libamus inquit Ioui liberatori
Jan. 14th, 2011 07:16 pmI do think it is a rule that there is no even moderately compelling scene from classical literature that wasn't illustrated by some second-rate 18th or 19th century painter, and I finally happened across one of the death of Thrasea, by a certain Feodor Bronnikov. Sadly, the only internet image that seems to exist of it has a giant watermark across the front: ( click for exitus clari viri )
Thrasea, naturally, is the man in the chair; the two women must be his daughter Fannia and his wife Arria (I would guess Arria is the one in purple and red and Fannia is the one in blue.) The bearded man in the dark blue cloak is the Cynic philosopher Demetrius, and the man reading the scroll is named Domitius Caecilianus. Helvidius Priscus is probably either the guy in the foreground in the yellow cloak and blue shoes (because he's next to Demetrius) or one of the two guys standing behind Thrasea (probably the one standing rather stiffly behind his wife ?Fannia's chair, and but if he's the one leaning over then the woman in purple then she's probably Fannia. Either way, if Helvidius isn't the guy in yellow, that guy is probably our hot-headed young Tribune Arulenus Rusticus, although I'm not sure why either HP or AR would not be wearing a toga when all the other Romans in the room are, so maybe he's another philosopher.
Thrasea, naturally, is the man in the chair; the two women must be his daughter Fannia and his wife Arria (I would guess Arria is the one in purple and red and Fannia is the one in blue.) The bearded man in the dark blue cloak is the Cynic philosopher Demetrius, and the man reading the scroll is named Domitius Caecilianus. Helvidius Priscus is probably either the guy in the foreground in the yellow cloak and blue shoes (because he's next to Demetrius) or one of the two guys standing behind Thrasea (probably the one standing rather stiffly behind his wife ?Fannia's chair, and but if he's the one leaning over then the woman in purple then she's probably Fannia. Either way, if Helvidius isn't the guy in yellow, that guy is probably our hot-headed young Tribune Arulenus Rusticus, although I'm not sure why either HP or AR would not be wearing a toga when all the other Romans in the room are, so maybe he's another philosopher.