by Richard Barager | May 17, 2026 | The Early Roman Republic
The painting above depicts Lucretia Tarquinia holding the hand of her husband, Lucius Tarquinius Collatinus. Leering covetously at Lucretia in the background is Sextus Tarquinius, the son of Rome’s last king, Tarquin the Proud. The defilement of Lucretia by Sextus—The...
by Richard Barager | May 7, 2026 | The Early Roman Republic
Is the tale of Lucretia Tarquinia mythical or historical? Probably a heady brew of each, like most of early Roman history. The Rape of Lucretia may have been adapted from a Greek story about a homosexual affair that led to the demise of tyranny—and rise of...
