AAUW Inaugural Lecture.  The new Fredericksburg Chapter of the American Association of University Women is presenting “‘Caesar’s Wife Must Be Above Suspicion’:  Politics, Religion, Sex, and Drama in Ancient Rome” by Liane Houghtalin, University of Mary Washington Professor emerita of Classics, on Sat., Feb. 22nd, at 2:00 PM.  Free and open to the public.

Location: University of Mary Washington, Combs 139, located on College Avenue near William Street. Free parking is available on College Avenue. Visitor spaces are located on Double Drive immediately upon entering the University’s gates off College Avenue. The building is fully accessible using a ramp on the campus side of the building.

The phrase, “Caesar’s Wife Must Be Above Suspicion,” often shortened simply to “Caesar’s Wife,” is brought forth in op-ed articles today when a public figure, or someone associated with a public figure, is accused of scandalous behavior. But where did the phrase come from? This talk explores its origin in Late Republican Rome, when a scandalous affair interfered with an important celebration of the “Good Goddess” and affected the careers of the famous Julius Caesar, the infamous Publius Clodius, and the political mastermind Cicero. While historians make us most familiar with the men of ancient Rome, we will also see the considerable power women wielded behind the scenes.