The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-07-11
O M IN ANCIENT ROME.
Natrors Who Were Not 60 BE Trihcd
with, Gaze Of Whoiesalc Poisoning.

not safe 10 tniic with the feelings oil 40
man women. They were. like Roman
men. possessed Of great decision OF
character. and when provoked could do
the most daring deeds, reckless Of the
consequences. If they were treated
kindly and ON equal terms, they were the
best Of wives, and ] am convinced that
their goodness and tirmness were the
most cifectual causes Of the freedom
which they attained. But II husbands
NM into force their traditional power
and claimed supreme domination over
them they were exactly the women to
resist. Aud the history of Rome throws
70 lnrid light on tins aspect of their char
aclcr: for occasionally they took stern
and wild vengeance when husbands went
too far in their dcspotic actions. Will
adduce ore or two instances OF ms:
IN the wear 33f Il. G. many Of the
Roman citizens, ami especially many OF
the Eoman mobiles, were attacked by an
unknown disease. which showed the same
SYMPTOMS IN all. and nearly all perlshed.
The cause wa wrapt in obscurity. but
at length a maid servant went 10 a curule
eddie and sand she could explain the
origin Of the disease, but would not 90
50 unless security were given her that
! she world suffer DO harm IN consequence.
| The curIIle &dile brought the matter be
fore the %consul', the consuls consulted
| the senate. and a resolution was passed
guaranteeing safety to the maid servant.
Whereupon she declared that the deaths
arose from poison; that the matrons were
in the habit of compOundlng drugs, ana
she could take the officials TO a house IN
which they would come upon the matrons
while engaged in the operation.
The officials accepted her offer, fol
lowed her ana found, as she had said,
the matrons compromising drugs. About
twenty Of them were conveyed 10 the
Forum. and were subjected TO an oN-
animation on their doiugs. Twoof them,
Of noble family and with patrician names,
! Cornclia and Sergia, affirmed that the
drugs were perfectly wholesome. That
could easily be tested. and the 81
matrons were requested 10 prove then
iruthfulncss by drinking the mkt
ure. The two matrons begged for
a few moments of private talk
with the rest Of their associate, but
within sight of the people. Permls-
sion was granted, a few words were PIX
changed, and then all of the twenty
matrons came back. boldly quaiied the
liquor. and died IN consequence. Then
a search was made for all the matrOns
who had been engaged in this conspiracy
and 40 were found guilty. The men
| explained the occurrence by asserting
that the women were infatuated; but
probably they knew well why recourse
was had to such violent measures, and
that Roman matrons were not likely 10
be subjected TO tyranny without making
an effort in II way or another to pu,
an end TO il.
An occurrence of a similar nature took
place in $50 b. c. In this case there can
scarcely be a doubt that a real plague
ragged, for it lasted for three years and
decimatcd Italy. But the women were
| enraged with the men for the harsh
measures which had been taken against
them in connection with the Baccha-
nalian mysteries, and they seem to have
regarded the plague as affording a favor
able opportunity for the use of poison.
In $50 L. c. the prGtor, the consul and
many other iliustrious men died. \
Judge was appointed to inquire into
these deaths. and especially to examined
poison had been employed The histori-
ans do not relate the results of this inves-
t%iCation, but we are told that the wife of
the consul was tried and condemned to
death.
Thirty-six years after this two men Of
consular rank were poisoned by their
wives. In subsequent times the use Of
poison became frequent; and particu-
larly in the early days of the empire the
matrons about the court were accused of
having constant recourse to it to get out
of the way men whom they did not like,
husbands and sons and others connected
with them, as well as strangers. And
one writer remarks that wherever there
were irregularities there were poisonings.
Some historians have rejected these tales
Of poisoning as the inventions of credu-
lous annalists, l think, without good rea-
son. hut whether the stories are true
or false the Romans believed them, and
they embody the Roman belief in regard
TO what women could do. And it seems
to me that we must regard them as indi-
eating that the Roman matrons felt
sometimes that they were badly treated,
that they ought not 90 endure the bad
treatment, and that they ought to takr
the only means that they possessed of
expressing their feelings and wreaking
their vengeance by employing poison
Principal Donaldson, IL. D., in Contem-
porary Review.