Epicharis (Pisonian conspirator)

According to Polyaenus[2] she was the mistress of a brother of Seneca, and it may be that through this connection she became acquainted with the plot of the conspirators, though Tacitus says that it was unknown by what means she had acquired her knowledge of it.

But as they acted slowly and with great hesitation, she at length grew tired, and resolved upon trying to win over the sailors of the fleet of Misenum in Campania, where she was staying.

Subsequently, when the conspiracy was discovered, Nero ordered her to be tortured on the rack because she refused naming any of the accomplices; but neither blows, nor fire, nor the increased fury of her tormentors, could extort any confession from her.

[4] Daniel Casper von Lohenstein was the first dramatist to produce a drama named after Epicharis, in 1665;[5] and in 1794 the French poet Gabriel-Marie Legouvé published the spoken play Épicharis et Néron.

Epicharis is one of the 998 mythical, historical or notable women named on the heritage floor of Judy Chicago's The Dinner Party art installation (1979).