Lucretia

Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn

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How well do you know your Roman history? Even the most avid armchair Romanologist today might miss what was obvious to Rembrandt’s audience, even with few clues beyond a glinting dagger and a blood-soaked shift: the tragic story of Lucretia. The virtuous wife of a Roman noble killed herself after being raped by the son of Rome’s tyrannical king, and her enraged husband and father launched a rebellion to overthrow the king that resulted in the Roman Republic. This story, recounted by the Roman historian Livy, resurfaced as a morality tale during the Middle Ages and a model of republican values during the Renaissance: a leader must answer to the people he serves.