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\nIn this special
\nepisode, we're joined by Liz Smith, who has recently completed her
\ndoctoral research of the representation of women's dress in statuary
\nat Macquarie University. Together we'll trace the threads of evidence
\nfor women's attire in the Roman world.
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\nThe Thread of Women's Representation with Liz Smith
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\nLiz'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.
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\nThe Importance of Material Evidence
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\nA 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.
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\nIn this episode
\nwe'll be considering the head coverings on statues in the round and
\nsepulchral depictions of women. We explore the implications of topics
\nsuch as:
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\n* drapery in statues and reliefs* the colour of statuary* the stola* the palla* dress as status
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\nEpiktesis
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\nEpiktesis 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.
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\n Grave stele dedicated by Epiktesis to her family, from Prilep, Macedonia. Skopje Archaeological Museum, inv. AMM 41. Photography \xa9 Skopje - Archaeological Museum of Macedonia. Photograph: Ortolf Harl 2017 November.
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\nThe husband remains
\nunnamed in this relief as do the children. This in itself is somewhat
\nunusual but this evidence goes to the next level when we consider
\nthat the children are represented as divinities!
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\nWith Epiktesis
\nherself depicted in a very modest, unrevealing style and her daughter
\nassuming the quite revealing Bathing Aphrodite Type, this
\nrepresentation has a lot to offer in terms of thinking about the
\nmeaning conveyed by poses and attire.
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\nLiz explains how
\nsize plays a role in the representation of family in this monument
\nand we consider what this might have suggested to an ancient viewer.
\nWe also consider the unique aspects of this piece in terms of its
\narrangement of the figures and their poses.
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\nAurelia Eutychia "I
\nam Prosperous" c. 250s CE
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\nWe consider the
\nsarcophagus dedicated by Aurelia to herself and her husband Marcus
\nAurelius Marino which can still be seen today in Ferrara. Liz takes
\nus through the significance of the statuesque features of this
\nartefact.
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\nSocial status is a
\nparticular feature at play in all these representations and the
\ncapacity of Aurelia to have for a sarcophagus where the figures
\ndisplay a range of statuesque features tells us a lot about how she
\nwanted to be understood by her community.
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\n 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.