Armonia Gelonis von Sicilia tochter · Centre for Early Modern Visual Culture

Title: Armonia Gelonis von Sicilia tochter
Subject: Important Women; Famous Women; Rebellion; Murder; Noble Women; Harmonia
Period: 1500-1550;
Geographic: Italy; Syracuse
Description: This engraving depicts a young servant girl getting stabbed in the chest with a sword by a man standing above her. This young servant girl is disguised to look exactly like Harmonia, the daughter of Gelon (brother to the king of Syracuse). Boccaccio explains that there was a rebellion in Syracuse against nobility, and before the murderers could get to Harmonia, her nurse disguised this young woman to look like Harmonia. The real Harmonia is depicted on the right side of the engraving. There is a man swinging a sword above his head which appears to be heading in Harmonia’s direction, however, Boccaccio explains that Harmonia hid from the murderers until they killed the look-alike servant.
Image Creator: Joerg Breu (Engraver)
Type: Text; Woodcut Engraving
Identifier: mta:18382
Language: ger
Source Name: Ein schöne Cronica oder Hystoribuch von den fürnämlichsten Weybern [A beautiful chronicle or history book of reputable women]
Parent Collection: 1543 Stayner; 1543 Stayner
Image: mta_18382_OBJ.jpg
Collection: Early Modern Women
Subject: Important Women; Famous Women; Rebellion; Murder; Noble Women; Harmonia