The Theory That Unites the Classics: Why the "Lady in Red" is Vergil's Plotia Hieria
If you're a Devil May Cry fan like me, you've probably already asked yourself: who, exactly, is Nero's mother? Capcom has never given us a name, just a fleeting image โ that woman in the red dress, the "Lady in Red," who shares a glance with Vergil in the opening cutscene of DMC 4: Special Edition.
For years, the community has speculated: was she a prostitute from Fortuna? An unknown noblewoman? A witch like Kat from the DmC reboot? A sorceress like Arkham? Or even a supposed... member of the Order of the Sword?
Well, after diving down literary rabbit holes that started in the Divine Comedy and ended in Ancient Rome, I believe I've found the answer. Nero's mother is named Plotia Hieria.
And the story behind that name is one of such tragic beauty that it would make even Vergil shed a tear.
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The Official Timeline (Confirmed by Capcom)
Before we continue, a crucial correction so no one criticizes me.
According to a Capcom article released in April 2015 (before the launch of DMC4: Special Edition), the game's producers officially confirmed that the "Vergil" mode in DMC4 SE takes place before the events of DMC3.
"The development team confirmed that the timeline of the 'Vergil Mode' in Devil May Cry 4: Special Edition occurs before the events of Devil May Cry 3."
This means: Vergil was approximately 17-18 years old when he visited Fortuna and met the Lady in Red.
In the opening cutscene of Vergil's mode in DMC4 SE, we see the following: he is investigating the Order of the Sword, who worship Sparda as a god. He walks through the streets of Fortuna, and a woman in a red dress notices him as he passes.
After the investigation, Vergil leaves Fortuna with an enigmatic phrase:
"Well, I can't exactly say they're wrong. But soon, they will know the power of this demon. A power greater than they ever imagined, the power of a son of Sparda."
At the end of the cutscene, a shadow resembling Nero's Devil Trigger appears behind him โ the visual clue that Nero is his son.
Therefore: The Lady in Red appeared in Vergil's life when he was a 17-year-old teenager, before the events of DMC3. She was the last flicker of humanity before his fall.
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The Name That Came from History
Let's start at the beginning. Everyone knows the name Vergil is a homage to the Roman poet Publius Vergilius Maro, author of the Aeneid and Dante's guide through Hell.
But what few people know is that the real-life Virgil had โ or at least is said to have had โ a single documented romance. The woman's name? Plotia Hieria.
The ancient sources are contradictory, and that's where things get interesting for us.
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The Faces of Plotia Hieria:
History gives us two versions of who Plotia was, and both fit perfectly into the theories about Nero's mother:
Version 1 โ The Courtesan: Some ancient scholars suggest that the name "Hieria" referred to a hierodule, a type of sacred prostitute or courtesan from antiquity. This aligns perfectly with the most popular theory in the DMC community: that Nero's mother was a sex worker in Fortuna. A casual encounter. Just one night. No declared love. Pure Vergil.
Version 2 โ The Donor Matron: On the other hand, the name "Plotia" connects to the powerful Gens Plautia, a wealthy, land-owning Roman family. This would describe a woman of status, a property owner, independent. Someone who wouldn't easily submit to anyone. Exactly the type of strong, challenging woman who could attract the attention โ and perhaps even the respect โ of Vergil.
Which of the two is true? History doesn't know. And it's this ambiguity that makes the theory so brilliant.
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--- ADDITION: WHAT THE TERM "HIERIA" REVEALS ABOUT THESE FACES ---
These theories are fascinating because they transform an almost forgotten name into a complex social profile from Ancient Rome. The debate over Plotia Hieria's identity revolves precisely around the etymology and the status that each part of the name suggests. Here's what philological and historical investigations say about these three paths:
1. Plotia: The Connection to Aristocracy and Lands
The name Plotia (or Plautia) points directly to the Gens Plautia, an influential Roman lineage.
ยท Landowner: In Rome of the 1st century BC, women from wealthy families like the Gens Plautia often owned properties and managed businesses, especially if they were widows or heiresses.
ยท The "Domina": Historians suggest that, if she existed, Plotia could have been a wealthy Roman matron who offered support or refuge to literary circles. The fact that her name survived suggests she was not a marginal figure, but someone with enough social relevance to be mentioned in Virgil's biographies.
2. Hieria as "Priestess" (The Sacred Path)
The priestess theory comes from the Greek root "Hieros" (sacred/holy).
ยท Meaning: Hieria was the Greek term for an official priestess.
ยท The Theory: Some scholars believe the name could have been a title or nickname given to her for her religious devotion or for belonging to a specific cult (perhaps of foreign deities or Greek mysteries popular in Rome and Naples). This would have given her a more solemn appearance, wearing the Roman palla (cloak) in a ritualistic manner.
