De Pompeia paulina lucii annei senece coniuge · Centre for Early Modern Visual Culture

Title: De Pompeia paulina lucii annei senece coniuge
Subject: Famous Women; Pompeia Paulina; Assassination; Conspiracies; Seneca; Emperor Nero; Important Women
Period: 1450-1500;
Geographic: Italy; Ancient Rome
Description: This engraving depicts Seneca and his wife Pompeia Paulina committing suicide in bathtubs. Seneca is depicted on the left side of the image, with his name, written as “Senica”, engraved above his head. Pompeia Paulina is in the tub beside him with her name engraved above her head as well. After emperor Nero found out that his tutor, Seneca, was involved in the conspiracy to assassinate him, he ordered a centurion to command Seneca to commit suicide. Not wanting to live without her husband, Pompeia Paulina got into the tub next to Seneca and slit her arm to die with him. Seneca is depicted dead in the engraving; however, a servant is illustrated saving Paulina by tying a rope around her arm to stop the flow of the blood. Emperor Nero did not want Pompeia Paulina to die as he had nothing against her, which is why the servant saved her life.
Image Creator: Anonymous (Engraver)
Type: Text; Woodcut Engraving
Identifier: mta:16700
Language: lat
Source Name: De Claris Mulieribus
Parent Collection: 1473 Ulm; 1473 Ulm
Image: mta_16700_OBJ.jpg
Collection: Early Modern Women
Subject: Famous Women; Pompeia Paulina; Assassination; Conspiracies; Seneca; Emperor Nero; Important Women