Eumachia was the public priestess of Venus (mythology) in Pompeii during the middle of the 1st Century A.D. as well as the matron of the Concordia Augustus.^[1] The Concordia Augustus was an imperial cult initiated by Livia, widow of Augustus, dedicated to the Divus Augustus, the deified emperor Augustus.^[2] Marble Venus of the Capitoline Venus type, Roman (British Museum) Venus was a major Roman goddess principally associated with love and beauty, the rough equivalent of the Greek goddess Aphrodite. ... Pompeii is a ruined Roman city near modern Naples in the Italian region of Campania, in the territory of the comune of Pompei. ... Livia Drusilla, after 14 AD called Julia Augusta (Classical Latin: LIVIA•DRVSILLA, later IVLIA•AVGVSTA[1]) (58 BC-AD 29) was the wife of Caesar Augustus (also known as Octavian) and the most powerful woman in the early Roman Empire, acting several times as regent and being Augustus faithful advisor. ... For other uses, see Augustus (disambiguation). ...

Family History and Significance

The daughter of Lucius (Eumachus), she is reported to have obtained her great wealth from the inheritance of her deceased father, a former brick-maker. Of inconsequential origin, she sought a higher social status by marrying into one of the older families of Pompeii. Eumachia was also known as the patron of the fullers, an economically significant guild in Pompeii which consisted of dyers and clothing-makers. Eumachia's importance in Roman history stems from how she is seen as a good example of how a Roman woman of non-imperial descent can become involved in public affairs. She is also viewed as a model for the increasing involvement of women in politics, using the power of a public priestess for social mobility. ^[3]

Euergetism

Using her wealth and status, she funded the construction of a large building next to the public forum in Pompeii. This is an example of the idea of euergetism, the socio-political phenomenon of voluntary gift-giving, which exerted an influence on the wealthy people of her time period. ^[4] The presumed use of this building is to serve as the headquarters for the fullers’ guild, although its exact use is uncertain. She dedicated this building, known as the Building of Eumachia, to the Concordia Augusta and to the Pietas. In addition, statues of Tiberius, the emperor during her life, and Livia, his mother, were found on this inside, along with inscriptions on the outside of the building which included dedications to them. Finally, she dedicated the building to her son, Marcus Numistrius Fronto. .^[5] Pietas, as virtue of the Roman Emperor Herennius Etruscus, celebrated with the instruments of cult, such as patera and lituus. ... Tiberius Caesar Augustus, born Tiberius Claudius Nero (November 16, 42 BC – March 16 AD 37), was the second Roman Emperor, from the death of Augustus in AD 14 until his own death in 37. ...

The Statue of Eumachia

In response to her generosity, and symbolic of her power and social status, the fullers built a statue depicting Eumachia in the veiled form of a priestess. They inscribed into its foundation a dedication. The rough translation of this inscription is: “to Eumachia, daughter of Lucius, public priestess of Pompeian Venus, from the fullers.” ^[6] In addition, another inscription relating to Eumachia found in the Corpus Inscriptionem Latinarum states: "EVMACHIAE L F SACERD PVLD FVLLONES,” roughly relating to her status as the patron of the fullers. ^[7]

References

1. ^ Lefkowitz, Mary R., and Maureen B. Fant. Women's Life in Greece and Rome. London: Duckworth, 1982. 259.
2. ^ D'ambra, Eve. Roman Women. New York: Cambridge UP, 2007. 154-155.
3. ^ Salisbury, Joyce E. "Eumachia." Encyclopedia of Women in the Ancient World. Santa Barbara: Abc-Clio, 2001.
4. ^ Hornblower, Simon, and Antony Spawforth, eds. "Pompeii." Oxford Companion to Classical Civilization. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1998.
5. ^ Lefkowitz, Mary R., and Maureen B. Fant. Women's Life in Greece and Rome. London: Duckworth, 1982. 259.
6. ^ Boatwright, Mary T., Daniel J. Gargola, and Richard J. Talbert. A Brief History of the Romans. New York: Oxford UP, 2006. 217.
7. ^ CIL, vol. X, no. 813; Pompeii, first century A.D.