Plancia Magna and the role of a Roman benefactress in Perge

The ancient city of Perge, located on the coast of southern Asia Minor in the Roman province of Pamphylia, provides a fascinating case study of elite benefaction in the Roman East. In Perge, Roman euergetism was common, with wealthy individuals contributing a portion of their wealth to their community. Affluent citizens funded public buildings, meals, gymnasium supplies, and other amenities (Boatwright, 1993). In return, donors were celebrated and honoured, often through public recognition such as inscriptions or statues commemorating their contributions.

Perge flourished during the Hellenistic and Roman periods, emerging as a leading metropolis. The city underwent significant urbanisation and Romanisation, incorporating both Hellenistic and Roman architectural elements. Under Roman control, extensive rebuilding took place, including the construction of major roads and public buildings. Its urban layout included nymphaeums, baths, a theatre built into a hill, a stadium, an agora, colonnaded streets, and defensive fortifications, such as walls and gates. The city was known for its local deity, Artemis Pergaea, who retained her Anatolian origins despite being likened to the Greek pantheon.

Perge became a centre of euergetism, where elite members commissioned public works to elevate their social status and benefit the community. One of the city’s most notable monuments, the Hellenistic Gate complex, underwent transformation during the early Hadrianic period. Around AD 120–122, Plancia Magna, a prominent woman and benefactress of Perge, commissioned its renovation, transforming it from a defensive structure into a monumental entryway featuring a horseshoe-shaped courtyard with two stories of statue niches. Plancia Magna’s new gate complex included a massive honorific arch at its northern end, constructed from local limestone and revetted with imported marble. The arch featured statues of Roman imperial family members and local deities, which were identified by bilingual inscriptions.

Plancia Magna belonged to the prominent Plancii family, with connections to the Cornuti family, both of whom were influential in Perge. The Plancii family likely migrated from Atina in Latium, establishing themselves in Perge through commerce and land ownership. Marcus Plancius Varus and Gaius Plancius Varus were her father and brother, respectively, both involved in local benefactions. During the reign of Vespasian (69-79), her father Varus served as governor of the public province of Bithynia and Pontus. During his time in Nicaea, Varus struck coinage honouring the Roman State and himself and contributed to the construction of the North Gate of Nicaea, which Hadrian repaired after the earthquake of AD 120 (see here).

Her husband was Gaius Iulius Cornutus Tertullus, a Roman senator and friend of Pliny the Younger, probably born in 43 or 44 and may have married Plancia Magna between 100 and 110. According to the timeline of his cursus honorum on an inscription found at Tusculum (CIL  XIV, 2925), he held a long career, serving in several offices in the Roman East, and took up his last post in Africa as proconsul between 116 and 117, where he died. According to the Tusculum inscription, Plancia Magna would have been a widow when she made her benefaction to Perge.

Their son, Gaius Iulius Plancius Varus Cornutus, began his political career during Plancia Magna’s major renovation of the Hellenistic gate complex. He served as legate of Cilicia during the early reign of Hadrian, about 120. Plancia Magna also dedicated a bilingual inscription to her son (IK Perge 127). Additionally, a statue honouring him was erected by the boule and demos (IK Perge 128), where he is celebrated as a patron and benefactor of the city, as well as the organiser of the Varus-Agon games, athletic contests named in honour of their family.

As attested by numerous inscriptions, Plancia Magna held important civic and religious positions, including serving as the priestess of Artemis Pergaia, a role with tenure for life, and as a priestess of the imperial cult. She was honoured as the daughter of the city and demiourgos (a city official or magistrate). Visitors to Perge would see her name on the statue bases, with statues of her erected by her freedmen, Marcus Plancius Pius and Marcus Plancius Alexander.

Several scholars have contributed to the study of Plancia Magna and her role as a Roman benefactress, as well as the broader context of euergetism and women’s roles in the Roman Empire. Mary T. Boatwright explored Plancia Magna’s contributions and women’s roles in Roman Asia Minor, particularly in her works “Plancia Magna of Perge: Women’s Roles and Status in Roman Asia Minor” and “The City Gate of Plancia Magna in Perge.” Sencer Sahin conducted extensive epigraphic analyses of inscriptions from Perge, including those related to Plancia Magna. Riet Van Bremen examined women’s civic participation in the Roman East, including debates on their independence and familial roles. More recently, Barbara F. Caceres-Cerda wrote a thesis, which provides a detailed analysis of Plancia Magna’s renovation of the Hellenistic gate complex and her role in Perge. Together, these scholars have contributed to our understanding of Plancia Magna’s unique position as a benefactress and the implications of euergetism and women’s roles in the Roman Empire.

