ROMAN MONUMENTAL MARBLE PORTRAIT HEAD OF POMPEIA PLOTINA TRAJANIC PERIOD, C. 110 - 120 A.D.

Pompeia Plotina was born around 70 A.D. into a prominent Roman family. Little is known about her early life, but she gained prominence when she married the future Emperor Trajan, likely around 100 A.D. As Trajan rose through the ranks of the Roman military and eventually ascended to the imperial throne in 98 A.D., Plotina assumed the role of empress consort.

During Trajan's reign, Plotina was known for her philanthropy and patronage of public works, funding various civic projects and charitable initiatives throughout the empire. Plotina's adherence to Stoic principles, a philosophical school popular among the Roman elite, was notable. She is described as having embraced a life of simplicity and modesty, eschewing the trappings of power and luxury often associated with imperial life.

Lambert speculated on Plotina’s emotional attachment to Hadrian several times, arguing on the one hand that “[Hadrian] had much more in common with Plotina, so much that hostile contemporaries assumed they were lovers” (Lambert 33). Lambert has thus acknowledged that “hostile contemporaries” made this argument. However, just pages later, he writes: “Plotina... may have genuinely regarded him as a lover” (Lambert 39). Strange to make this assumption if just four pages ago you pointed out that only those hostile to Hadrian made that claim. This kind of argument totally erases any political interest Plotina may have had in Hadrian and his policies. Perhaps Plotina agreed with Hadrian’s attempt to unify the empire through a shared Hellenistic culture or maybe she agreed with his attempts to contain the empire within its current limits. Or maybe she was merely attracted to him, and her political actions were based solely on her sexual desires. To claim that women only act politically due to their abnormal sex drives is the quintessential erasure of women in politics.

Lambert’s poor treatment of Sabina rivals that of Hadrian himself. Lambert writes:

...[Sabina] would never have suited him. Though she clearly tried to adapt herself to her husband’s intellectual tastes and grew in later years more into an imperial stature, even receiving late and minimal honors, she was no Plotina. She had not the resources to sublimate her sexual rejection by her husband into unstinting personal companionship, political and cultural activity, gaining a reputation for the incorruptible matronly virtue of Rome. As Sabina’s portraits show, especially the tight button of a mouth under the long nose, her lot was festering frustration and unconcealed bitterness (Lambert 39).

There’s just so much misogyny here it’s honestly unbelievable. Citing no evidence despite the fact that he dedicated whole chapters to discussing the remaining evidence for Antinous’s life, Lambert dismisses Sabina’s entire existence as a tragedy of “festering frustration and unconcealed bitterness.” Indeed, she spent her entire life, her every waking moment, trying to please her husband, and while he gave her but “late and minimal honors,” Sabina really ought to have managed “to sublimate her sexual rejection... into unstinting personal companionship.” Even though Hadrian gave her nothing, Sabina really should have given Hadrian everything, putting aside her own desires and wants to please and support him. How absolutely absurd. Wives do not exist to unfailingly support their husbands, especially if their husbands give them no support in return.

Besides, should we really read emotional characters into facial appearances of portrait busts? Should we really say Antinous looks sad or Hadrian looks lonely or Sabina looks bitter? That seems like reading in a bust the character one wants or hopes to see. It’s certainly not strong enough evidence to convince me.

It’s also funny how Sabina’s success at “gaining a reputation for the incorruptible matronly virtue of Rome” is now viewed as an unfortunate characteristic, even though her contemporary Romans would have looked well upon that. 

Last night, I was reading a little further, and Lambert, in an analysis of Hadrian’s coinage, deemed it best to write that: “we can learn... when [Hadrian] was publicly on good terms with his shrew of a wife” (Lambert 52). His “shrew of a wife?” What evidence are you citing, save for your own sexism, Lambert?

(IMAGE ID: a poster titled “everybody loves trajan”. in the center is trajan himself, with four people clinging to his arms, those being hadrian, nerva, the most noble and handsome augustus, and pompeia plotina)

I'm curious about her hair. [Roman coin depicting Pompeia Plotina and naming her Augusta, Image Source]

Empress Pompeia Plotina (died c.122 CE), like Livia Drusilla 100 years before her, was presented as a model wife and the ideal for an Empress.  She showed herself to Rome as a modest, hardworking, obedient wife.  She did not, however, stay out of politics.  She had her own views regarding what was good for Rome and did not hesitate to push for her own causes.

Born the daughter of Lucius Pompeius, Plotina was probably raised in or near Nemasus (modern Nimes, France).  She married a general named Trajan and accompanied him to Cologne in 88 CE when he was sent to end a revolt in the area.  In 98, Trajan succeeded Nerva as Emperor and the couple moved to Rome.  In the following years, Plotina cultivated her reputation as an ideal wife.  She ran the Imperial household, wove, and presented herself as modest* and entirely obedient to her husband before the Roman public.  When Trajan tried to award her the title of Augusta in 100 CE, she refused it, only agreeing to accept it five years later.

None of this meant, however, that Plotina was uninterested or uninvolved in the running of the Empire anymore than the image of obedience meant she could not act on her own.  She had influence as the Emperor’s wife and she knew how to use her reputation and his to get what she wanted.  She was particularly interested in the welfare of the Roman people, pushing for fairer taxation and public aid for the poor, especially orphans and widows.  She was also particularly devoted to the Epicurean school of philosophy, seeking the help of Hadrian, Trajan’s successor, on their behalf.

Plotina was quite fond of Hadrian.  It was she who arranged his marriage to Vibia Sabina, strengthening his claim to imperial power.  When Trajan died, she was the one who signed his will, formally adopting Hadrian as his heir** and making him Emperor.  In the last years of her life he apparently never failed to give her what she wished for, though according to him she never asked for anything unreasonable.  When she died in the early 120s, he had her deified and built a temple for her in the place of her birth.

*The story goes that on entering the imperial palace for the first time she said she hoped she would leave it as the same woman she was when she entered. **The couple had no children.

Pompeia Plotina

marble

Capitoline Museums