Snapshot #
Caecilia Vettia is a senior Roman noblewoman and one of the most influential members of the Seven Widows. Characterized by her rigid Flavian hairstyle and silver wolf-headed cane, she is the guardian of lanificium (traditional wool-working). She represents the elite’s transition from domestic craft to industrial oversight.
Biography #
The matriarch of the House of Vettius, Caecilia was initially the most vocal critic of the "vulgar" speed of mechanized spinning. During the Emergency Council of 79 AD, she was persuaded by Livia to remain in Campania. Her skepticism of the "demon machines" was only overcome by the superior quality of the industrial thread. She eventually moved her domestic workforce from the airy atrium of her villa to the factory floors of Picentia, maintaining strict social hierarchy even in an industrial setting.
Roles & Ranks #
- Senior Matron: The elder voice of the Lanifica.
- Industrial Manager: Overseeing quality control and labor standards in the textile factories.
- Member of the Seven Widows: A core political figure in the Picentian insurrection.
Relationships #
- Livia: Her political leader. Caecilia respects Livia’s fierce resolve but often acts as a stabilizing, traditionalist counterweight.
- Aurelia Popidia: Her pragmatic partner in the management of the Sixteen Houses' interests.
- Gaius Calidius: Her patron and industrial partner.
Key Appearances/Events #
- The Emergency Council (79 AD): Initially opposing the exodus, then backing Livia’s industrial plan.
- The Adoption of the Horizontal Loom (80 AD): Formally accepting the seated posture of industrial weaving as a "throne for the cloth."