Agrippina, Theodora and Fredegund as Evil Empresses in the Historiographic Tradition *
Martijn Icks
This chapter explores how historians acted as character assassins of imperial women in ancient and early medieval times. In particular, it analyses the hostile portrayals Roman empress Agrippina Younger, Byzantine Theodora, Merovingian queen Fredegund Tacitus’s Annals, Procopius’s Secret History Gregory Tour’s Franks. Many attacks against these relate to their gender, ranging from bad motherhood domineering husbands witchcraft uncontrolled sexuality. Thus, undermined reputations Agrippina, Theodora order set guard strict socio-political norms for prestigious influential positions.
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