The Courage of Leaena: Pliny the Elder, Hist. Nat. 7.23.87

The Bravery of Leaena

Name: Pliny the Elder Date: 23 – 79 CE Region:  Como [modern Italy]; Rome [modern Italy] Citation:  Natural History, 34.72

Many people praise Amphicrates’ statue of Leaena. She was a courtesan and entertainer specializing in singing and the lyre who was close with Harmodius and Aristogeiton. She kept secret their plot to kill the tyrant, not betraying their plans even when tortured to the point of  death.  Because of her courage, the Athenians wanted to honor her. Since they were not willing to celebrate her profession, they made a statue of an animal with her same name, i.e., a lioness. The artist made the statue missing its tongue to further honor her courage. [1]

---

[1] According to tradition, Leaena bit off her own tongue so that she would not betray Harmodius and Aristogeiton while being tortured.

Amphicratis Leaena laudatur. [...] [1] haec lyrae cantu familiaris Harmodio et Aristogitoni, consilia eorum de tyrannicidio, usque ad mortem excrutiata a tyranis, non prodidit. Quamobrem Athenienses et honorem habere ei volentes, nec tamen [paelicem] celebrasse, animal nominis eius fecere: atque ut intelligeretur causa honoris, in opere linguam addi ab artifice vetuereunt. 

 

---

[1] The author uses a misogynistic term that will not be published here.

Pliny the Elder [Gaius Plinius Secundus; 23 – 79 CE, modern Italy] was an Italian-born Roman statesman and author who lived during the reigns of the early Roman emperors. He spent most of his life in service of his country; he ultimately gave his life in arranging the evacuation of the regions devastated by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 CE. His work, the Natural History, is a 37-volume collection of art, history, and science of the ancient world.