Tiber Queen: The Wrath of Clodia Metelli

This thesis is a historical fiction narrating the interactions of Clodia Metelli and Marcus Tullius Cicero from 59 to 56 BC through a series of letters. It will cover the election of Clodius Pulcher as Tribune of the Plebs, Cicero’s exile, and the burning down of his house. The letters also go through Cicero’s triumphant return and the trial of Marcus Caelius Rufus, all explained through a series of letters between Cicero and Clodia. Because this is a fictitious account, Clodia Metelli’s influence and involvement are exaggerated to better fit the historical events of the narrative. The letters aim to imitate the style of Cicero, though other aspects of his writing are also exaggerated. Through these letters, I hope to explore the dynamic of a public orator and an aristocratic female who would not have had as much voice in the late Roman Republic and provide a more nuanced portrait of Clodia Metelli than has been provided by her own personal enemies.