Quick Facts
- Flourished:
- 1st century bc
- Flourished:
- c.100 BCE - c.1 BCE
Adding us as a Preferred Source tells Google you trust our content, so our articles show up more often in your Google Search, Discover feed, and AI Overviews.
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies.
Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Clodia
Roman courtesan
Also known as: Lesbia
Clodia (flourished 1st century bc) was a profligate Roman beauty and sister of the demagogue Publius Clodius. She was married in 63 bc to Quintus Metellus Celer and was suspected of responsibility for his death in 59 bc. She was mistress to the poet Catullus, who wrote of her as Lesbia, and was the most important influence in his life. Another of her lovers was Marcus Caelius Rufus, whom Cicero defended against a charge of attempting to poison her, painting a graphic picture of Clodia as a dangerous beauty.
This article was most recently revised and updated by Encyclopaedia Britannica.
Discover the fascinating events that shaped the world, straight from our editors.
By clicking “Sign Up”, you consent to the Britannica
Privacy Policy
and
Terms of Use.