Damsels in distress: depictions of mythical women at Pompeii and what they say about Pompeiian women and society
written by Charne Combrink
During my experience of collecting data on Pompeiian wall paintings for the MANTO project, I noticed an emerging trend in how mythical women were depicted. Whilst many scenes throughout Pompeii exhibit heroic tales and exciting stories, I encountered a recurring theme of women either being rescued or seduced by the heroes and gods of these narratives.
Whilst women were illustrated doing a variety of things throughout Pompeii, like Aphrodite fishing or Thetis acquiring Achilles’ armour, the prominent theme of a “damsel in distress” is what caught my attention. While many scenes like that of Perseus rescuing Andromeda exist, the scene of Ariadne being abandoned by Theseus and then being rescued by Dionysos is a scenario that is depicted repetitively throughout Pompeii. This scene at a dwelling near the outskirts of Pompeii (r6-i9-p2-space-16) is a rendition that is almost identically replicated throughout the city. In the image below you see Ariadne weeping in the forefront while a winged cupid points towards Theseus’ ship in the distance. The repetitive use of this image caused me to wonder why this would have been such a popular scene throughout Pompeii. This story likely held great significance to the people of Pompeii as its connections to Greek mythology display themes of betrayal, abandonment, and fate. The tale of Theseus and Ariadne was well-known in ancient Greece, and its repetitive depiction displays its connection with the audience. This myth perhaps resonated due to it being a cautionary tale, causing the audience to reflect on their own lives and experiences.
As for the theme of seduction, I often caught my peers and I pointing out scenes of Zeus metamorphosed as an animal as a means to seduce mortal women. A popular one that transpired often was that of Europa and Zeus as a bull, but more prominently was Leda depicted with Zeus as a swan. In a nearby dwelling to the wall painting just discussed, there’s an image of Leda seated on a throne holding Zeus in his swan form (r6-i15-p1-space-e). The story of Leda and Zeus was evidently popular amongst the citizens of Pompeii, which too led me to reflect on why this was. Variations of this story depict Leda being either seduced or raped by Zeus, with some renditions showing her attempts to escape him. This story was a tale of divine seduction, power, and desire that would have captured the broad imagination of viewers. With the theme of how divine intervention impacts mortal lives a resonance with the audience’s cultural and religious beliefs would have transpired. The popularity of this painting throughout Pompeii offered viewers the opportunity to contemplate the story’s meaning and the complexities of mortal and divine relationships.
But what does the popularity of these renditions say about how women were viewed in Pompeiian society? The portrayals of Ariadne and Leda in these paintings may reflect the complex roles that women could have occupied. These depictions display these women in vulnerable situations where they are subjected to the decisions and actions of men, possibly hinting at the complex emotions and experiences of betrayal and abandonment that Pompeiian women may have encountered in their own lives. Did this imply that the women of Pompeii were often perceived as objects of desire whose lives were intertwined with the actions and choices of male figures in positions of authority? It’s plausible. Research on women of the past is scarce due to historical record biases with many scholars considering women’s activities as “less worthy of record” (Lyding Will (1979), ‘Women in Pompeii’, AIA 32: 34–43). There are various other reasons as to why studies on women from antiquity are limited but sources such as these wall paintings allow researchers and general viewers to gain insight into what the lives of the women of Pompeii may have been like.
This is the fourth in a series of blog posts from students at Macquarie University who are participating in this semester’s PACE internship.