Aemilia Hilaria

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Aemilia Hilaria (born around 300) was a Gallo-Roman medic and practicing physician. She got her nickname "Hilaria", actually given in the male form "Hilarus", because she is said to have distinguished herself in the cradle by a cheerful and friendly being attributed to a boy.

Life

Aemilia was in the late phase of the Roman Empire in the Gallia Aquitania born. Her father, Caecilius Agricius Arborius, came from a noble Haedu family who had emigrated from Autun to Aquae Tarbellicae , today's Dax , two generations earlier . There Caecilius Agricius Arborius married Aemilia Corinthia Maura into the respected local nobility. In addition to Aemilia Hilaria, Aemilia Dryadia, who died before their marriage, as well as the rhetor Aemilius Magnus Arborius and with Aemilia Aeonia the mother of Ausonius went from the marriage, a high Gallo-Roman civil servant, prince educator and poet. The place of birth of Aemilia Hilaria is uncertain, as the family moved to Burdigala, today's Bordeaux , around the time of her birth , where at least her brother was born. The reputation of the family on the mother's side is clearly shown in the fact that, contrary to tradition, all children of this connection used the mother's name as a noun .

Already in her childhood she felt more like a boy and in her youth she mimicked the behavior of a young man. In her later life, too, she rejected her femininity. As a result, she never married and remained a virgin. Ausonius wrote a series of biographical poems about his relatives, which were published under the name Parentalia , and the sixth poem of which he dedicated to his aunt Aemilia Hilaria, who was a second mother to him. He described his aunt as a "staunch virgin" who had refused marriage. He goes on to say that she practiced the medical arts “in the manner of men”. According to Ausonius, she died at the age of 63.

Modern reception

Judy Chicago dedicated an inscription to Aemilia Hilaria on the triangular floor tiles of the Heritage Floor of her installation The Dinner Party . The porcelain tiles labeled with the name Aemilia are assigned to the place with the place setting for Hypatia .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Ausonius, Parentalia 6,3–4 ( Latin ); for the meaning and distribution of the name, see Martin Heinzelmann : Gallische Prosopographie (260–527). In: Francia. Volume 10, 1982, pp. 531-718, here: 624 f .; Charles Pietri: Prosopographie de l'Italie Chrétienne (= Prosopographie chrétienne du Bas-Empire. Volume 2). Volume 1. École française de Rome, Paris 1999, pp. 984-999.
  2. ↑ Hagith Sivan: Ausonius of Bordeaux. Genesis of a Gallic Aristocracy. Routledge, London et al. 1993, pp. 49-73.
  3. ↑ Ausonius, Parentalia 6 ( Latin ); Martin Schanz : History of Roman literature up to the legislative work of Emperor Justinian. Volume 4, Part 1: The literature of the fourth century (= Handbook of Classical Studies . Volume 8). CH Beck, Munich 1914, p. 35 ( digitized version ); new edition of Parentalia by Paul Dräger : D. Magnus Ausonius. Complete Works. Volume 1: (Auto) biographical writings. Kliomedia, Trier 2012, pp. 88–123.
  4. ↑ Brooklyn Museum: Aemilia. In: brooklynmuseum.org. Retrieved November 23, 2017 .

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Aemilia Hilaria
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Gallo-Roman doctor
DATE OF BIRTH at 300
DATE OF DEATH 4th century