3. Hieria as "Courtesan" or Prostitute (The Mundane Path)
This is the most debated and controversial theory, based on the common practice in Rome of giving "exotic" Greek names to women of lower social classes or those working in entertainment.
ยท Courtesan (Hetaira): In Greco-Roman culture, a Hetaira was not a common prostitute, but an educated woman, versed in arts, music, and philosophy, who served as a companion for the intellectual elite.
ยท Why the confusion? The Greek term Hiera (sacred) was sometimes used ironically or by association with the "sacred prostitutes" of temples like that of Aphrodite.
ยท Broch's Vision: Hermann Broch touches on this ambiguity. For him, Plotia is not a domestic "wife," but a figure of desire and freedom who challenges the norms of the traditional Roman matron.
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The Meaning of "Hieria": Sacred, Consecrated (3rd Version: Greek Priestess)
Regarding the historical figure of Plotia Hieria, there is a third layer of meaning in her name worth knowing.
The name "Hieria" derives from the Greek hieros (แผฑฮตฯฯฯ), meaning "sacred" or "consecrated." In Antiquity, feminine names like Hieria or Hiera were often associated with women consecrated to the service of a temple or deity โ in other words, Greek priestesses.
This means that, for scholars analyzing the etymology, Plotia Hieria could have been seen as a woman of spiritual power, someone linked to sacred rituals or a specific temple. In other words, a Greek Priestess.
It's worth reiterating: this is information about the historical Roman character, not an assumption about Nero's mother. But it's a fascinating piece of data, showing that even the name Plotia Hieria carries multiple layers of meaning โ courtesan, matron, priestess โ depending on which source or interpretation one chooses to follow.
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The Detail That Changes Everything: The Obstinate Refusal
The most fascinating version of Plotia Hieria's story โ and the one that connects most to Vergil in DMC โ is not the "gift from Maecenas" or the supposed prostitute. It's the version that Plotia herself told in her old age.
According to the Life of Virgil attributed to Donatus (but based on Suetonius), there was a rumor that the poet had been involved with Plotia Hieria. However, the grammarian Asconius Pedianus recorded a completely different version โ and he obtained it directly from Plotia's own mouth.
Plotia Hieria herself, as an old woman, recounted that Virgil was indeed invited by their mutual friend, the poet Lucius Varius Rufus, to be with her โ but he refused, with the greatest obstinacy possible (pertinacissime recusasse) โ and she said they never had a romantic affair.
Translation: she lived to tell the story of how she was rejected.
This is Vergil in DMC at his core. The obstinate refusal to reveal his past in Fortuna about his affair with that girl, and the fact that he didn't stay with her for long, choosing instead his quest for power. The impenetrable emotional wall. The "no" spoken without hesitation.
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The Trauma That Created the Monster: Vergil's True Motivation
Many fans reduce Vergil to "a guy who just wants power." But the truth is far more tragic and complex.
Why Does Vergil Seek Power?
In DMC3, Vergil says the phrase that defines his philosophy:
"Power controls everything, and without strength, you cannot protect anything... Let alone yourself."
But why does he think that way?
The answer lies in his childhood trauma. Vergil and Dante were 8 years old when Mundus attacked their home and killed their mother, Eva. While Eva hid Dante and gave her life for him, Vergil was alone โ and he felt powerless to save her.
That powerlessness transformed into an insatiable hunger for power. Vergil swore he would never again be weak enough to lose someone he loves.
The Love He Cannot Admit
One of the most insightful posts in the DMC community argues the following:
"Vergil let someone get close. Even if it didn't last, Vergil loved someone, and that terrified him. When he was little, he didn't have the power to save his family. Now, he had a family again. He had something to lose, and because of that emotional scar, even being incredibly powerful, he felt he needed MORE power."
This explains everything:
ยท Vergil met the Lady in Red in Fortuna.
ยท He allowed himself to feel something โ perhaps even love.
ยท But the fear of losing another person he loves made him run away.
ยท He decided power was the only answer.
ยท He abandoned the woman (not knowing she was pregnant) and set off in search of Sparda's strength.
The Phrase That Sums It All Up
In DMC3, Vergil asks Dante:
"That day, if our positions had been switched... Would our fates be different? Would I have your life, and you mine?"
This question haunts Vergil. It is the root of everything. He doesn't want power out of malice โ he wants power because being afraid of losing someone hurts too much.
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The Quest for Power from the Pastoral Poem: Tityrus, Amaryllis, and the Price of Ambition
One of the most fascinating points โ and no one can criticize me because it's in the classical sources โ is that Virgil himself placed himself within his pastoral poems as a character named Tityrus.
Tityrus: The Poet's Alter Ego
In Eclogue I of the Bucolics, the shepherd Tityrus is lying in the shade of a beech tree, singing about his beloved Amaryllis with a rustic flute. Meanwhile, Meliboeus, another shepherd, is forced into exile, his lands confiscated after the Roman civil wars.
