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T.V. Kudryavtseva (Saint Petersburg) – Aemilia Pudentilla: the Modest Charm of a Provincial Matron

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Abstract

The article discusses information about Aemilia Pudentilla, which is given in the “Apologia” of her second husband Apuleius. This speech was delivered by him at his trial on charge of using malicious magic. Based on these data, the image of this extraordinary woman and the details of her biography are reconstructed, which allows us to shed light on a number of interesting gender aspects of the history of the Roman Empire in the 2nd century: women’s education and the role of women in the upbringing and education of her children, the status of a rich widow in the context of provincial city life, a woman’s participation in business life, her relationships with relatives, male guardians, her degree of independence in making important decisions concerning family and business life.

Keywords

Roman Empire, Aemilia Pudentilla, Apuleius, women’s education, magic.

Tatyana V. Kudryavtseva

Herzen State Pedagogical University, Saint Petersburg, Russia

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