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Hortensia (orator)
Encyclopedia
Hortensia, daughter of consul and advocate Quintus Hortensius Hortalus, earned notoriety during the late Roman Republic
as a skilled orator. She is best known for giving a speech in front of the members of the Second Triumvirate
in 42 B.C. that resulted in the partial repeal of a tax on wealthy Roman women.
. Her father was well-known among Romans due to his moving sermons on history and law and rivalry with fellow orator Marcus Tullius Cicero. As a member of the aristocracy, Hortensia grew up in a wealthy household, and thus, had access to Greek
and Latin literature
from a young age. She later concentrated on the study of rhetoric
by reading speeches from the likes of her father and prominent Greek orators.
Hortensia is also believed to have been married to her second cousin Quintus Servilius Caepio
, son of Quintus Servilius Caepio the Younger
and brother of Cato Uticensis and Servilia Caepionis
; however, she was left a widow when he died in 67 B.C. She had a daughter Servilia who married another conservative senator. Her husband adopted his sister's son Marcus Junius Brutus
before his death; thus Brutus became technically Quintus Servilius Caepio Junianus by adoption, though he later repudited the name (but not the wealth or patrician status) for political reasons.
In 42 B.C., nearly all of Rome's state-sponsored military legion
s, which were under the command of triumvirs Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus, Marcus Aemilius Lepidus
, and Marcus Antonius, were at war with the assassins of Julius Caesar
(Decimus Junius Brutus Albinus
, Marcus Junius Brutus
and Gaius Cassius Longinus
). To fund the ongoing war, the triumvirs had resorted to selling the property of wealthy citizens killed by proscription
; however, this source of revenue did not prove to be lucrative enough, and the three men voted to place a tax on Rome's 1400 most wealthy women. The women, outraged at having been taxed for a war they had no control over, chose Hortensia to articulate their concerns to the triumvirs. Along with a large group of interested citizens, the women marched to the Roman Forum
, where Hortensia delivered her famous speech. Below is an excerpt from the speech as documented by the Greek historian Appian
:
. The next day, the three men reduced the number of women subject to the tax to 400, and instead, compensated for the loss of revenue by forcing male property-owners to lend money to the state and contribute to war expenses.
Roman Republic
The Roman Republic was the period of the ancient Roman civilization where the government operated as a republic. It began with the overthrow of the Roman monarchy, traditionally dated around 508 BC, and its replacement by a government headed by two consuls, elected annually by the citizens and...
as a skilled orator. She is best known for giving a speech in front of the members of the Second Triumvirate
Second Triumvirate
The Second Triumvirate is the name historians give to the official political alliance of Octavius , Marcus Aemilius Lepidus, and Mark Antony, formed on 26 November 43 BC with the enactment of the Lex Titia, the adoption of which marked the end of the Roman Republic...
in 42 B.C. that resulted in the partial repeal of a tax on wealthy Roman women.
Life
Little is known about the life of Hortensia aside from her career as an orator. She was the daughter of Quintus Hortensius (114 - 50 BC) apparently by his first wife LutatiaLutatius
Lutatius was the name of an ancient Roman family . They rose into prominence during the First Punic War and produced several consuls during the subsequent generations, but were not one of the gentes maiores. The Lutatii were noble plebeians....
. Her father was well-known among Romans due to his moving sermons on history and law and rivalry with fellow orator Marcus Tullius Cicero. As a member of the aristocracy, Hortensia grew up in a wealthy household, and thus, had access to Greek
Greek literature
Greek literature refers to writings composed in areas of Greek influence, typically though not necessarily in one of the Greek dialects, throughout the whole period in which the Greek-speaking people have existed.-Ancient Greek literature :...
and Latin literature
Latin literature
Latin literature includes the essays, histories, poems, plays, and other writings of the ancient Romans. In many ways, it seems to be a continuation of Greek literature, using many of the same forms...
from a young age. She later concentrated on the study of rhetoric
Rhetoric
Rhetoric is the art of discourse, an art that aims to improve the facility of speakers or writers who attempt to inform, persuade, or motivate particular audiences in specific situations. As a subject of formal study and a productive civic practice, rhetoric has played a central role in the Western...
by reading speeches from the likes of her father and prominent Greek orators.
Hortensia is also believed to have been married to her second cousin Quintus Servilius Caepio
Quintus Servilius Caepio (son of Q. S. Caepio the Younger)
Quintus Servilius Caepio, was the son of Quintus Servilius Caepio the Younger and Livia Drusa, and the full brother to Servilia Caepionis mother of Caesar's assassin Marcus Junius Brutus....
, son of Quintus Servilius Caepio the Younger
Quintus Servilius Caepio the Younger
Quintus Servilius Caepio the Younger was a Roman soldier and statesman. He was elected praetor in 91 BC, and fought for Rome during the Marsic Wars of the Italian Rebellion against Rome. His father was Quintus Servilius Caepio the Elder....
and brother of Cato Uticensis and Servilia Caepionis
Servilia Caepionis
Servilia Caepionis was the mistress of Julius Caesar, mother of one of Caesar's assassins, Brutus, mother-in-law of another Caesar assassin, Cassius, and half-sister of Cato the Younger.-Life:...
