*Special Episode* – The Thread of Women’s Representation

In this special
episode, we're joined by Liz Smith, who has recently completed her
doctoral research of the representation of women's dress in statuary
at Macquarie University. Together we'll trace the threads of evidence
for women's attire in the Roman world.

Liz's research includes the fashion of women's dress in ancient representations in order to investigate what we can learn about the representation of women. This means considering how representations of women in statuary were often mediated by a male perspective and asking what this might reveal about women's lived experience.

The Importance of Material Evidence

A consideration of material evidence, especially when combined with inscriptions offers an alternative to the literary sources for thinking about women and daily life in the ancient world. Our evidence in this episode dates from the third century CE, which means we're thinking about a Rome embroiled in empire and imperial rule.

In this episode
we'll be considering the head coverings on statues in the round and
sepulchral depictions of women. We explore the implications of topics
such as:

• drapery in statues and reliefs
• the colour of statuary
• the stola
• the palla
• dress as status

Epiktesis

Epiktesis outlives her family. We consider the monument she dedicates to her husband, her children, and herself. Liz takes us through the pose adopted by Epiktesis – the Large Herculaneum Woman Type – and its implications.

Grave stele dedicated by Epiktesis to her family, from Prilep, Macedonia. Skopje Archaeological Museum, inv. AMM 41. Photography © Skopje – Archaeological Museum of Macedonia. Photograph: Ortolf Harl 2017 November.

The husband remains
unnamed in this relief as do the children. This in itself is somewhat
unusual but this evidence goes to the next level when we consider
that the children are represented as divinities!

With Epiktesis
herself depicted in a very modest, unrevealing style and her daughter
assuming the quite revealing Bathing Aphrodite Type, this
representation has a lot to offer in terms of thinking about the
meaning conveyed by poses and attire.

Liz explains how
size plays a role in the representation of family in this monument
and we consider what this might have suggested to an ancient viewer.
We also consider the unique aspects of this piece in terms of its
arrangement of the figures and their poses.

Aurelia Eutychia “I
am Prosperous” c. 250s CE

We consider the
sarcophagus dedicated by Aurelia to herself and her husband Marcus
Aurelius Marino which can still be seen today in Ferrara. Liz takes
us through the significance of the statuesque features of this
artefact.

Social status is a
particular feature at play in all these representations and the
capacity of Aurelia to have for a sarcophagus where the figures
display a range of statuesque features tells us a lot about how she
wanted to be understood by her community.

Sarcophagus dedicated by Aurelia Eutychia to herself and her husband Marcus Aurelius Marino. Originally in Voghiera, then moved to Ferrara, Palazzo dei Diamanti, Italy. Front panel. Ferrara, Palazzo dei Diamanti, Italy. No inventory number. DAIR Inst. Neg. Rom. 64.2022

Sarcophagus dedicated by Aurelia Eutychia to herself and her husband Marcus Aurelius Marino. Side panel.

Liz explores the
implications of Aurelia's personal representation of herself. We
discuss the potential implications of being veiled versus not being
veiled.

Here's the inscription found on the sarcophagus:

Aurelia Eutychia built this sarcophagus while alive for herself and her husband Marcus Aurelius Marino a veteran of Syrian lineage at the behest of the patron and her most dutiful husband with whom she lived for forty-three years by order of the patron out of his own funds. If someone after the death of the both opens it they will deposit a thousand sesterces to the tax authorities.

Translation ~ Liz Smith

Join us for a lively
exploration of women's representation through statuary and
inscription!

Addendum: In exciting news, in the time between our chat with Liz and the release of this episode, we can confirm that Liz has passed her doctoral examination and joins us as a full academic. Congratulations Dr Liz Smith!

Edit: Since conducting this interview, further analysis of the sarcophagus dedicated by Aurelia has revealed the insight that Aurelia would have been Marcus Aurelius Marino’s enslaved property, before he freed and married her. As his freedwoman, Aurelia would have been bound by custom and law to respect Marcus and give him services (operae), even after her manumission. Accordingly, it is all the more interesting that Aurelia represented herself as an equal partner to her husband through the statuesque elements we see on the front and lateral sides.

For further reading:

Peter Stewart 2003. Statues in Roman Society

For our full show notes and edited transcripts, head on over to https://partialhistorians.com/

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