Too Proud

During the Hellenistic period, Attalus I, ruler of Pergamon, defeated the Gauls of Galatia, who were a constant threat to Greek cities. The First School of Pergamon built bronze monuments to honor this victory. Parts of the monument survive in Roman marble copies. One of them is Gaul and His Wife, which depicts a man in the act of plunging a sword into his breast, looking backwards while he holds the dying figure of a woman.

It was customary for women and children to travel with the Gauls on their campaigns. Realizing his defeat and being too proud to be taken as a slave, this Gaul has just killed his wife and himself.This sense of pride is shown by Oedipus and Medea, and I wonder how much pride ancient people had for themselves and whether pride is important enough to sacrifice one's life.