Many women found opportunities in the workforce as business partners with their husbands. Oftentimes, women ran their husband’s shops while he took care of other parts of the business (qtd in Zarmati). If her husband died, a woman would be able to take over the business. Women, such as Valeria Herdone, also owned and managed taverns, inns, bars, and brothels, while others such as the models Asellina, Fortunata, Glycera, and Phoebe worked as waitresses, actresses, painters, musicians, and prostitutes (Lyding-Will). Other women worked as midwives, physicians, and doctors, and husband-and-wife medical teams also existed. Shipbuilding was also a prominent area of work for women, as the emperor Claudius gave financial incentive to female shippers to support his building program (Lyding-Will). Slave women cooked, cleaned, took care of children, managed businesses, and were personal attendants for upperclass women (qtd. in Zarmati). The job held in the most high esteem for women was that of a priestess. The most famous Pompeian priestess was Eumachia, who was a priestess of Benus or Cerces. Eumachia came from a wealthy family and was heavily involved in her family’s wine exporting business (Lyding-Will). Eumachia was also a patroness of the guild of fullers, to whom she provided a large building in the Forum during the first quarter of the first century AD (Telegraph). The building is dedicated to the wife of Augustus, Livia. In this building, a statue of Eumachia, dedicated to her by the guild of fullers, stands in the rear hall. The statue and Eumachia’s building are a testament to the significant power woman could wield in Pompeian
Many women found opportunities in the workforce as business partners with their husbands. Oftentimes, women ran their husband’s shops while he took care of other parts of the business (qtd in Zarmati). If her husband died, a woman would be able to take over the business. Women, such as Valeria Herdone, also owned and managed taverns, inns, bars, and brothels, while others such as the models Asellina, Fortunata, Glycera, and Phoebe worked as waitresses, actresses, painters, musicians, and prostitutes (Lyding-Will). Other women worked as midwives, physicians, and doctors, and husband-and-wife medical teams also existed. Shipbuilding was also a prominent area of work for women, as the emperor Claudius gave financial incentive to female shippers to support his building program (Lyding-Will). Slave women cooked, cleaned, took care of children, managed businesses, and were personal attendants for upperclass women (qtd. in Zarmati). The job held in the most high esteem for women was that of a priestess. The most famous Pompeian priestess was Eumachia, who was a priestess of Benus or Cerces. Eumachia came from a wealthy family and was heavily involved in her family’s wine exporting business (Lyding-Will). Eumachia was also a patroness of the guild of fullers, to whom she provided a large building in the Forum during the first quarter of the first century AD (Telegraph). The building is dedicated to the wife of Augustus, Livia. In this building, a statue of Eumachia, dedicated to her by the guild of fullers, stands in the rear hall. The statue and Eumachia’s building are a testament to the significant power woman could wield in Pompeian