Women of Ancient Rome Tour | Colosseum Forum & Palatine Hill

Often untold and forgotten, the women of the Roman Empire played an important role behind the scenes of ancient Roman society, and your guide will take you on a journey to uncover who some of these key female figures were, and what life was like for them.

Start your journey with your expert guide at the Colosseum, where you can admire it's grand architecture and engineering. As you experience the place where the gladiators fought, you may wonder – did female gladiators exist? Did they ever come to fight in the Colosseum arena? And what about the female spectators – where did they sit, and how did they dress?

As we know gladiators sometimes fought to their death, many were injured significantly but often nursed back to health by the women who provided them medical care. What was the extent of their medical knowledge, and how did they treat some of these injuries? Your expert guide will provide you with all of the details. 

Next you will enter the Roman Forum, and your guide will introduce you to the origins of Rome, the monarchy, the republic, and imperial eras. Learn in detail about some of the wives, mothers and daughters of imperial Rome. See the Arch of Septimius Severus and learn about his wife, Julia Domna and how she tried to ease ever rising conflict between her sons – which ultimately ended with the younger son killed. Hear stories of the infamously dominant Fulvia – Marc Anthony's wife, and how she tried to command him.

In the final portion of your tour, visit the Palatine Hill as you continue to be intrigued by amazing facts and anecdotes of the women in ancient Rome among the palace ruins. Visit the  noteworthy parts of the palaces, such as the House of Augustus.