a ▁command ing ▁influence ▁over ▁August us , ▁she ▁answered ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁by ▁being ▁sc rup ul ously ▁ch aste ▁herself , ▁doing ▁glad ly ▁whatever ▁pleased ▁him , ▁not ▁med d ling ▁with ▁any ▁of ▁his ▁affairs , ▁and , ▁in ▁particular , ▁by ▁pret ending ▁neither ▁to ▁hear ▁nor ▁to ▁notice ▁the ▁favour ites ▁of ▁his ▁passion ." ▁ ▁With ▁time , ▁however ▁some ▁thought ▁that ▁wid ow hood , ▁a ▁ha ug ht iness ▁and ▁an ▁over t ▁cra ving ▁for ▁power ▁and ▁the ▁out ward ▁tra ppings ▁of ▁status ▁came ▁increasing ly ▁to ▁the ▁fore . ▁Liv ia ▁had ▁always ▁been ▁a ▁principal ▁benef ici ary ▁of ▁the ▁climate ▁of ▁ad ulation ▁that ▁August us ▁had ▁done ▁so ▁much ▁to ▁create , ▁and ▁which ▁T iber ius ▁des pis ed ▁(" a ▁strong ▁cont empt ▁for ▁hon ours ", ▁T ac it us , ▁Ann als ▁ 4 . 3 7 ). ▁In ▁AD ▁ 2 4 , ▁typically , ▁whenever ▁she ▁attended ▁the ▁theatre , ▁a ▁seat ▁among ▁the ▁V est als ▁was ▁reserved ▁for ▁her ▁( An n als ▁ 4 . 1 6 ), ▁and ▁this ▁may ▁have ▁been ▁intended ▁more ▁as ▁an ▁honor ▁for ▁the ▁V est als ▁than ▁for ▁her ▁( cf . ▁O vid , ▁Tr ist ia , ▁ 4 . 2 . 1 3 f , ▁Ep ist .