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Sabine womenRape Early history of Rome

after its founding by Romulus

The Romans were seeking wives in order to found families and negotiatedwith the Sabines who refused to allow their women to marry the Romans infear of begetting a rival.

The Romans abducted Sabine women when Romulus devised a festival ofNeptune Equester and invited his neighboring tribes.

When Romulus gave a signal, the Romans grabbed the Sabine womenand fought off the Sabine men. Livy is clear that no sexual assault tookplace. On the contrary, Romulus offered them free choice and promisedcivic and property rights to women. According to Livy, Romulus spoke tothem each in person, "and pointed out to them that it was all owing to the

pride of their parents in denying the right of intermarriage to theirneighbours. They would live in honourable wedlock, and share all theirproperty and civil rights, anddearest of all to human naturewould bethe mothers of free men.

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The rape of the Sabine women. Rome, traditionally8th cent. B.C. (Livy, History of Rome 1.9. Late 1stcent. B.C.-early 1st cent. A.D. L)

The historian Livy retells the legend of how the Sabine women weresnatched from their families at a religious festival to populate Romeand how their hearts and minds were won over by violence followedby sweet words and childbearing.

The Roman state had become strong enough to hold its own in warwith all the peoples along its borders, but a shortage of womenmeant that its greatness was fated to last for a single generation,since there was no prospect of offspring at home nor any prospectof marriage with their neighbours. Then, in accordance with thedecision of the senate, Romulus sent messengers to the

neighbouring peoples to ask for alliance and the right of marriage forthe new people: cities, like everything else, start small but later iftheir own excellence and the gods assist them, they grow in strengthand in fame. It was certain that at the beginning of Rome the godshad been propitiated and that it would not lack in valor. Therefore,men should not disdain to join blood and family ties with other men.

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Many people came, some simply out of curiosity to see the new city, and especially thenearest neighbours, from Caenina, Crustuminum and Antemnae; the entire Sabinepopulation came, wives and children included. Received with hospitality in the houses, afterhaving seen the position of the city, its walls, and the large number of buildings, theymarvelled that Rome had grown so fast. When it was time for the show, and everybody wasconcentrating on this, a prearranged signal was given and all the Roman youths began tograb the women. Many just snatched the nearest woman to hand, but the most beautifulhad already been reserved for the senators and these were escorted to the senators'houses by plebeians who had been given this assignment. The story goes that one woman,far and away the most beautiful, was carried off by the gang of a certain Thalassius, andbecause many wanted to know where they were taking her, they repeatedly shouted thatthey were taking her to Thalassius, and that it how the nuptial cry came to be.[1]

The party was over, and the grieving parents of the girls ran away, accusing the Romans ofhaving violated the laws of hospitality and invoking the god who was supposed to havebeen honoured at that day's festival. Nor did the girls themselves hold much hope. ButRomulus went among them in person to assure them that none of this would havehappened if their fathers hadn't been so inflexible in not letting them marry their neighbours.But now they would have the status of wives with all the material rewards and civil rights ofcitizenship and they would have children, than which nothing is dearer. They should cooltheir anger and give their hearts to the men who had already taken their bodies. A good

relationship often begins with an offence, he said. And their husbands would treat them withextra kindness in hope of making up for the parents and country they so missed. The menadded their blandishments, saying that they'd been motivated by love and passion,entreaties which are very effective with women.

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Interpretation

Feminist theory

Trauma theory- Understanding Wartime rape

Anthropological perspective Comparative literary/ethnographic analysis on the

theme of rape/ abduction

Early literary narratives on abduction of a bride

(Trojan War, Indian narratives, epics etc).

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The statue of theRape of the SabineWomen by Giambologna, in the Loggia dei Lanzi

in Florence and an 18th painting by Niccolo Bambini

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giambolognahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loggia_dei_Lanzihttp://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_10//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/eb/Bambini%2C_Niccolo_-_Der_Raub_der_Sabinerinnen_-_18th_c.jpghttp://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_10//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fd/Giambologna_sabine.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loggia_dei_Lanzihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giambologna

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Rape of the Sabine Women- Metropolitan Museum of Art,Nicolas Poussin- (1637-1638) another of similar theme and stylein Louvre

http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_10//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7b/The_Rape_of_the_Sabine_Women.jpghttp://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_10//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7b/The_Rape_of_the_Sabine_Women.jpg

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PicassosRape of the Sabine Women

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Check the latest news on Picassos

Rape of the Sabine Women

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wires/20121005/us-picasso-jfk-library/

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library/6tQLsCzoIgvWc6SUe3c5lK/story.ht

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