Set in the first century B.C., the Lives presents the stories of two famous women, each of whom played an important role in Roman history during the turbulent period of civil war immediately before the Golden Age of Augustus Caesar.

Set in the first century B.C., the Lives presents the stories of two famous women, each of whom played an important role in Roman history during the turbulent period of civil war immediately before the Golden Age of Augustus Caesar.

Sarah Fielding's achievements as a writer have been overshadowed by those of her brother, Henry Fielding. This study of Fielding's work gives an account of her life, shows the challenges and opportunities facing women writers in the mid-18th century and describes each of her published works. Contemporary reactions to Fielding's work are discussed, as well as later critical opinions.