Theosena des Fürsten herodici tochter · Centre for Early Modern Visual Culture

Title: Theosena des Fürsten herodici tochter
Subject: Theoxena; Poris; King Philip; Important Women; Famous Women; Suicide
Period: 1500-1550;
Geographic: Thessaly; Ancient Greece
Description: This engraving depicts Theoxena, her husband Poris, and her nephews and child killing themselves. Theoxena and her husband 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. 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. Some of the children are depicted with knives in their hands as they kill themselves and one child is depicted drinking poison. Boccaccio explains that Theoxena and her family killed themselves to avoid dying at the hands of King Philip of Macedon.
Image Creator: Joerg Breu (Engraver)
Type: Text; Woodcut Engraving
Identifier: mta:18395
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_18395_OBJ.jpg
Collection: Early Modern Women
Subject: Theoxena; Poris; King Philip; Important Women; Famous Women; Suicide