The scene is emblematic: Tityrus is at peace because a "god" โ identified by ancient commentators as Octavian (the future Emperor Augustus) โ guaranteed his freedom and his lands.
"Tityrus, you โ lying under the spreading canopy of a beech tree / practice a woodland Muse on a slender reed."
Ancient commentators like Servius, and many modern scholars, state that Tityrus is an alter ego of Virgil himself. The Roman poet placed himself in the role of the privileged shepherd whose lands and freedom were secured by a powerful patron.
Applying to DMC: Vergil as Tityrus
Applying this to Devil May Cry: Vergil, the son of Sparda baptized in honor of Virgil, would have his own "Amaryllis" โ the Lady in Red.
And, like Tityrus, he traded love for the pursuit of power.
In the poem, Tityrus only achieves peace and freedom because an "earthly god" (Octavian) grants him protection. The price? We don't know. But we know Tityrus is "lying in the shade" while Meliboeus is driven out.
In DMC, Vergil chose power. He sought Sparda's strength, the seal of Mundus, the Yamato โ all while leaving behind any chance of love, family, or rest.
The Lady in Red is Vergil's Amaryllis โ the muse he sang of (or lived with) and then abandoned to follow his own "earthly god": power.
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The Meaning of Amaryllis: "Bella Donna" and the Symbolism of Flowers:
And there's a detail that ties the theory together with an almost perfect knot, uniting botany, linguistics, and the game's color palette.
The name Amaryllis carries a special meaning. According to etymology, Amaryllis derives from the Greek amarรฝssล (แผฮผฮฑฯฯฯฯฯ), meaning "to sparkle," "to shine," "to glisten." It's a name that evokes light, beauty, something that catches the eye โ exactly like the Lady in Red, who appears in a flash of red in the DMC4 SE cutscene.
But the most impressive detail comes from the flower species known as Amaryllis belladonna. The term "belladonna" comes directly from Italian and means "beautiful lady" (bella + donna).
"Belladonna รจ un epiteto latino che significa bella signora." (Belladonna is a Latin epithet meaning beautiful lady.)
In other words: Amaryllis = "Beautiful Lady." The Lady in Red is, literally, a "beautiful lady" โ a belladonna.
In the Victorian language of flowers, the amaryllis carries symbolism that fits perfectly into the story of Vergil and his mysterious beloved. The flower means "love, beauty, and determination," and can also represent hope and conquest. Other sources add meanings like "pride and splendid beauty."
All of these attributes โ love, determination, pride, a beauty that dazzles โ describe both the historical figure of Plotia Hieria (the woman who dared approach the poet) and the Lady in Red (the woman who caught the son of Sparda's attention).
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An Important Historical Note:
The truth is that it's very likely the Amaryllis belladonna flower was not known in the Roman Empire, much less by that name. The plant is native to South Africa and was only introduced to Europe in the 18th century. The botanist Carl Linnaeus named the genus in the 18th century, inspired precisely by Virgil's shepherdess.
This means that, historically, Virgil never saw an amaryllis flower. The name traveled backward in time: first came the literary shepherdess (inspired by a real woman like Plotia), and centuries later came the flower named in her honor.
And this is exactly what makes the theory so brilliant.
Capcom, in creating Vergil, wasn't making a documentary about Roman botany. They were weaving a tapestry of cultural and literary references. And the name Amaryllis belladonna connects perfectly:
1. Virgil's shepherdess (the muse)
2. The Italian "beautiful lady" (bella donna โ echoing the aesthetic of Devil May Cry, a franchise Italian at its core)
3. The flower that symbolizes pride, love, and determination (traits of Vergil himself and, speculatively, of the woman who dared to love him)
4. The deep red color the flower can take on (the Lady in Red's dress)
The anachronism isn't a mistake โ it's a poetic homage. Capcom wasn't saying that Vergil knew the flower. They were saying that, for us, 21st-century players, the figure of Nero's mother is like the amaryllis: beautiful, proud, determined, blooming on a solitary stem, in shades ranging from pink to deep red โ the color of power, passion, and Sparda's blood.
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Plotia, the Storyteller
The image of an elderly Plotia narrating her memories to anyone who would listen is almost cinematic. She wasn't a secret lover or a forgotten figure of history โ she herself kept alive the memory of that encounter that never happened.
Applying this to DMC: Nero's mother never appeared again in the official story. But what if she, like Plotia, survived? Or not? This remains a great mystery for both characters.
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The Encounter in Fortuna: Before DMC3
Here's a crucial point many fans ignore: Vergil's encounter with Nero's mother in Fortuna (DMC4 SE) took place before the events of DMC3 (chronologically), when he was still a teenager: 17 years old (confirmed in the novel Deadly Fortune).
