Early life 's
Promptuarii Iconum Insigniorum Porcia was born around 73 BC. She had an affectionate nature, was interested in
philosophy, and was "full of an understanding courage."
Plutarch describes her as being prime of youth and beauty. When she was still very young, her father
divorced her mother for
adultery. At a young age she was married first to
Marcus Calpurnius Bibulus, her father's political ally, who was 29 years older than her, between 58 BC and 53 BC. Porcia's father was a member of the
Roman Optimate faction, and adamantly opposed Julius Caesar. Porcia embraced these ideals, and did not outwardly object to the arranged marriage. With Bibulus she had two children, at least one of them a son. A few years later, the elderly but renowned Roman orator
Quintus Hortensius applied to Cato for Porcia's hand in marriage. According to Plutarch, this was because he wished to be more closely allied with Cato's family. Hortensius suggested that, if Bibulus was very attached to Porcia, he could still marry her but then return her to Bibulus once she had given birth to a male heir. Nonetheless, Cato refused to break up Porcia's marriage with Bibulus. In 52 BC,
Julius Caesar's
Gallic Wars came to an end, but he refused to return to Rome, despite the
Senate's demands that he lay down his arms. Cato personally detested Caesar, and was his greatest enemy in the Senate; Cato's political faction, the
Optimates (also known as the Boni), believed that Caesar should return to
Rome, in order for the Optimates to strip him of his property and
dignitas, and permanently exile Caesar. In 49 BC, Caesar crossed the
Rubicon with his army, thus declaring war, beginning the Great
Roman Civil War. Both Cato and Bibulus allied with
Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus against Caesar. Though both Boni hated Pompey, he did not pose the threat to their faction that Caesar did. Bibulus commanded Pompey's navy in the
Adriatic Sea. He captured a part of Caesar's fleet, although this was generally insignificant as Caesar went on to decisively defeat Pompey at the
Battle of Pharsalus. Bibulus died in 48 BC from influenza following Pompey's defeat, leaving Porcia a widow.
Marriage to Brutus Brutus, Porcia's first cousin, divorced his wife Claudia and married Porcia (who was 12 years younger) in 45 BC. The marriage was scandalous as Brutus did not state any reasons for divorce despite having been married to Claudia for many years. Claudia was very popular for being a woman of great virtue, and was the daughter of
Appius Claudius Pulcher, who had been Brutus's ally for many years. She was also related to Pompey by marriage through her younger sister. The divorce was not well received by some, including Brutus's mother,
Servilia, who despised her half-brother Cato, and appears to have been jealous of Brutus's affection for Porcia. Therefore, Servilia supported Claudia's interests against those of Porcia. On the other hand, Porcia was highly favoured with the followers of both Pompey and Cato, so the marriage was favoured by people such as
Marcus Tullius Cicero and
Titus Pomponius Atticus. The marriage was Brutus's way of honouring his uncle. Nonetheless, it appears that Porcia deeply loved Brutus and was utterly devoted to him. He promised to share the "heavy secrets" of his heart with his wife but it is unclear if he ever got the chance. Some historians believe Porcia may have known about the plot, and may have even been involved in the conspiracy itself. Plutarch claims that she happened upon Brutus while he was pondering over what to do about Caesar and asked him what was wrong. When he did not answer, she suspected that he distrusted her on account of her being a woman, for fear she might reveal something, however unwillingly, under
torture. In order to prove herself to him, she secretly inflicted a wound upon her own thigh with a barber's knife to see if she could endure the pain. As a result of the wound, she suffered from violent pains, chills and fever. Some believe that she endured the pain of her untreated wound for at least a day. As soon as she overcame her pain, she returned to Brutus and said: Brutus marveled when he saw the gash on her thigh and after hearing this he no longer hid anything from her, but felt strengthened himself and promised to relate the whole plot. Lifting his hands above him, he is said to have
prayed that he might succeed in his undertaking and thus show himself a worthy husband. Yet Brutus never got the chance as they were interrupted and never had a moment's privacy before the conspiracy was carried out. On the day of Caesar's assassination, Porcia was extremely disturbed with anxiety and sent messengers to the Senate to check that Brutus was still alive. She worked herself up to the point whereupon her fainting, her maids feared that she was dying. Porcia was overcome with grief to part from Brutus, but tried hard to conceal it. When she came across a painting depicting the parting of