Plancia Magna’s benefactions in Perge were not only acts of generosity but also deliberate efforts to solidify her position as a prominent figure in Perge’s civic and cultural life. She actively promoted her legacy through inscriptions and statues, ensuring her name and contributions were prominently displayed and surpassing the recognition of her male family members (Caceres-Cerda, 2018). In addition, by commissioning a monumental triple arch with statues of Roman imperial family members, she demonstrated her allegiance to Rome. She positioned herself and her city as loyal participants in the Roman Empire. Her architectural and programmatic choices elevated Perge’s status within the region. It has been suggested that Plancia Magna commissioned the renovation of the Hellenistic gate complex and the construction of the honorific arch in anticipation of Hadrian’s visit to Perge in AD 123. However, it appears that the Emperor may have changed his route and did not come to Pamphylia until his second journey to the East in 131/132 (Özdizbay, 2008).

Based on fragments of marble statues found, all labelled with Greek inscriptions on their bases, the Greek gods included Hermes, Apollo, Aphrodite, the Dioscuri, Pan, Heracles, and an unknown male deity (Sahin, 1996), and their presence emphasised the connection between Perge and the divine. Seven fragmentary statue bases inscribed in Greek indicate that the city’s legendary founders, referred to as “city-founders” (ktistai), were Mopsos, Kalchas, Leonteus, Machaon, Minyas, Labos and Rixos. These heroes, all described as hailing from mainland Greece, are mostly known for their participation in the Trojan War. However, some of these founders, such as Rixos and Labos, are otherwise unknown, but inscriptions suggest they had ancient cults in Perge (Boatwright, 1993). In addition to the statues of the Hellenic founders, there were also representations of Plancia Magna’s father, M. Plancius Varus, and her brother, C. Plancius Varus, both referred to as ktistai. According to Sencer Sahin, the legendary founders of the city were initially depicted as bronze statues but were later repurposed during antiquity (Sahin, 1996).

Inscriptions of city-founders (ktistai):

Inscriptions of benefactors, also referred to as city-founders:

M. Plancius Varus (Plancia Magna’s father) ​ / [κτίστη]ς [Μ.] ​ Πλάνκιος Ούδρος [πα]τήρ Πλανκίας Μάγνης Περγαίος Translation: “[The founder] M. Plancius Varus, father of Plancia Magna, Pergaian.”

The five missing statues from the courtyard likely depicted other prominent relatives of Plancia, such as her son, C. Iulius Plancius Varus Cornutus, or her husband, C. Iulius Cornutus Tertullus, or possibly even Plancia herself. Together, these statues would have created a display of seven contemporary civic benefactors, mirroring the seven mythological founders on the opposite side (Gatzke, 2020).

The monumental triple arch at the northern end of the courtyard was a continuation of Plancia Magna‘s architectural and sculptural program and served as a symbolic transition between the Greek civic space and the Roman imperial world. It was a three-tiered two-story monumental arch constructed from local limestone and revetted with imported marble, complementing the decorative courtyard. It was 9.10 meters wide and 20 meters long and consisted of three arches supported by four pillars (Boatwright, 1993). Freestanding Corinthian columns on pedestals were placed in front and behind the middle pillars, a design seen in other Hadrianic arches. The arch marked the beginning of the main thoroughfare of Perge, the north-south colonnaded avenue. It rose on a marble-paved platform, and access to it from the courtyard was provided by a wide flight of four steps that obstructed vehicular traffic. This shows that the arch served a ceremonial function rather than a practical one as a passage.

The arch was dedicated to the city of Perge, as indicated by the large, bilingual tabulae ansatae at the gateways (IK Perge 86). The Latin dedication was on the south side, while the Greek dedication was on the north side. This placement reflects Plancia Magna’s intention to communicate with different audiences, Latin for Roman visitors and Greek for the local population of Perge.

(south side)
[Plancia M(arci) f.] Magna
[pat]riae [— ]o
Plancia Magna, daughter of Marcus, for her fatherland

(north side)
Πλα[νκία Μάγν]α θυγάτηρ Μ.
Πλα[νκίου Οὐάρο]υ τῆ πατρίδι
Plancia Magna, daughter of Marcus Plancius Varus, for her fatherland

Free-standing statues adorned the architraves, niches, and the top of the triple arch. These statues depicted Diana Pergensis, the city’s deity, and Tyche, the city’s tutelary spirit, who likely crowned the arch. In addition, there were representations of several imperial figures, including Hadrian, Diva Marciana, Plotina, Diva Matidia, Sabina Augusta, Divus Nerva, and Divus Traianus (IK Perge 89–99). Each statue was accompanied by a bilingual text identifying the statue and naming Plancia Magna as the dedicator.

The inscriptions from the honorific arch indicate that it was constructed between AD 120 and 122, with potential later additions to the statuary program (Sabina Augusta after AD 128). Since Plotina is not referred to as diva, this suggests a date before her death in 122 and after that of Matidia in December 119, who is referred to as diva, indicating she was deceased. Hadrian’s statue base (IK Perge 94), which lists his tribunician power, dates this statue to AD 121.

