The Rape Of Lucretia Analysis

Rome was once a leading moral and physical backbone in the Mediterranean Sea. Their strong shared values and even stronger armies help create Rome into the superpower of the ancient world. However, those values are often forgotten, and in the first century BCE, those values brought change once again for Rome both in government and society. The Republic was done away with and Augustus was named Emperor and the citizens had become more liberal and immoral. The combination of these two phenomena ended up leading to a stricter more traditional society for the Roman people. “The Rape of Lucretia” stands as an illustration of how Roman values were once neglected, and stood as a strong reminder to Augustus that one with power should be focused on

He would manipulate the citizens in order to acquire more power and he would destroy their fields and cities when he could not get his way, all the while being safely protected by guards. Whether the legend is true or not, it explains a frustration that the people had with the Tarquins who had become horribly corrupt. The act of rape for the attacker is all about power and conquest. The assailant seeks to feel superior, and that is only heightened with rejection. The kings of the fifth century, when the legend takes place, were horrible corrupt and abused their power to gain new lands. This abuse of power ended up affecting many of their citizens. Tarquinius is symbolic of the abuse inflicted by the Tarquin family who was in power over Rome in the fifth century BCE. The heinous act of raping a woman who is the embodiment of Roman values is a metaphor for how the kings were neglecting their values and citizens, while still wanting to assert complete control over them. The people of the time obviously needed to do something and an act such as this is the perfect spark to light a revolution. This tale was a cautionary warning during the first century BCE when the Republic became an Empire. Augustus brought about a form of monarchy once again within the Roman Empire. Even though Augustus was good to his people, in reestablishing a monarch type rule without a clear line of choosing an heir, there is no way to ensure the safety of Rome from corruption once again. This is why Augustus sets up these new laws, in order to try to elongate the life of the Empire.

“The Rape of Lucretia” reflects Roman values through Lucretia and her actions, and even though it take place around four hundred years before Augustus, he would have seen it was a guide to the importance of balance between power, and those sacred Roman