Plastic accommodations of female agency: Vergil, Horace and Antipater of Thessalonica

Thea S Thorsen

doi:10.7557/13.3179

Abstract

By taking statues in the Portico of Pompey as a point of departure, the present investigation centres on the less known poet Antipater of Thessalonica, who composed epigrams in Greek in Augustan Rome, as well as the famous Augustan poets Horace and Vergil. Representations of male figures in the object position that go back to Homer will be important as a contrast to representations of female agency in Augustan Rome. As will be shown, Antipater, Horace and Vergil highlight female agency in subject as well as object positions that resonate with a number of the female figures in the Pompeian Portico, thus contributing to a richer understanding of how women may be represented in ancient art forms.

Highlights

Female figures abound in various art forms in the ancient tradition
The Portico of Pompey was a part of the great Pompeian Complex, which was built during the sixties and fifties BC2 in commemoration of the three triumphs of Pompey the Great
At the same time Sappho and Corinna, at least her name, figure in Augustan poetry, where they appear as objects of the attention of male poets

Summary

Introduction

Female figures abound in various art forms in the ancient tradition. Such figures are often cast in the role of objects. Sappho and Corinna most conspicuously stand out among the female figures in the Portico of Pompey, because they are the two most famous women poets of Antiquity.

Results

Conclusion