Dianae Pergensi
Plancia M. f. Magna.
Ἀρτέμιδι Περγαίᾳ
Πλανκία Μάγνα.

To Pergean Diana / Artemis. Plancia Magna, daughter of Marcus (dedicated this).

The statues of Sabina and Hadrian are the only surviving statues from the honorific arch. Like the surviving statue of Plancia Magna, the statue of Sabina displays the Large Herculaneum Woman Type, characterised by voluminous drapery, graceful poses, and idealised features. ​This style was commonly used for female statuary in the Roman Empire, particularly for members of the imperial family (read more here).

The lack of statues of Plancia Magna in the gate complex does not diminish her significance, as her name was inscribed on each base. She was, however, present just south of the gate, on a kind of display wall featuring three niches, each showcasing a statue. Two of these statues depicted Plancia Magna and were commissioned by her freedmen, Marcus Plancius Pius and Marcus Plancius Alexander. The first statue is intact and represents her as a priestess of the imperial cult. The second statue, however, is headless and has a distinctly different body style. Both statues of Plancia Magna depict her in nearly the same manner as the statue of the empress Sabina. Standing between these two statues is a third, unidentified male statue, also headless and lacking an inscription.

The display wall measured 10 meters in length and was completely revetted in marble. The niches were 1.10 meters deep, but their widths varied according to the size of the statues they held (Boatwright, 1993). Despite the differences between the statues of Plancia, the inscriptions on them were identical, honouring her as the priestess of the imperial cult, the daughter of the city, and a demiurge.

This display wall was a reinstallation from the Severan period, next to the large monumental nymphaeum constructed by Aurelia Paulina, another benefactress of Perge. Sahin suggests that the statues of Plancia Magna originally formed part of an honorific monument dedicated to her, but were eventually dismantled. The so-called display wall allowed visitors to learn more about Plancia Magna before entering the gate complex.

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In her architectural monuments, Plancia Magna promoted both herself and the city of Perge by honouring the ancient cult of Artemis Pergaea (Diana Pergensis), while also embracing Roman traditions. She embodied this duality by serving as a priestess of the goddess and participating in the Roman imperial cult.

The cult dedicated to Artemis Pergaea was very active in Perge, having emerged when Greek immigrants combined the local Anatolian goddess Wanassas Preia with the Greek goddess Artemis. Before the Hellenization of Perge in the archaic period, the native inhabitants worshipped a mother goddess referred to in an archaic inscription as Wanassas Preia. This inscription, dating back to the 5th century BC and later found reused in the Severan nymphaeum, identifies Artemis Pergaea in the archaic Pamphylian dialect.

The word “Wanassas” is a Mycenaean term meaning ‘queen’ or ‘mistress,’ while “Preia” is related to the Hittite word “Parha,” an early form of the word ‘Perge.’ Therefore, the phrase “Wanassas Preia” translates to ‘Queen of Perge.’ The use of the Mycenaean title supports the narrative that Greek speakers settled in the region during the Bronze Age. Wanassas Preia later evolved into Artemis Pergaea in Greek and Diana Pergensis in Latin.

A major temple on a hill near Perge was dedicated to Artemis Pergaea, and the sacred stone (baetyl) of Wanassas Preia was incorporated into a unique cult statue that became the city’s main religious symbol. While the original cult statue of Artemis Pergaea is long lost, its appearance can be inferred from depictions on coins and public monuments. It was aniconic and described as a baetyl with the goddess’s face in flat relief, surmounted by a polos (a cylindrical crown).

In public monuments, such as the Roman theatre, the cult statue is depicted in relief. It appears as a rectangular shape with a rounded top, showcasing a female head adorned with a large headdress and necklace, along with other decorative elements. The goddess Tyche holds a cornucopia in one hand and, in the other, the cult statue of Perge. This cult statue is rectangular with a rounded top and features a female head with a large headdress and necklace, complemented by additional decorative details. There was another depiction of this cult image in the theatre, as part of a frieze decorating an aedicula on the first level of the scaenae frons.

The imagery on the coins minted in Perge depicting the cult of Artemis Pergaea includes the head of Artemis, the temple, the cult statue, and various attributes associated with the deity, such as a bow and a quiver (Rietveld, 2017). A coin from 50 BC shows the cult statue within a distyle temple on one side and Artemis Pergaea’s quiver with a strap on the other (see here). Another coin from the time of Hadrian shows the temple featuring four columns, within which stands the cult statue of Artemis Pergaea. The statue itself is represented as a block with a baetyl on top. An eagle is positioned on the temple’s pediment.