Hector from
Andromache in the
Iliad, however, she burst into tears, feeling it reflected her own sorrow. She would go on to visit this painting multiple times per day. Brutus' friend Acilius heard of this, and quoted
Homer where Andromache speaks to Hector: Brutus smiled, saying he would never say to Porcia what Hector said to Andromache in return (
Ply loom and distaff and give orders to thy maids It further suggests that Porcia did not commit suicide, but died of some lingering illness. As Plutarch states, if the letter was genuine Brutus lamented her death and blamed their friends for not looking after her. Cicero later wrote his surviving letter to Brutus, consoling him in his grief, calling Porcia "one such as never before has been in the world." account of Porcia's death. Porcia's death has been a fixation for many historians and writers. It was believed by a majority of contemporary historians that Porcia committed suicide in 42 BC, reputedly by swallowing hot coals. Modern historians find this tale implausible, however, and one popular speculation has Porcia taking her life by burning charcoal in an unventilated room, thus succumbing to
carbon monoxide poisoning. The exact timing of Porcia's death is also a problem. Some modern
classicists like
John H. Collins assert that she died in the summer of 43 BC.
Nicolaus says it happened before Brutus' death, however, saying she died following the first battle of Philippi, claiming that she only thought he was dead, and that Brutus wrote a letter to their friends in Rome, blaming them for Porcia's suicide. Plutarch dismisses Nicolaus' claims of a letter stating that too much was disclosed in the letter for it to be genuine. Plutarch also repeats the story of swallowing charcoal, but disbelieves it: As for Porcia, the wife of Brutus, Nicolaüs the philosopher, as well as Valerius Maximus, relates that she now desired to die, but was opposed by all her friends, who kept strict watch upon her; whereupon she snatched up live coals from the fire, swallowed them, kept her mouth fast closed, and thus made away with herself. And yet there is extant a letter of Brutus to his friends in which he chides them with regard to Porcia and laments her fate, because she was neglected by them and therefore driven by illness to prefer death to life. It would seem, then, that Nicolaüs was mistaken in the time of her death, since her distemper, her love for Brutus, and the manner of her death, are also indicated in the letter, if, indeed, it is a genuine one. Plutarch also acknowledges the false image that Porcia displays, explaining that she was "frightened with every little noise and cry," "possessed with the fury of the Bacchantes," and had passed out and been carried into her home. Plutarch's description of
Camma in
Dialogue of Love is similar to his interpretation of Porcia in
Brutus, and with both works being written around the same time period, Plutarch's anecdotes concerning Camma might have influenced those about Porcia
. The character of Panthea in
Xenophon's Cyropaedia also presents similarities to Plutarch's Porciawith both women expressing to their husbands that they are truly devoted, and are willing to harm themselves to prove themselvesbeing another possible inspiration for Plutarch's portrayal of Porcia. In totality, Plutarch accentuates Porcia's role as loyal wife using his portrayal of her suicide. According to the
political journalist and
classicist Garry Wills, although Shakespeare has Porcia die by the method Plutarch repeats, but rejects, "the historical Porcia died of illness (possibly of
plague) a year before the battle of Philippi"...“but Valerius Maximus [mistakenly] wrote that she killed herself at news of Brutus’s death in that battle. This was the version of the story celebrated in works like
Martial's
Epigram 1.42." The claim that Porcia's death occurred before that of Brutus is backed up by a letter sent by Cicero. This letter would have been sent in late June or early July 43 BC, before either battle of Philippi. It further suggests that Porcia did not commit suicide, but died of some lingering illness. As Plutarch states, if the letter was genuine Brutus lamented her death and blamed their friends for not looking after her. Cicero later wrote his surviving letter to Brutus, consoling him in his grief, calling Porcia "one such as never before has been in the world." account of Porcia's death. == Family ==