Pompeia Paulina

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Pompeia Paulina was the wife of the statesman, philosopher, and orator Lucius Annaeus Seneca, and she was part of a circle of educated Romans who sought to lead a principled life under the emperor Nero. Her husband was the emperor's tutor and later became his political adviser and minister. In 65 CE Nero demanded that Seneca commit suicide. He accused Seneca of taking part in the Pisonian conspiracy against him.

[edit] Suicide Attempt

As Pompeia was wife of Seneca, Nero's Tutor, it would be expected that she also wanted to die, and she did plan to kill herself. Seneca cut veins in his arms and legs, and Pompeia also slit her wrists, much to Seneca's dismay, though he didn't entirely disapprove. Upon learning that she was trying to kill herself, Nero ordered that Pompeia not die, and he sent several soldiers to ensure that her slaves and freedman bandaged her. Servants then made a tourniquet, her arms were wrapped, and she survived.

After much rethinking, she decided to follow her dead husband's advice and continue with life, and served as caretaker to her husband's ceremony. However, after the suicide attempt, she was said to have been very frail, with an unusually pale face. She died a few years later.

[edit] References

• M. Bunson, art. Paulina, Pompeia, in M. Bunson, Encyclopedia of the Roman Empire, New York, 1994, p. 316.
• M. Lightman - B. Lightman, art. Pompeia Paulina, in M. Lightman - B. Lightman (edd.), Biographical Dictionary of Ancient Greek and Roman Women: Notable Women from Sappho to Helena, New York, 2000, p. 190.
• W. Smith, art. Paulina or Paullina (3), in W. Smith (ed.), A dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology, I, Boston, 1867, p. 141.