Plancia Magna’s mausoleum stood just outside the city walls, set upon a finely chiselled four-tiered base known as a crepidoma. It featured two projecting walls (antae) and had three additional steps leading up to the tomb itself, giving it the appearance of a small temple. The inscription on the exterior of the burial chamber contains details about the Plancius family, to which Magna belonged.

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Contemporaneous with the new Hellenistic Gate Complex and visually linked through a collonaded street with an open-air water canal, the North Nymphaeum, standing on the southern slope of the Acropolis, seems to have been part of a unified urban planning project. Its architectural style and decoration suggest it was financed by private patrons, possibly under the patronage of Plancia Magna (Y. Ng, 2016). However, with the original dedicatory inscription for the North Nymphaeum lost, it is impossible to identify the patron with certainty. Some scholars, including Fabrizio Slavazzi, hypothesise that Plancia Magna may have been the patron, but this remains unconfirmed.

Conventionally dated by its sculpture and architectural decoration to the Hadrianic period, the North Nymphaeum was a double-storied pi-shaped nymphaeum, with two projecting side wings fronted by columnar façades. The first story of the central rear wall featured three openings: two barrel-vaulted passageways on either side of the basin and an arched opening in the middle of the back wall. The barrel-vaulted passageways provided access to the street that led up to the Acropolis. The second story included three niches designed for statuary.

The sculptural decoration included reliefs with Dionysiac themes such as thyrsoi, masks, and tritons, which were common in Hellenistic and Roman fountain houses. Freestanding statues included over-life-size figures of a Versailles-type Artemis (see here), a heroically semi-nude Zeus (see here), and a youthful nude hero identified as Machaon, the son of Asclepius and founder of Perge (Y. Ng, 2016). These statues were likely displayed in the three niches in the upper story of the central back wall. Additionally, a reclining statue of the river Kestros, which fed the nymphaeum via an aqueduct, was placed at the very centre of the monument, above the spout supplying water to the basin.

The nymphaeum also featured two life-sized portraits of Hadrian, one cuirassed and the other heroically nude, and two female portraits, possibly depicting the patron’s family or imperial women. These statues were likely positioned in the lower level of the central section or side wings. Like the Plancia Magna’s courtyard, the sculptural program of the North Nymphaeum emphasised Perge’s historical and cultural identity, connecting the city’s prosperity to its origins and devotion to Hellenic and local cults.

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The architectural monuments and unique design choices made by Plancia Magna set a trend that influenced other wealthy women, including Aurelia Paulina, during the late 2nd and early 3rd centuries AD. Born in the province of Syria, she had emigrated to Pamphylia, married a man named Aquilus from Sillyon who was also very wealthy and involved in the priesthood of the imperial cult in Perge, and received a grant of Roman citizenship from the emperor Commodus, thus adding Aurelia to her name (IK Perge 195). Aurelia Paulina was also a priestess of Artemis Pergaea and a priestess of the imperial cult.

Inspired by Plancia Magna’s example, she contributed a monument to the city of Perge. She built and inaugurated a monumental nymphaeum and its ornamentation at her own expense, which she dedicated to Artemis Pergaia and the reigning emperor, Septimius Severus, along with his wife, Julia Domna, and his sons, Caracalla and Geta (IK Perge 196). The monument stood near one of the main entrances to the city of Perge, a prime location that ensured it received significant attention from both local citizens and visitors entering the city. Like Plancia Magna’s courtyard, it borrowed from the theatrical scaenae frons design with a marble colonnaded facade and niches displaying statues, to highlight her links with the gods and the imperial family.

A statue of Aurelia Paulina in Syrian dress stood at the centre of the monumental nymphaeum she donated. It depicted her wearing a long tunic, covered by a stole draped over her shoulders and forearms. Her head was covered with a fabric that extended to her knees at the back, accessorised with bands above her forehead. She wore heavy, intricate jewellery covering most of her chest, including layered necklaces with unique beads and a shell pendant that fell to her waist. The shell pendant is believed to symbolise connections to deities such as Artemis Pergaia or possibly Aphrodite. Her choice of dress and jewellery, which emphasised her Syrian heritage, may have been inspired by Julia Domna, who was also a native of Syria and celebrated in Asia Minor as both Artemis and Aphrodite. This connection elevated Aurelia Paulina’s status and aligned her with the most powerful family in the Roman Empire.

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Plancia Magna significantly elevated her own status and that of her family in Perge through her contributions and public representation. Her exceptional role as a benefactress exemplifies female agency in the Roman East, challenging traditional gender roles and perceptions regarding women’s involvement in euergetism during the Roman Empire. Her statues, modelled after imperial figures like Sabina, further aligned her image with the grandeur of the Roman elite. Plancia Magna’s legacy as a unique and influential figure in the Roman East is solidified by her ability to shape her own identity, manage her wealth, and leave a lasting impact on her city through her benefactions.

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