Cy apres sensuit de pompeye pauline de seneque femme · Centre for Early Modern Visual Culture

Title: Cy apres sensuit de pompeye pauline de seneque femme
Subject: Seneca; Emperor Nero; Important Women; Famous Women; Assassination; Conspiracies; Suicide; Pompeia Paulina
Period: 1400-1450;
Geographic: Italy; Ancient Rome
Description: This illumination depicts Seneca and his wife Pompeia Paulina committing suicide in a bathtub. After Emperor Nero found out that Seneca (his tutor) was involved in the conspiracy to assassinate him, he forced a centurion to command Seneca to commit suicide. Not wanting to live without her husband, Pompeia Paulina got into the tub along with Seneca and slit her arm to die with him. Seneca is depicted dead in the image; however, servants are 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 (Illuminator)
Type: Text; Illumination
Identifier: mta:18531
Language: frm
Source Name: Livre que fist Jehan BOCACE de Certalde des cleres et nobles femmes, lequel il envoia à Audice de Accioroles de Florence, contesse de Haulteville [Book from Giovanni Boccaccio of Certaldo called the cleric and noble women, of which he sent to Audice Accioroles of Florence, Countess of Haulteville]
Parent Collection: 1401 Florence; 1401 Florence
Image: mta_18531_OBJ.jpg
Collection: Early Modern Women
Subject: Seneca; Emperor Nero; Important Women; Famous Women; Assassination; Conspiracies; Suicide; Pompeia Paulina

Media: mta_18531_OBJ.jpg