Eumachia was the public priestess of Venus

Venus (mythology)

Venus is a Roman goddess principally associated with love, beauty, sex,sexual seduction and fertility, who played a key role in many Roman religious festivals and myths...

 in Pompeii

Pompeii

The city of Pompeii is a partially buried Roman town-city near modern Naples in the Italian region of Campania, in the territory of the comune of Pompei. Along with Herculaneum, Pompeii was destroyed and completely buried during a long catastrophic eruption of the volcano Mount Vesuvius spanning...

 during the middle of the 1st century AD as well as the matron of the Concordia Augustus. The Concordia Augustus was an imperial cult initiated by Livia

Livia

Livia Drusilla, , after her formal adoption into the Julian family in AD 14 also known as Julia Augusta, was a Roman empress as the third wife of the Emperor Augustus and his adviser...

, widow of 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...

, dedicated to the Divus Augustus, the deified emperor Augustus.

Family History and Significance

The daughter of Lucius (Eumachus), she is reported to have obtained her great wealth in her own right as a very successful matron. Of inconsequential origin, she sought a higher social status by marrying into one of the older families of Pompeii. Eumachia was also known as the matron of the fullers, an economically significant guild in Pompeii which consisted of dyers and clothing-makers. Eumachia's importance in Roman history stems from how she is seen as a good example of how a Roman woman of non-imperial descent can become involved in public affairs. She is also viewed as a model for the increasing involvement of women in politics, using the power of a public priestess for social mobility.

Euergetism

Using her wealth and status, she funded the construction of a large building next to the public forum in Pompeii. This is an example of the idea of euergetism, the socio-political phenomenon of voluntary gift-giving, which exerted an influence on the wealthy people of her time period. The presumed use of this building was to serve as the headquarters for the fullers’ guild, although its exact use is uncertain. She dedicated this building, known as the Building of Eumachia, to the Concordia Augusta and to Pietas

Pietas

Pietas was one of the Roman virtues, along with gravitas and dignitas. It is usually translated as "duty" or "devotion."-Definition:The word pietas is originally from Latin. The first printed record of the word’s use in English is from Anselm Bayly’s The Alliance of Music, Poetry, and Oratory,...

. In addition, statues of Tiberius

Tiberius

Tiberius , was Roman Emperor from 14 AD to 37 AD. Tiberius was by birth a Claudian, son of Tiberius Claudius Nero and Livia Drusilla. His mother divorced Nero and married Augustus in 39 BC, making him a step-son of Octavian...

, the emperor during her life, and Livia, his mother, were found on this inside, along with inscriptions on the outside of the building which included dedications to them. Finally, she dedicated the building to her son, Marcus Numistrius Fronto.

The Statue of Eumachia

In response to her generosity, and symbolic of her power and social status, the fullers built a statue depicting Eumachia in the veiled form of a priestess. They inscribed into its foundation a dedication. The rough translation of this inscription is: “to Eumachia, daughter of Lucius, public priestess of Pompeian Venus, from the fullers.” In addition, another inscription relating to Eumachia found in the Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum

Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum

The Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum is a comprehensive collection of ancient Latin inscriptions. It forms an authoritative source for documenting the surviving epigraphy of classical antiquity. Public and personal inscriptions throw light on all aspects of Roman life and history...

states: "EVMACHIAE L F SACERD PVLD FVLLONES,” roughly relating to her status as the patron of the fullers.