Vergil wasn't Nelo Angelo when he met the Lady in Red. He was young, full of himself, and still carried a spark of humanity. The flame of love could still have been kindled โ and perhaps it was.
And yet โ even with all that โ he chose to leave. He chose power. He chose to become what the poet Virgil never was: a man who looked love in the eyes and said "no," without even looking back.
The obstinate refusal. Just like Virgil.
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The Decisive Argument: "The Death of Virgil"
But the deepest point of this theory โ and what made me certain I was right โ came from a book.
In The Death of Virgil, by the Austrian writer Hermann Broch (1945), the figure of Plotia Hieria is rescued from oblivion and transformed into something much greater.
In the novel, which takes place in the poet's final hours, Plotia is not just a lover. She is the personification of renounced love. She appears in Virgil's feverish hallucinations to remind him of everything he sacrificed in the name of his art. She is the life he didn't live. The touch he didn't give. The son he didn't raise.
In the novel's climax, Plotia appears and calls him to a mutual love and the destruction of his work: the Aeneid โ the renunciation of beauty in the name of love. And in the end, upon dying, Virgil reconciles with her โ not as a person, but as a principle: the love he finally accepts having abandoned.
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Translating to DMC
Now tell me: isn't this exactly Vergil's story in Devil May Cry?
The Vergil who rejected humanity in the name of power.
The Vergil who had a son and abandoned him.
The Vergil who spent decades pursuing brute strength and ignoring any emotional ties.
The Vergil who, at the end of DMC5, finally accepts Nero as his son โ and, in doing so, accepts the love he once left behind.
When Dante finally asks why Vergil never sought them out, the answer is dry and cold:
"...That was a long time ago."
It's not just about time. It's about a man who decided that the chapter of family, love, and the perhaps "Lady in Red" was closed before it even began. Vergil doesn't seek out Dante or Nero because, in his mind, the young man who loved (or was loved by) Plotia Hieria died in the rain, in front of Eva's house.
The difference is that the historical Virgil refused Plotia before any involvement. The DMC Vergil, however, had a son โ and still refused to stay.
On the deathbed of the poet Virgil, he reconciles with renounced love. Vergil, on the other hand, can only bury it deep and say that "that" belongs to a past he refuses to revisit โ until, finally, at the end of the game, he accepts Nero.
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What Vergil's Voice Actor Says
Interestingly, Dan Southworth (Vergil's voice actor) has commented on Nero's mother. In an interview, he said he is grateful to Capcom for not describing many details about her, but left an important clue:
"To be worthy of Vergil's time, she needs to be significant, so obviously this is a significant person."
In other words: to be worthy of Vergil's time, this woman needs to be someone significant. It wasn't just anyone. It was someone who, somehow, managed to break through the emotional barriers of the Son of Sparda โ even if only for a brief moment.
And Plotia Hieria, whether a courtesan or a matron, was the only one who almost made him forget himself.
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The Japanese Version and the "Night of Fun"
A fascinating detail that few Western fans know: in the Japanese subtitles of DMC5, Vergil responds to Dante with a slightly different phrase:
"Just like you, I too have had my nights of fun."
This version has a lighter tone, almost nostalgic, suggesting that Vergil acknowledges โ albeit coldly โ that there was a time when he allowed himself something akin to pleasure or human connection.
The "night of fun" in Fortuna was exactly that: a flicker of humanity amidst a life of darkness. And the result of that night was Nero.
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Conclusion: Why the Lady in Red is Plotia Hieria
The "Lady in Red" doesn't need a name because, metaphorically, she is Vergil's renounced love. And by giving her the name Plotia Hieria, Capcom would be paying homage not only to the Roman poet but to the very idea that every great power demands an equally great sacrifice.
She was significant enough to be "worthy of Vergil's time." She was the only woman in history capable of breaking through the son of Sparda's defenses. And even so โ perhaps because of it โ he left her behind.
Like Amaryllis, she exists only as a poetic shadow in the poet's mind.
Like Tityrus is Virgil's alter ego, Vergil has his own version of the shepherd who sings (and loses) his muse.
Like Plotia, she lived to tell the story of the refusal โ or at least, she could have lived.
Like in Broch's novel, she is the voice that calls him to renounce beauty in the name of love.
And her name, "Beautiful Lady" in Italian, echoes in the Amaryllis belladonna flower โ which, even anachronistically, symbolizes pride, love, and determination, blooming in shades of deep red, like the dress she wears in the only scene she appears.
Because, deep down, Vergil was always afraid of one thing: not Mundus's power, not Dante's sword, but of needing someone.
And Plotia Hieria, the woman in the red dress, whether a courtesan or a matron, was the only one who almost made him forget that.
