Laudatio Turiae
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''Laudatio Turiae'' ("In praise of Turia") is a tombstone engraved with a carved
epitaph An epitaph (; ) is a short text honoring a deceased person. Strictly speaking, it refers to text that is inscribed on a tombstone or plaque, but it may also be used in a figurative sense. Some epitaphs are specified by the person themselves be ...
that is a husband's eulogy of his wife. It was made in the late 1st century BC. It portrays the love of a husband for his loyal wife.


Tombstone

The frequently moving eulogy inscribed on the stone is addressed from a husband to his deceased wife, lauding her
virtue Virtue ( la, virtus) is moral excellence. A virtue is a trait or quality that is deemed to be morally good and thus is valued as a foundation of principle and good moral being. In other words, it is a behavior that shows high moral standard ...
s, self-sacrificing love, and unflinching loyalty toward him when she was still alive. The stone itself is broken, and parts have been found scattered around the city of Rome, although some sections remain lost. At 180 lines, the "Laudatio Turiae" is currently the longest surviving personal inscription from Classical Rome.


Inscription

The inscription gives a unique insight into the late 1st century Roman world during the rise of
Augustus Caesar Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian, was the first Roman emperor; he reigned from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. He is known for being the founder of the Roman Pri ...
, as its extended history of the life of the author's wife addresses many aspects of Roman society and civil life. The wife's selfless deeds in defense of her persecuted husband range from sending him jewelry and money when he was in exile to offering him a divorce so he could have an heir—the couple was unable to have a child together. Her husband also lovingly describes her virtues, among which he includes weaving, obedience, faithfulness to family, and religious purity. According to the inscription, her first accomplishment worthy of praise was avenging her parents’ murder, which gives a rather surprising look into the roles of women within the family and society. The husband also says the marriage was unusual, because it lasted forty years with her dying first while he was much older. One of the few named figures in the inscription is Marcus Lepidus, who refused to reinstate the husband despite Caesar's order to do so. The husband praises his wife's willingness to endure verbal and physical abuse from Lepidus on his behalf as she attempted to plead the husband's case publicly.


Identities

This inscription is traditionally known as the "Laudatio Turiae," "The Praise of Turia," because its subject was generally identified with
Curia Curia (Latin plural curiae) in ancient Rome referred to one of the original groupings of the citizenry, eventually numbering 30, and later every Roman citizen was presumed to belong to one. While they originally likely had wider powers, they came ...
, the wife of
Quintus Lucretius Vespillo Quintus Lucretius Vespillo was a Roman senator and consul, whose career commenced during the late Roman Republic and concluded in the reign of emperor Augustus. Lucretius served as a soldier under Pompey in 48 BC. His father, an orator and jurist ...
, consul in 19 BC, on the basis of comparison with the histories of
Valerius Maximus Valerius Maximus () was a 1st-century Latin writer and author of a collection of historical anecdotes: ''Factorum ac dictorum memorabilium libri IX'' ("Nine books of memorable deeds and sayings", also known as ''De factis dictisque memorabilibus'' ...
(6, 7, 2) and
Appian Appian of Alexandria (; grc-gre, Ἀππιανὸς Ἀλεξανδρεύς ''Appianòs Alexandreús''; la, Appianus Alexandrinus; ) was a Greek historian with Roman citizenship who flourished during the reigns of Emperors of Rome Trajan, Hadr ...
(Bell.civ. 4, 44), which report that Turia saved her husband in much the same way described in the inscription.
William Warde Fowler William Warde Fowler (16 May 1847 – 15 June 1921) was an England, English historian and ornithologist, and tutor at Lincoln College, Oxford, Lincoln College, Oxford. He was best known for his works on religion in ancient Rome, ancient Roman ...
stated, "...there is a very strong probability that her name was Turia, and that he was the certain Q. Lucretius Vespillo..." However, the extant remains of the ''Laudatio Turiae'' are missing the fragmented piece that contains the identities of both the husband and wife, so they are not actually named on the extant inscription. As a result, the identification with Turia is no longer generally accepted.


Location

The Laudatio Turiae is currently housed in the
Museo Nazionale Romano The National Roman Museum (Italian: ''Museo Nazionale Romano'') is a museum, with several branches in separate buildings throughout the city of Rome, Italy. It shows exhibits from the pre- and early history of Rome, with a focus on archaeological ...
at the Terme di Diocleziano (
Baths of Diocletian , alternate_name = it, Terme di Diocleziano , image = Baths of Diocletian-Antmoose1.jpg , caption = Baths of Diocletian, with the basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri built in the remains of the baths. , map_dot_ ...
) in Rome.


See also

*
Women in ancient Rome Freeborn women in ancient Rome were citizens (''cives''), but could not vote or hold political office. Because of their limited public role, women are named less frequently than men by Roman historians. But while Roman women held no direct politi ...


Notes


References


"Civil War." Appian


English



Latin
''The Roman Law Library'' by Yves Lassard and Alexandr Koptev
* Gordon, A.E., "A New Fragment of the Laudatio Turiae" AJA 54 (1950) 223-226 * Horsfall, N., "Some Problems in the Laudatio Turiae" Bull. Inst. Clas. Stud. 30 85-98 * Wistrand, Erik, ''The so-called Laudatio Turiae'' (Berlingska Boktryckeriet, 1976) * Fontana, Laura, "Laudatio Turiae e propaganda augustea: quando anche la morte è politica", Milano: Ledizioni 2021.
LAUDATIO TURIAE E PROPAGANDA AUGUSTEA: QUANDO ANCHE LA MORTE È POLITICA -
{{Authority control Burial monuments and structures Acknowledgements of death Latin inscriptions Archaeological discoveries in Italy 1st-century inscriptions