Abstract
Epigraphic evidence from Pompeii and Herculaneum provides valuable insights into the lives of plebeian women during the early Roman Empire in Italy. While ancient writings shape our understanding of women in antiquity, a gap persists regarding their influence and societal roles. Despite fragmentary evidence, it indicates that plebeian women were not confined to traditional roles; they had the capacity to expand and redefine social boundaries while upholding Roman values of piety, modesty, and family.
For this study, epigraphic evidence from Pompeii and Herculaneum is utilised. Both cities suffered from the same volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE and exhibit similarities and differences in their epigraphic records. While Pompeii provides extensive and varied evidence, Herculaneum has a smaller yet detailed collection concerning the lives of plebeian women. Although plebeian women’s roles traditionally centred around the domestic sphere, this study reveals that their identities extended into their occupational and civic lives. By contrasting the literary invisibility of plebeian women—due to the bias of male elites—with a nuanced understanding of their lived experiences, this study examines depictions of plebeian women in funerary inscriptions, tombs, and wall inscriptions. It examines the burial practices and roles attributed to plebeian women and what these portrayals disclose about them.
Epigraphic evidence shows plebeian women had domestic roles but also owned property, managed finances, and ran businesses. Despite limited legal rights, they influenced politics by supporting candidates. Contrary to old scholarly views, plebeians actively participated in public life and worked with men, possibly driven by self-interest, similar to modern Western opposition to women defying traditional roles. This may also explain occasional hostility towards women and marriage in Latin literature.