Epicaris femme libertine · Centre for Early Modern Visual Culture

Title: Epicaris femme libertine
Subject: Freedwomen; Important Women; Famous Women; Conspiracies; Suicide; Emperor Nero; Epicharis
Period: 1450-1500;
Geographic: Italy; Ancient Rome
Description: This illustration depicts the freedwoman, Epicharis, committing suicide by hanging. Epicharis had heard the details of the conspiracy to assassinate emperor Nero, and when she put her faith in the wrong person, they told emperor Nero that she was involved in the plan. They tortured her many times; however, she did not reveal the names of anyone involved in the conspiracy. Afraid that if she was tortured any further, she would reveal the names of the conspirators as her strength was depleting. To avoid this from happening, she hung herself in her prison cell.
Image Creator: Anonymous (Illuminator)
Type: Text; Illumination
Identifier: mta:16729
Language: frm
Source Name: De la louenge et vertu des nobles et cleres dames [Of praise and virtue of the noble and clergy women]
Parent Collection: 1493 Paris
Image: mta_16729_OBJ.jpg