De Tertia emilia primi seipionis africani coniuge · Centre for Early Modern Visual Culture

Title: De Tertia emilia primi seipionis africani coniuge
Subject: Famous Women; Tertia Aemilia; Adultery; Infidelity; Scipio Africanus; Important Women
Period: 1450-1500;
Geographic: Italy; Ancient Rome
Description: This engraving depicts Scipio Africanus, a Roman general, committing adultery with a young servant girl on the left side of the image. The name Scipio is engraved at the top to identify Scipio Africanus. The woman in the centre of the engraving is his wife, Tertia Aemilia. She is depicted looking at her husband and his mistress as they commit adultery. Instead of confronting her husband about the affair, she devises a plan to get rid of the mistress. The right side of the engraving depicts Tertia Aemilia marrying the young servant girl off to a freedman. She does this so that no one finds out about the affair so that it does not ruin her reputation. Her name, written as “Tertia Emilia”, is engraved above her head to identify her. Boccaccio explains that he chose to write on Tertia Aemilia because the way she handled the affair and how she used her cunning was admirable.
Image Creator: Anonymous (Engraver)
Type: Text; Woodcut Engraving
Identifier: mta:16689
Language: lat
Source Name: De Claris Mulieribus
Parent Collection: 1473 Ulm; 1473 Ulm
Image: mta_16689_OBJ.jpg
Collection: Early Modern Women
Subject: Famous Women; Tertia Aemilia; Adultery; Infidelity; Scipio Africanus; Important Women