These portraits of three women are all taken from letters written by Pliny the Younger.
The Stories
Arria Page 142
Arria was famous in the Roman world for her remarkable courage. Here, in a letter to his friend, Nepos, Pliny recounts two lesser known stories about her which he thinks are even more heroic than the story which made her famous.
Calpurnia Page 146
Shortly after his marriage to his third wife, Calpurnia, Pliny writes this letter to her aunt, Hispulla, praising the qualities of both women.
Ummidia QuadratillaPage 148
Pliny writes to his young friend, Geminus, about the extravagant lifestyle of Ummidia Quadratilla, who has just died.
