Page:A Biographical Dictionary of the Celebrated Women of Every Age and Country (1804).djvu/85

Rh this instance, rewarded; but which was soon to be put to still greater trials.

Scribonius had excited a revolt in Illyria, the object of which was, to dethrone the imbecile Claudius; but was vanquished, and put to death. Pœtus, one of his partisans, was also taken prisoner, and carried to Rome by sea. Arria entreated to be permitted to accompany him, alledging, that to a man of his rank, some attendants of course must be allowed; that these should be dispensed with, and she would fulfil all their duties, if permitted to come on board! On the refusal of the soldiers, she hired a small bark, and followed him. On her arrival at Rome, she was met in the palace by the widow of Scribonius, who wished to speak to her. "I speak to thee!" returned Arria indignantly, "to thee who hast been witness of thy husband's death, and yet survivest!" For she had herself determined, that, if all her endeavours to save Pœtus, failed, she would die with him. Her son-in-law Thraseus, used every argument to persuade her to give up this design. "Were I," said he, "in his situation, would you have your daughter die with me?" "Certainly," answered she, "had she lived with you as long and as happily as I with Pœtus." He was at length condemned to die; whether by his own hands, at that time no uncommon sentence, is uncertain; if it were not so, he wished to avoid the punishment allotted him by a voluntary death; but at the moment wanted courage. Seeing him staggered and hesitating, Arria seized the dagger, plunged it first into her own breast, and then presenting it to her husband, said, with a smile, "It is not painful, Pœtus!"

The wife of Thraseus, and her daughter, who married Rh