Elena and the Others in Constantine's Rome

CYCLE: The Second Millennium of Rome.
SPEAKER: Francesca Ghedini
DATE: Thursday 27 November, 6 pm

Constantine did not love Rome: his presence in what, although deprived of political centrality, was and remained the moral capital of the Empire, was sporadic, occasional, and never lasted more than a few weeks. It was not the same for the women of his family.
Elena, his beloved mother, who lived in the shadows until her son's rise to power, stayed there for long periods and left epigraphic and monumental traces of her presence.
Fausta, his wife, who was probably born in Rome, died tragically there—likely murdered—during one of Constantine’s rare stays for his vicennial celebrations.
Anastasia and Eutropia, his paternal sisters, were married off to notable Romans as part of a deliberate political choice by the emperor, aiming to win over the local aristocracy, which resented its marginalization.
Rome was also chosen as the residence of his daughters, Constantina and Helena, who lived there until they were called, like all the women of the imperial household, to serve the empire through political marriages. Echoes of their presence can be found in the important building of Sant'Agnese and its annex.

Francesca Ghedini is an emeritus professor of Archaeology at the University of Padua. She has held numerous academic positions, coordinated and directed national and international research projects, and is the responsible editor for journals (Eidola) and book series (Antenor Quaderni). She curated the setup of the Thermalism Museum in Montegrotto Terme and the exhibition: Ovid, Myths and Other Stories (Scuderie del Quirinale 2018-2019). She is the author of over 300 publications.

Free admission subject to availability.

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