De la tercera emilia assi nobrada: mujer noble de publio scipio affricano · Centre for Early Modern Visual Culture

Title: De la tercera emilia assi nobrada: mujer noble de publio scipio affricano
Subject: Tertia Aemilia; Adultery; Infidelity; Scipio Africanus; Important Women; Famous Women
Period: 1450-1500;
Geographic: Ancient Rome; Italy
Description: This engraving depicts Scipio Africanus, a Roman general, committing adultery with a young servant girl on the right side of the image. The name Scipio is engraved at the top to identify him. 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 left 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 “Emilia Tertia”, 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:16710
Language: spa
Source Name: De Las Mujeres Ilustres [On Famous Women]
Parent Collection: 1494 Mujeres Ilustres; 1494 Mujeres Ilustres
Image: mta_16710_OBJ.png
Collection: Early Modern Women
Subject: Tertia Aemilia; Adultery; Infidelity; Scipio Africanus; Important Women; Famous Women

Media: mta_16710_OBJ.png