De Theoxena: noble dueña de thesalia · Centre for Early Modern Visual Culture

Title: De Theoxena: noble dueña de thesalia
Subject: Famous Women; Poris; King Philip; Suicide; Theoxena; Important Women
Period: 1450-1500;
Geographic: Thessaly; Ancient Greece
Description: This engraving depicts Theoxena, her husband Poris, and her nephews and child killing themselves. Theoxena and her husband, Poris, are depicted jumping from the ship head-first into the sea to drown themselves. They are illustrated holding each other as they die as a couple. Theoxena’s name, written as “Theosen”, is engraved at the bottom right hand corner of the image to identify her. The figures on the ship are her nephews and her son, who are also killing themselves. Theoxena had given them a choice between stabbing themselves with knives, or to drink poison. There are two boys who had stabbed themselves and one child is depicted drinking the poison from a cup. Boccaccio explains that Theoxena and her family killed themselves to avoid dying at the hands of king Philip of Macedon.
Image Creator: Anonymous (Engraver)
Type: Text; Woodcut Engraving
Identifier: mta:16707
Language: spa
Source Name: De Las Mujeres Ilustres [On Famous Women]
Parent Collection: 1494 Mujeres Ilustres; 1494 Mujeres Ilustres
Image: mta_16707_OBJ.jpg
Collection: Early Modern Women
Subject: Famous Women; Poris; King Philip; Suicide; Theoxena; Important Women