Quintus Pedius (deaf painter)
Encyclopedia
Quintus Pedius was a Roman
painter and the first deaf person in recorded history known by name. He is the first recorded deaf painter and his education is the first recorded education of a deaf child. All that is known about him today is contained in a single passage of the Natural History by the Roman author Pliny the Elder
.
Pedius was the son of Roman Senator and orator Quintus Pedius Publicola
, while his mother was an unnamed Roman woman. Pedius' paternal grandfather was the consul Quintus Pedius
and his paternal grandmother was Valeria, a relative (sister?) of Roman Senator and orator Marcus Valerius Messalla Corvinus
. His paternal grandfather and Roman Emperor
Augustus
were maternal cousins.
Pedius was born deaf. On the advice of his paternal great uncle (?) Messalla Corvinus, and with permission from Augustus, Pedius was taught to paint. The boy turned out to be a talented painter, but died in his youth.
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
painter and the first deaf person in recorded history known by name. He is the first recorded deaf painter and his education is the first recorded education of a deaf child. All that is known about him today is contained in a single passage of the Natural History by the Roman author Pliny the Elder
Pliny the Elder
Gaius Plinius Secundus , better known as Pliny the Elder, was a Roman author, naturalist, and natural philosopher, as well as naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire, and personal friend of the emperor Vespasian...
.
Pedius was the son of Roman Senator and orator Quintus Pedius Publicola
Quintus Pedius Publicola
Quintus Pedius Publicola or sometimes spelt as Poplicola was a Roman who came from a Roman senatorial family. Publicola was the son of consul Quintus Pedius and noblewoman Valeria....
, while his mother was an unnamed Roman woman. Pedius' paternal grandfather was the consul Quintus Pedius
Quintus Pedius
Quintus Pedius was a Roman who lived during the late Roman Republic. Pedius was the son of a Marcus or Quintus Pedius and nephew or great nephew of the Roman dictator Julius Caesar....
and his paternal grandmother was Valeria, a relative (sister?) of Roman Senator and orator Marcus Valerius Messalla Corvinus
Marcus Valerius Messalla Corvinus
Marcus Valerius Messalla Corvinus was a Roman general, author and patron of literature and art.-Family:He was the son of politician Marcus Valerius Messalla Niger Although, some dispute his parentage and claim another descendant of Marcus Valerius Corvus to be his father.Messalla Corvinus is...
. His paternal grandfather and Roman Emperor
Roman Emperor
The Roman emperor was the ruler of the Roman State during the imperial period . The Romans had no single term for the office although at any given time, a given title was associated with the emperor...
Augustus
Augustus
Augustus ;23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14) is considered the first emperor of the Roman Empire, which he ruled alone from 27 BC until his death in 14 AD.The dates of his rule are contemporary dates; Augustus lived under two calendars, the Roman Republican until 45 BC, and the Julian...
were maternal cousins.
Pedius was born deaf. On the advice of his paternal great uncle (?) Messalla Corvinus, and with permission from Augustus, Pedius was taught to paint. The boy turned out to be a talented painter, but died in his youth.
Sources
- Oxford Handbook of Deaf Studies, Language, and Education
- Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography
- Historical Facts about Deaf People - SignGenius.com