Feminine virtus: women's courage in funerary texts and imagery

CYCLE: Le parole e le immagini dell’arte: esplorazioni nella letteratura di Roma antica
SPEAKER: Barbara E. Borg
DATE: Martedì 16 dicembre, ore 18.00
LOCATION: Palazzo Massimo alle Terme, Largo di Villa Peretti 2

It is often assumed that, in the ancient world and the Roman Empire, women played a marginal role, appreciated primarily for their beauty, dedication to family, and domestic virtues. But the monuments and inscriptions of the time tell us a different story. In portraits, tombs, and commemorative texts, women and girls emerge as protagonists: figures celebrated not only for their morality, but also for their influence and courage. In these semi-public spaces, their role in strengthening political and familial bonds through marriage becomes evident, along with a surprising celebration of their audacity, a quality then considered masculine. In this talk, we will explore how funerary art and inscriptions allow us to discover a different face of Roman society, where women exercised a discreet, yet far from invisible, power.

Barbara E. Borg is Professor of Classical Archaeology at the Scuola Normale Superiore in Pisa. She has published numerous studies on Greek and Roman art and archaeology, intercultural relations in Roman Egypt, Roman funerary culture, and geoarchaeology. She currently directs the project “IN-ROME – The INscribed city: urban structures and Interaction in imperial ROME ” financed by an ERC Advanced Grant.

Free admission subject to availability.