User:Douglas Coldwell/Sandboxes/36

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Hippo, a Greek woman is one of the Famous Women written about by Giovanni Boccaccio. She has no history of her ancestory nor her place of birth other than from ancient books which states clearly she was Greek. Nothing is know about her accomplishments in life or anything else about her other than she was a very beautiful young lady. She is noted for a single virtuous act.^[1][2]

Ancient history records that one day at a battle in the Aegean Sea, probably near the Bay of Erythrae, Hippo was captured by enemy sailors. She overheard plans of these mischievous sailors perpetrating a plan to rape her. She valued her chastity so high that once she realized that these sailors would be able to overpower her to accomplish their dastardly deed and that it could not be saved except through death, she threw herself into the sea. She perished and lost her life, but saved her chastity.^[3][4]

Hippo exchanged a premature death and ransomed her chastity at the cost of perhaps a few more years she may have lived had she let the enemy accomplish their evil act. Her body washed ashore by the waves and was recovered by the local people of Erythrae. When they finally heard of her identity and why she had died, they buried her in a ceremony normally reserved only for those that lost their life in a shipwreck. They erected a mighty tomb in her honor.^[5][6]

Boccaccio doesn't state all his sources he used for writing the biographies On Famous Women, but it has been determined that at least some of the information for this biography is based on Valerius Maximus' Factorum ac dictorum memorabilium, Plutarch's De Mulierum Virtutibus, and Livy's Ab urbe condita.^[7][8]

Valerius Maximus devotes Book 6 Chapter 1 to "Chastity."^[9] The Preface to Book 6 explains that Vesta was the goddess of the fireplace and a virgin goddess. ^[10] Maximus further explains that chastity is the chief support of men and women.^[10] He further explains that men and women lived in the fires of Vesta which were declared sacred by ancient religious traditions. ^[10] He says that men and women watched over the couch of Juno on the Capitoline Hill. Juno was the goddess of marriage and worshipped along with Jupiter by men and women.^[10] Maximus further says here that men and women were constantly on guard at the pillar of the Palatine Hill, the admired household, and the sacred marriage bed of Julia.^[10] He explains that men and women were on guard of the lockets of boyhood and the beauty of youth were to be kept pure by the respect of their divinity.^[10] He goes on to explain how much respect a young woman receives is based on how she dresses, which is under her guardianship.^[10]

In Book 6 Chapter 1.1 Maximus tells the story of Lucretia and that she was a champion of chastity. He tells the story how she was violently forced to have sex with Sextus Tarquinius the son of King Tarquin the Proud. Maximus explains that it was a nasty mistake of bad luck and that Lucretia then committed suicide because of the act. Lucretia could not bear the disgrace. Ultimately her brave act lead the Roman people to replace the monarchy with government by consuls.^[10]

In Book 6 Chapter 1.2 Maximus tells the story of Lucius Verginius. ^[11] The story goes that Appius Claudius Crassus demanded sexual relations with Verginius' unmarried daughter.^[11] Because of Claudius' political power he would have eventually been able to force the issue, so her father Verginius killed her in a ruse.^[11] He would rather be the killer of his chaste daughter that the father to an abused one.^[11]

In Book 6 Chapter 1.3 Maximus tells the story of Pontius Aufidianus, a Roman equestrian. ^[12] When Aufidianus learned that his daughter's tutor allowed Fannius Saturninus to have first time relations with her he killed the tutor and his daughter. ^[12] He would rather have tragic funerals than a disgraceful wedding.^[12]

In Book 6 Chapter 1.4 Maximus tells the story of Publius Maenius.^[13] Maximus talks about how strict Maenius was as a guardian of chastity.^[13] Maenius had a freedman that he was quite fond of, however had him put to death.^[13] It seems that he discovered that this freedman kissed his daughter that was of marriageable age.^[13] He wanted to show his daughter that she was to bring to her future husband not only virginity, but untouched lips as well.^[13]

In Book 6 Chapter 1.5 Maximus tells the story of Quintus Fabius Maximus Eburnus.^[14] Eburnus had carried out the highest public offices with great splendor and finished off his career with much dignity, however had to have his son punished for a chastity that was dubious.^[14] Fabius himself was punished for punishing his son by going into exile and not ever seeing his own country again.^[14]

In Book 6 Chapter 1.6 Maximus tells the story of Publius Atilius Philiscus. ^[15] Maximus talks of how he was forced by his master as a young man to sell his body.^[15] When he became an adult he then became a strict father on chastity.^[15] Learning of his daughter's premarital sex he murdered her.^[15]

In Book 6 Chapter 1.7 Maximus tells the story of Marcus Claudius Marcellus.^[16] Maximus tells how Gaius Scantinius Capitolinus, a plebeian aedile, soliciated sex from the son of Marcellus.^[16] A trial took place that Capitolinus was trying to get out of.^[16] Capitolinus had pleaded with the entire body of tributes, however they would not intervene on a trial of chastity.^[16] Capitolinus was found guilty on the sole testimony of the man he had solicited - even though the accusor never spoke a word at trial.^[16] The son was put on the stand and kept his head lowered to the ground all the while in embarrassement during the trial.^[16] His silence was most effective in assuring his vengeance.^[16] The Scantinian Law forbidding homosexual relations with a free born boy was supposedly made because of this case.^[16]

