For better or for worse: Conjugal relationships of writers and intellectuals under the challenges of the Empire

This article focuses on the conjugal relationships of writers, poets, and intellectuals of the early Empire in order to verify how they were influenced by ongoing changes and events in society. The analysis of literary testimonies shows examples of wives faithful to their husbands over a long period despite circumstances, as well as of wives engaged in cultivating their cultural interests and in acquiring a more public role. The overall picture portrays middle-class couples whose concepts of marriage, childcare, and family were those of the Republican period but were often obliged to deal with the challenges of the new political order.