Samuel LaChonce Professor Warhover CLA 131 10/27/2024 Roman Morality The Romans had moral values, but they were much more relaxed than modern society. War and murder were often justified or even just accepted in Roman society, but sexual misconduct was considered very immoral and deserving of punishment. There were several ways for Romans to lose their status or power, but sexual violence was considered the most immoral. Livy’s History of Rome describes the rape of Lucretia, and the reaction that she and her family had to Sextus Tarquinius. Livy also writes about Verginia, who was killed by her father Verginius to preserve her chastity. The Romans felt very strongly about chastity and virginity, and would go to extreme means to protect a woman’s chastity. …show more content…
Lucretia is the wife of Lucius Collatinus, who was the cousin of Sextus Tarquinius. “Sextus Tarquinius is the man”. Last night he repaid hospitality with hostility when he came, armed, and forcibly took his pleasure of me, an act that has destroyed me— and him too, if you are men.” (1.58) Lucretia asks her husband and father to come to her with a friend, and Lucius brings Brutus, another of his cousins. Both men are enraged by what Sextus Tarquinius did to Lucretia, and vow to avenge her. Lucretia commits suicide because she believed that by losing her chastity she was unpure and deserving of punishment. For the Romans, sexual misconduct was immoral not because of the act, but because the woman in this case, Lucretia, was married to another man. This is interesting because the Romans seem to value property and ownership over the rights of women in this case. If Lucretia had not been married, Sextus Tarquinius would not have faced the same fate. However, Brutus and Lucius took matters into their own hands, carrying Lucretia’s body into Rome, and sharing what Sextus Tarquinius had