do you guys know about lio gangeri's statue of fulvia with the head of cicero.

i saw this irl when i was sixteen and it forever altered my sexuality i think. you can't tell but she's holding a pin to puncture his tongue with

Fulvia With the Head of Cicero by Pavel Svedomsky

2/2 new stickers for the summer! This time it’s Fulvia, wife of Mark Antony and political mastermind in her own right. While her most iconic thing is of course stabbing Cicero’s decapitated head with a hairpin, I was impressed by all that she had achieved in honor of her first husband Clodius and the fact that both she and Antony continued to push for his policies which made them popular among the plebs. Gotta love a woman of the people!

Fulvia my beloved!

Happy deathday to Marcus Antonius! Hope he is having a good time in the afterlife with his 5 wives and 1 husband.

I now need a The Office-style mockumentary of Clodius Pulcher getting his street gang started and having to navigate 2983 collegias' bizarre Roman red tape. You gotta license that thuggery!

Also, hello, I'm binge-reading Bite Me: A Vampire Farce again. A+ webcomic for anyone who enjoys vampires, French revolutions, or goofy decapitation jokes.

Thinking about Fulvia again and I believe Roman women should have been meaner and stabbier and ambitiouser, actually.

Fulvia and the Head of Cicero

There's a bunch of paintings out there of Fulvia stabbing Cicero's severed head, but Gregorio Lazzarini's Rage of Fulvia is my favorite.

In most other pieces, she greets the head with a ghoulish glee:

Left to right: Fulvia by Francesco Maria Bassi; La Venganza de Fulvia by Francisco Maura y Montaner; Fulvia With the Head of Cicero by Pavel Svedomsky.

This is the Wicked Fulvia of Cassius Dio, the greedy and callous creature who meddles in politics instead of "knowing her place" as a demure woman ought. Fulvia prefigures the deadly stories about Livia, Agrippina the Younger, and other women whose political influence made them frightening to a patriarchal society.

Some of these stories may be true. Women can be just as vicious as men. But the pattern of a woman being demonized for a man's actions is common enough, even today, that I think we should be cautious. Is [insert widely-mocked female celebrity] a bad person, or just mildly annoying while famous? Is she bossy, bitchy, a "Karen," a nag - or the victim of a thousand strangers' prejudices? Maybe even both?

Can we let women be flawed or problematic sometimes, while still seeing them as people like us?

Lazzarini's Fulvia is no cackling caricature. To me, her heavy brow and down-turned lips don't just look angry; she looks hurt, upset, enraged. She shoves her thumb into Cicero's mouth as if to tell him to Shut up, covers his eyes as if to say You don't get to judge me, and glares at him dead-on while methodically plucking out her hairpin.

Cicero, we might recall, had spent the past year trying to get her husband Mark Antony declared an enemy of the state/defeated in battle/killed via the Philippics. Not to mention Cicero's longtime feud with her first husband, Clodius, and Cicero said some unkind things about Fulvia, too.

I don't mean to demonize Cicero here. Like most of these Romans, he's a complicated figure, and so terribly, achingly human. But it's easy to imagine why Fulvia might have loathed him, and why she might have wanted to stab the tongue that had caused her loved ones so much grief. And I think Lazzarini's portrait empathizes with her in a way that the other paintings above don't.

Another thing I like about this piece: Fulvia is active and powerful. She explodes, in a way women rarely get to do. The people around her are stunned, turning every which way, yet none dare to stop her. She didn't get anyone's permission, and she isn't doing this for Antony or anybody else. Hell, Antony's not even here.

Compare to this to Bartolomeo Pinelli's print, the only other depiction I found that focuses on her anger:

I like this portrait, too. The clothing drape is gorgeous, and this Fulvia could probably deflect bullets with her biceps. But it's more sedate than Lazzarini's picture. Less shocking. The two observers here look grim, but not repulsed or surprised, so we the audience don't get the cue to be shocked, either. It's Fulvia, she just does this sometimes. Oh, those scheming Roman matrons!

But Lazzarini's Fulvia is not normally a violent person, and her explosion was not premeditated. It shocks everyone around her. She couldn't even wait for a bit of privacy to stab the head in piece, and perhaps keep her reputation intact. No, this is a woman who's been bottling up her rage and pain for years, and her violence is just a small recompense for what she believes has been done to her and her family.

That is characterization.

If you want to learn more about Fulvia, I highly recommend the biography by Celia Schultz. I was surprised by how little evidence there was of Fulvia actually doing anything "bad" except that she was more vocal and active in politics than was normally acceptable for a Roman woman. She appears to have been highly intelligent, hard working, courageous, loyal, raised five children, risked her life for her husband, may have attempted to avert another war, and threw her all into fighting when it proved inevitable.

This is not to say Fulvia was a heroine - she was a Roman aristocrat - but hey, let women be complicated. That's all I'm sayin'.

