The Women Speak

Together with the old Roman soldiers who sought a well-deserved retreat in the far western lands of the Empire came their wives, slaves and mistresses. Those were the men and women who founded Augusta Emerita, present-day Mérida, the capital of the Roman province of Lusitania, to which Felicitas Iulia Olisipo (otherwise known as "Lisbon") belonged administratively. Hidden within a history written for centuries by men and for men lies material evidence that pulls the women who lived in this eternal city out of silence and oblivion. Roman patriarchy marked the organisation of the family and of society at large. Physically weaker and considered less stable than men, women accepted this definition unquestioningly, taking on the roles of mother, daughter or wife of men of virile age. In this exhibition, objects found at the Emeritan archaeological site will give voice to some of these women, recovering the trail of their lives.

Part of the Mostra España programme, this exhibition represents a partnership between the Museum of Lisbon – Roman Theatre and the Mérida International Classical Theatre Festival, the Ciudad Monumental de Mérida Consortium, and the Museo Nacional de Arte Romano.