Sulpiciae Eligiae: The LIfe, Times and Works of a Roman Woman
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CHILDHOOD AND EDUCATION
Sulpicia was born to a wealthy family from Etruria just north of the city of Rome. She was probably born sometime between 55 and 45 BC, though the exact date is uncertain. Her father, Servius Sulpicius Rufus, a member of the Lemonian tribe with full voting privileges in Rome, was a friend and colleague of Marcus Tullius Cicero the eloquent orator and arguably the most significant politician of the Roman Republic. Servius was a well educated and well spoken man. He studied rhetoric with Cicero, but found that law suited him best. Thus, he became a successful Roman jurist and because of his family’s wealth, he was influential amongst Rome’s elite upper class patricians. He wrote over 180 treatises on law, though none have survived into modern times. There is one important piece of writing that has lasted over two thousand years though, and that is a copy of a letter he wrote to Cicero expressing his condolences over the death of Tulia, Cicero’s daughter. During his life, Servius seems to have impacted the lives of various Romans who played a key role during the tumultuous Civil Wars of the Late Roman Republic. Cicero, in one of his letters to Servius, described him as a man of wisdom and character, a true friend in times of deep sorrow, one who offers sincere condolences and is always willing to listen and converse over matters both private and public.
In 63 BC Sulpicius ran for consul, but was defeated by Lucius Licinius Murena, whom he later accused of bribery. Ironically it was his friend, Cicero who defended Murena. Sulpicius would eventually gain the consulship though twelve years later. It was during his consulship that Sulpicius had the opportunity to become better acquainted with Gaius Iulius Caesar. After much reasoning, Sulpicius decided to support Caesar against Pompey and his allies. Fortunately for Sulpicius he was rewarded by Caesar in 46 BC when he was made the proconsul of Achaea, the largest province in all of Greece.
Sulpicia’s mother, Valeria, was the sister of Valerius Messalla Corvinus a friend and military ally of Augustus, however little is known about Valeria. As far as historians can tell, Sulpicia had a brother, Sulpicius, who is described in the same benevolent manner as his father by Cicero. After the death of Cicero’s daughter Tulia, the younger Sulpicius visits Cicero and is described as being “kind, thoughtful, and honorable.” There is no other mention of her mother or brother in the annals of history.
It is perhaps through her uncle, Messalla, that Sulpicia was introduced to the wonders of Latin and Greek poetry and literature. Messalla was not only a soldier and politician; he was a lover of the arts. After the death of Sulpicius in 43 BC, in the tradition of Roman patris potestas, Messalla became the guardian of Sulpicia. Sulpicia mentions him in Dies Cerintho.
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About the Book
This small book of the writings of the Augustan Sulpicia introduces the young Latin student to the sophisticated and eloquent poetry of one of Rome’s most readable poets, especially for students at the intermediate to advanced Latin stage. This book is divided into three sections: “The Life of Sulpicia,” “Catullus and His Influence on Sulpicia” and “The Elegies.” In the first section of the book, “The Life of Sulpicia,” the reader is given a historical and biographical sketch of her life and times. The intent of this section is to show the reader that she was a well-educated and highly sophisticated Roman woman who just happened to live during the tumultuous times of the Republican Civil Wars.
In the second section of the book, “Catullus and His Influence on Sulpicia,” the reader is introduced to the literary genre known as Neoteric poetics, of which Sulpicia’s works could be classified. The reader learns about the genius of the Greeks, specifically Callimachus, and how his poetry affected the young poets who were under the patronage of Maecenas—most notably Catullus. Arguably, the most widely known Latin poet of this style was Catullus. The reader is introduced to his writings and the many ways in which the Greek poetic style influenced his writings and in turn Sulpicia.
Also in this section of the book, “The Elegies,” the reader encounters five of Sulpicia’s six elegies in Latin. In Section III after each poem are exercises and questions for students to complete as an assessment. The questions range from parsing exercises, to questions requiring students to analyze Sulpicia’s feelings, thoughts, etc.
About the Author
Matthew E. Randall is a teacher of Latin at Providence Academy and Latin instructor in the Upward Bound Program at the University of Arkansas. He is a graduate of the University of Arkansas where he studied Latin, Ancient Roman History and Classical Studies. His students have taken the National Latin Exam for the past five years scoring well above the national average.