[ID: Two books. The massive book is labeled "The second triumvirate." The skinny book is labeled "The second triumvirate if Fulvia had a gun." ]

“[FULVIA] was a woman who took no thought for spinning or housekeeping, nor would she deign to bear sway over a man of private station, but she wished to rule a ruler and command a commander.” (Plutarch, Life of Antony) “FULVIA his wife was carrying on war at Rome with Caesar in defence of her husband’s interests” (Plutarch, Life of Antony) “though it was nominally Antonius who…celebrated a triumph over the people whom he claimed to have vanquished… it was actually FULVIA” (Cassius Dio, 48.4.3)

Which Underrated Woman from History are You?

Finally got around to making a uquiz featuring six of my favourite women from history! You can either get someone from the French Revolution, Roman Republic (I know, how unexpected!) or from 1700s/early 1800s.

Featuring scientists, writers, politically active icons and a few poets whose lives were intertwined with theirs, as a treat!

Enjoy and thanks everyone for sharing! ✨

Women of the Late Republic of Rome & Early Roman Empire on a Modern Date

Cornelia Cinnae

She is absolutely lovely and a sweet soul. The kind of woman you would give up a dowry, your inheritance, and your priesthood for even under the threat of violence. Her ideal date is a tour through a large, public garden. If you end up together, you'll stay together since she inspires that kind of devotion.

Calpurnia

'Stand by your partner' is her motto. Feeling like being Emperor? No problem. She will support you! She'll also finance your date and take you to a public festival to show off your relationship. (Watch out for nearly naked men with crowns.) If she happens to have a weird dream, just listen to her, okay?

Servilia Caepionis

She will take you to a remote, romantic place with candles and gauzy curtains. Dinner AND breakfast will be in bed. The conversation is stimulating, she's beautiful and intelligent, and she knows all the best gossip in town. She will send love notes to your Senate meetings/workplace during the day.

Fulvia Flacca Bambula

She tends to prefer handsome individuals, but once she's loyal to you, she'll be your Ride or Die. (And she doesn't care who has to die to get what you both deserve.) Date wise, Fulvia would enjoy something active and exciting. Take her to a sporting event, a Ninja Warrior competition, an escape room, or go on a hike. She'd love to follow that with a sumptuous dinner and the severed heads of your enemies laid before you in time to enjoy dessert.

Livia Drusilla

Much like Fulvia, this woman is an ideal partner for those who want power. Unlike Fulvia, she's subtle about it. Livia is clever, influential, and could be the perfect politician's wife. Due to her work ethic, she could use a relaxing spa date that includes a massage. Don't worry, the poisoning thing is only a rumor. (And doesn't everyone deserve better than Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus?)

Octavia Minor

An absolute sweetheart, she is the kindest of the bunch and "a marvel of womankind." Octavia loves the arts, so heading to an art museum, a play, or even a poetry reading would be appreciated. This woman will literally go to the ends of the earth for you--including Athens after you finish a terrible military campaign. She's the complete package, but keep two things in mind. One: she comes with children and most likely will adopt more. Two: she also comes with her brother Octavian/Augustus as a possible new in-law.

Porcia Catonis Brutus

Affectionate and intelligent, she's a deeply loyal choice. She will remind you of your good qualities and keep you on the correct path so long as you trust her with your burdens. She will even support your need for a political assassination. Her ideal date may actually be a masquerade ball. You get to dress up, dance, wear masks, and it would really be a perfect time for a side meeting of similarly inclined couples. (Possibly Junia Tertia could come with her partner, for instance.)

Clodia Metelli

Her ideal date involves listening to you read her poetry and then a nice picnic outside. She enjoys discussing philosophy as well as every political player in town. She's charming and experienced, just don't expect it to last or you'll end up like Catullus.

Cleopatra VII Thea Philopater

Her charm is famous throughout multiple lands and her wisdom and prowess equally lauded. Not only is she a brilliant politician, she is interested in science, the arts, and can speak over seven languages. Cleo is an amazing partner and her love is worthy of fighting a civil war over. Seriously. As far as dates, she would enjoy a scenic, luxury cruise on the river. Just beware that once you have her in your life, you will be unwilling to live without her.

Julia the Elder/Julia Caesaris filia

She is a very passionate woman who loves literature, culture, and a good nightlife. If you take her on a date, expect to either go for a night of pub crawling or to a fancy cocktail party complete with glittering outfits. Julia wants a good time, but her kindness and empathy are famous, as are her quick wit and rebellious ways. She is worthy of getting yourself exiled or worse over.

Type of post originated by @just-late-roman-republic-things

So many wonderful women to choose from, it was difficult! I just didn't want to have too many choices... Maybe a part two? Junia Tertia, Tullia, Pompeia, Atia, Julia Antonia, Attica are just a few others I wanted to include.

Please reblog if you want and definitely vote for the girl bosses.

This is such a hard choice! I guess I'll go with Porcia for the possibility of a double date with additional potential

Love it, thanks!