Le mariage à l’épreuve de la mort dans la Pharsale de Lucain

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In Lucan’s Bellum Ciuile, Marcia, Julia’s ghost and Cornelia represent married women who find that their status as wives, as they conceive it, does not correspond to the image that the reality of their condition reflects back to them : the notion of a long-lasting union guided by inseparability appears to be systematically undermined by the circumstances and decisions made by their respective husbands. But the Lucanian narrative does not limit itself to confronting its heroines with the image of a deficient conjugality. All three seek to reassert their place and status as wives that correspond to their own conceptions. In this respect, Cornelia shows the most complex and interesting case, particularly because she appears capable of overcoming the social representation attached to her prestigious status as Pompey’s wife. It must be noted, however, that the most important part of their action is submitted to the codes defined by a male order that is quick to arouse their guilt.