Hortensia of Rome

Hey Chad,do you know Hortensia?

Hortensia?! Who's she?

Hortensia, daughter of consul and advocate Quintus Hortensius Hortalus, She is best known for giving a speech in front of the members of the Second Triumvirate in 42 BC

She lived in a clean,warm,and well-fed world atop a high hill in Rome.

Whoa thats actually interesting! Tell me more...

Hortensia studied at home with tutors-probably quite a few of them. She had had a very bright and lively mind, and enjoyed her lessons in Latinand Greek literature,music and history. She really took a shine to oratory-what we'd call "public speaking"today.

Although Hortensia's personal environment was still the epitome of order and luxury,her homeland was being torn to bits by a series of civil was. About 42 B.C.,something major happened. At first it distracted HOrtensia,now in her twenties,from her grief,later it pushed her into the limelight of history.

A problem rose,the propsed taxes were going to be squeezed mostly from the wealth of a few women. Every women who fell in the 100,100-denarii bracket was in a rage. Hortensia,as their spokesperson,they approached the sister of one and the mother of another,who both agreed that the new tax was wrong.

Then they went to see Fulvia,the second wife of Marc Antony. Fulvis wouldn't let the women in her dorr. Hortensia and the women she was speaking for marched noisily through the city.

The next day,Hortensia and her colleagues got the word. Thanks to her spirited and sensible speech,the triumvirs had reduced the number of women to be taxed from 1400nto 400. But the most important point that Hortensia won was the issue of fairness The tax was now going to fall on men and women alike.

Wow that was really interesting...thanks to Hortensia....