Death of a Roman Woman

"...By the Gods, she knows how to die."

20 hours.
Music while working: The True One
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxRBDiSb2mw&ab_channel=PathtoNowhere-Topic

Inspired by the account of 1st century Roman Empress Milonia Caesonia's death. But for lack of period accurate 1st century praetorian guards in fighting poses I chose to render a scene set in the Crisis of the 3rd century with guards equipped in 3rd century armor. Since both emperors (and their families) came and go in such a bewilderingly rapid succession. I believe the choice of scenery and emotion is fair.

Of the OG inspiration. Milonia Caesonia~ despite her illustrious noble birth, had the extremely sorry distinction of being married to a monster. Her husband was none other than the mad Emperor Caligula. Suetonius says that when Caligula married her, she was neither beautiful nor young, and was already the mother of three daughters by her first marriage. He describes her as a woman of reckless extravagance and wantonness, whom Caligula nonetheless loved passionately and faithfully. According to Cassius Dio, the two entered into an affair some time before their marriage, either late in AD 39 or early in 40, and that the emperor's choice of a bride was an unpopular one.

Milonia was pregnant at the time of the marriage, and gave birth to a daughter, Julia Drusilla, only one month later (or according to Suetonius, on her wedding day). In the account given by Suetonius, the emperor would parade Milonia in front of his troops, and sometimes displayed her naked in front of select friends. In an odd demonstration of affection, he would jokingly threaten to have her tortured or have her head struck off.

On 24 January, AD 41, Caligula was slain by an assassin. A Praetorian guard whom he had many times wronged and mocked in the past. As part of the wider conspiracy, the assassins soon turned on Caligular's remaining family. Josephus reports that she died bravely: stricken with grief at her husband's death, when the assassins appeared before her and she knew what they wanted. She unhesitatingly offered her necks for the assassin's blades, bidding: "No not make a mess."

It would seem that despite whatever the life Milonia led, she did manage the Roman quality of knowing how to die.