Pomponia and the Measure of Roman Virtue
Quo VadisPomponia’s quiet marriage and care for Lygia provide a counterexample to Rome’s fashionable appetite for power and novelty.
increasing
Bearing strength in each event
decreasing
Bearing strength in each eventdecreasingA One-Husband Marriage
A One-Husband Marriage
Fidelity amid fashion
Pomponia remains devoted to Aulus Plautius, an unusual example in a society marked by frequent divorce and political marriages.
A quiet moral center
Her domestic loyalty unsettles Petronius, who recognizes a dignity he cannot explain through his usual aesthetic judgments.
A Mother’s Farewell
A Mother’s Farewell
Separation under force
Pomponia holds Lygia as a daughter and grieves when the imperial order removes her.
Faith under trial
She comforts Lygia with the belief that God’s power and mercy exceed Nero’s command.
A Family’s Honesty
A Family’s Honesty
Refusal to lie
Pomponia and Aulus do not claim knowledge of Lygia’s hiding place, even when the truth might help them.
Protection through restraint
Their honesty helps keep the imperial suspicion from falling directly on their household.
A Faithful Absence
A Faithful Absence
Love expressed at a distance
Pomponia longs for Lygia but avoids contact that could expose her to renewed imperial danger.
Separation as care
Her restraint shows that maternal devotion may require withholding comfort when a loved one’s safety is at stake.
The Homecoming Hope
The Homecoming Hope
A family restored in prospect
Vinicius plans to bring Lygia to Pomponia and Aulus, placing their affection within a lawful marriage.
Two generations joined
The prospective reunion promises a household where Christian belief, marital fidelity, and family love can coexist.
Before Vinicius visits the Plautius household
When Nero orders Lygia taken from the household
After Lygia disappears from the palace escort
During Lygia’s life in hiding
After Lygia and Vinicius are reunited