; however, she was left a widow when he died in 67 B.C. She had a daughter Servilia who married another conservative senator. Her husband adopted his sister's son Marcus Junius Brutus
Marcus Junius Brutus
Marcus Junius Brutus , often referred to as Brutus, was a politician of the late Roman Republic. After being adopted by his uncle he used the name Quintus Servilius Caepio Brutus, but eventually returned to using his original name...
before his death; thus Brutus became technically Quintus Servilius Caepio Junianus by adoption, though he later repudited the name (but not the wealth or patrician status) for political reasons.
Speech before the Second Triumvirate
Roman legion
A Roman legion normally indicates the basic ancient Roman army unit recruited specifically from Roman citizens. The organization of legions varied greatly over time but they were typically composed of perhaps 5,000 soldiers, divided into maniples and later into "cohorts"...
s, which were under the command of triumvirs Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus, Marcus Aemilius Lepidus
Marcus Aemilius Lepidus (triumvir)
Marcus Aemilius Lepidus , was a Roman patrician who rose to become a member of the Second Triumvirate and Pontifex Maximus. His father, Marcus Aemilius Lepidus, had been involved in a rebellion against the Roman Republic.Lepidus was among Julius Caesar's greatest supporters...
, and Marcus Antonius, were at war with the assassins of Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar was a Roman general and statesman and a distinguished writer of Latin prose. He played a critical role in the gradual transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire....
(Decimus Junius Brutus Albinus
Decimus Junius Brutus Albinus
Decimus Junius Brutus Albinus was a Roman politician and general of the 1st century BC and one of the leading instigators of Julius Caesar's assassination...
, Marcus Junius Brutus
Marcus Junius Brutus
Marcus Junius Brutus , often referred to as Brutus, was a politician of the late Roman Republic. After being adopted by his uncle he used the name Quintus Servilius Caepio Brutus, but eventually returned to using his original name...
and Gaius Cassius Longinus
Gaius Cassius Longinus
Gaius Cassius Longinus was a Roman senator, a leading instigator of the plot to kill Julius Caesar, and the brother in-law of Marcus Junius Brutus.-Early life:...
). To fund the ongoing war, the triumvirs had resorted to selling the property of wealthy citizens killed by proscription
Proscription
Proscription is a term used for the public identification and official condemnation of enemies of the state. It is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as a "decree of condemnation to death or banishment" and is a heavily politically charged word, frequently used to refer to state-approved...
; however, this source of revenue did not prove to be lucrative enough, and the three men voted to place a tax on Rome's 1400 most wealthy women. The women, outraged at having been taxed for a war they had no control over, chose Hortensia to articulate their concerns to the triumvirs. Along with a large group of interested citizens, the women marched to the Roman Forum
Roman Forum
The Roman Forum is a rectangular forum surrounded by the ruins of several important ancient government buildings at the center of the city of Rome. Citizens of the ancient city referred to this space, originally a marketplace, as the Forum Magnum, or simply the Forum...
, where Hortensia delivered her famous speech. Below is an excerpt from the speech as documented by the Greek historian Appian
Appian
Appian of Alexandria was a Roman historian of Greek ethnicity who flourished during the reigns of Trajan, Hadrian, and Antoninus Pius.He was born ca. 95 in Alexandria. He tells us that, after having filled the chief offices in the province of Egypt, he went to Rome ca. 120, where he practised as...
:
"You have already deprived us of our fathers, our sons, our husbands, and our brothers, whom you accused of having wronged you; if you take away our property also, you reduce us to a condition unbecoming our birth, our manners, our sex. Why should we pay taxes when we have no part in the honours, the commands, the state-craft, for which you contend against each other with such harmful results? 'Because this is a time of war,' do you say? When have there not been wars, and when have taxes ever been imposed on women, who are exempted by their sex among all mankind?"
Impact of the speech
Outraged at having had their authority challenged by a group of women, Octavian, Antony, and Lepidus tried unsuccessfully to dismiss the women from the rostraRostra
The Rōstra was a large platform built in the city of Rome that stood during the republican and imperial periods. Speakers would stand on the rostra and face the north side of the comitium towards the senate house and deliver orations to those assembled in between...
. The next day, the three men reduced the number of women subject to the tax to 400, and instead, compensated for the loss of revenue by forcing male property-owners to lend money to the state and contribute to war expenses.
Praise
Hortensia's speech was later praised by contemporaries as the embodiment of the nuanced oratory technique that her father had been known for. Of this, Appian wrote further:
"For by bringing back her father's eloquence, she brought about the remission of the greater part of the tax. Quintus Hortensius lived again in the female line and breathed through his daughter's words."