In Book 6 Chapter 1.8 Maximus tells the story of the aedile Quintus Caecilius Metellus Celer. ^[17] He was harsh in punishing lustful inclinations.^[17] He proscuted Gnaeus Sergius Silus in 88 B.C. for just promising to give money to a married woman for sexual favors.^[17] Silus was prosecuted based on just his intentions. This did him more harm than had he done the deed itself and been caught.^[17]

In Book 6 Chapter 1.9 Maximus tells the story of Titus Veturius Calvinus, the son of Titus Veturius Cavinus who did a disgraceful peace treaty with the Samnites.^[18][19] Titus as a young boy was forced to sell himself to Publius Plotius as a sex slave because of the ruin of his family. ^[18] He was beatened with a whip by Plotius because he refused to have sex with him.^[18] Plotius complained to the consuls about Titus' refusal.^[18] The consuls then in turn informed the Senate, who in turn jailed Plotius.^[18] The Senate wanted the chastity of any Roman member to be protected.^[18]

In Book 6 Chapter 1.10 Maximus tells the story of Gaius Cornelius.^[20] He was rewarded four times by his superiors to be the senior centurion of his legion.^[20] However Gaius Pescennius, a triumvir capitalis (prison manager) in 149 B.C., had Cornelius thrown in jail and shackled in irons for having sexual relations with a young boy of free birth.^[20] Cornelius did not deny the charges and was prepared to make a sponsio (legal guarantee). In so doing Cornelius was making a statement and putting down a sum of money as a guarantee of truth.^[20] If the guaranteed statement was found to be false the young boy was to be paid this amount.^[20] His statement was to say that the boy openly and willingly sold his body for cash.^[20] The tribunes refused to allow this since they thought soldiers of the Repuplic should not make deals so that they could pay for pleasures at home by facing dangers overseas.^[20] Cornelius spent the rest of his life in prison.^[20]

In Book 6 Chapter 1.11 Maximus tells the story of Marcus Laetorius Mergus.^[21][22] Cominius and a tribune of the plebs summoned Mergus, who had a military career, before the people because of sexual relations outside his marriage. He was prosecuted and sent to prison.^[22]

In Book 6 Chapter 1.12 Maximus tells the story of Chiomara.^[23] Chiomara was the wife of Ortiagon. During the Galatian War with Rome of 189 BC Gnaeus Manlius Vulso was victorious in a campaign against the Galatian Gauls.^[23] One of his centurions was put in charge of a group of captives including Chiomara. The centurion made sexual advances towards her and she rejected him.^[23] Under violence and force he raped her since he had no self control. The centurion then offered, to assuage his shame, to ransom her back to her people.^[23] When he was counting the gold pieces of the ransom for Chiomara, she indicated to her relatives - with a nod, according to Plutarch,^[24] or by speaking to them in their own language, according to Livy^[25] - that they were to murder him and cut off his head.^[23] She carried the head home and threw it at the feet of her husband.^[23] She told him of the rape and her revenge.^[23] While her body may have fallen into the hands of the enemy, her spirit did not nor her chastity overcome.^[23] A noble thing, dear wife, is fidelity, said her husband. Yes, she replied, but it is a nobler thing that only one man be alive who has been intimate with me.^[24] It is recorded that by the purity and strictness of her life she maintained to the very last the honor of a deed so worthy of a matron.^[25]

In Book 6 Chapter 1.14 Maximus tells the story of the wives of the Teutons. ^[26]

Main article Cimbri

In 103 BC, the Cimbri and their proto-Germanic allies, the Teutons, had turned to Spain where they pillaged far and wide. In 102 B.C. C. Marius met the Teutons at the Rhône. At the estuary of the Isère River, the Teutons and the Ambrones met Marius who followed them. At Aquae Sextiae the Romans took the Teuton king Teutobod prisoner. At the Battle of Vercellae in 101 BC the pillage of the Cimbri came to an end.

The wives of the Teutons pleaded with Marius to send them as a gift to the vestal virgins.^[26] These virgins cared for the eternal fire of Rome in the temple of Vesta.^[26] The wives declared they were to be like these virgins and would not have sexual relations with men. Marius refused their requests.^[26] The following night they all hanged themselves.^[26] If their husbands had wished to imitate the courage of their wives, they would have made the trophies of their Teutonic victory unlikely.^[26]

[edit] Primary Sources

• Livy, Ab urbe condita

• Plutarch, De Mulierum Virtutibus

• Valerius Maximus, Factorum at dictorum memorabilium

[edit] Secondary Sources

• Guarino, G. A., Boccaccio, Concerning Famous Women (New Brunswick, N.J., 1963)

• Brown, Virginia, translation of Giovanni Boccaccio’s On Famous Women by Cambridge and London (2001), Harvard University Press; ISBN 0-674-01130-9

• Walker, Henry John, translation of Valerius Maximus' Memorable Deeds and Sayings: One Thousand Tales from Ancient Rome, Hackett Publishing (2004), ISBN: 0872206742

[edit] Notes

[Category:Women in ancient Greek warfare]]