Hi folks! This week, the idea is to choose one of the short readings and talk about some moment in it that struck you as an interesting insight into the Romans. These are stories and laws that the Romans preserved and valued centuries later, so they suggest something about what Romans saw as key to who they were. What stands out to you about what mattered to the author of your reading?

One passage from Livy’s The Rape of Lucretia that stood out to me was the moment when Lucretia summons her husband and father after the assault and insists on telling them exactly what happened before taking her own life. This scene struck me because of how heavily Roman ideals of honor, virtue, and female chastity shape her actions. Even though she was the victim of violence, she still believes that her “dishonor,” not Tarquin’s crime, defines her fate. Livy appears to be communicating more than just a tragic story—he is illustrating how Romans understood moral order, political legitimacy, and the role of women in preserving family reputation. Lucretia becomes a symbolic figure whose personal suffering triggers a collective political transformation, suggesting that the Romans saw themselves as a people who valued virtue so strongly that private morality could justify public revolution. Reading this, I want to learn more about how Roman society defined female honor and why women’s chastity was tied so directly to male political authority. I’m also curious about how much of Lucretia’s story reflects historical attitudes versus Livy’s own agenda in shaping Rome’s legendary past.

One detail that stuck out to me from The Twelve Tables was line 3 of Table X where it states that women are not allowed to cry during funerals. I thought that was extremely odd to have as a law, I wonder why that was established as one of the first codes for Ancient Rome. I can only assume Romans viewed showings of extreme emotions in public can be seen as unsightly or a disturbance, especially in funerals where it was probably only acceptable to silently mourn the deceased. This gives some insight into how women were viewed in Roman society. It seems like women were expected to stay silent and keep to themselves at all times, as the line seems to only target women specifically. I’d like to learn more about how Roman society dealt with death and the afterlife.

One moment which stands out to me is how Lucretia decision to take her own life after the assault (rape), even with her husband and father stating her soul remains pure and she is blameless. This moment matters as it shows how the Romans value honor and shame. Her suicide reflected how deeply women's chastity and family honor was worth in Roman society. Though innocent, her strong roman ideology, dictated that the dishonor would/may affect not only her but her family and future generations. Her only solution as she believed it, was to remove herself from life. In this act, it shows that ones reputation and public perception was as valued as Roman inner virtue.

I found it really interesting that the Sabine women who had been wronged were the ones to end this war, they had been the victims and yet they were the ones to plead with both sides in order to finally bring peace between both Rome and the neighboring people. I think the author was trying to communicate that thanks to the Sabine women Rome was able to continue to grow and prosper especially because they had children who would eventually add to Rome’s might. I would like to find out more about the true feelings of the Sabine women especially because they were taken captive and then used for political gain by the Romans.

The story of the Sabine women shows they believed their city grew strong by uniting different peoples. The story of Lucretia shows they valued personal honor and liberty so much that they overthrew their kings to create the Republic. And the Twelve Tables show they were a practical people who respected social order and believed in the power of written laws to rule their society with fairness.

One part that really stood out to me in Livy’s story of the Sabine women is when the women step in to stop the fighting between their new husbands and their fathers. I found this surprising because it shows the women having real agency in a story where they’re often treated as just objects of conflict. It seems like Livy was trying to show how personal relationships and loyalty could shape the course of history, while also reflecting Roman ideas about unity and society, showing how Rome grew stronger by integrating different peoples even through messy situations. I’d like to learn more about how Romans at the time saw this story. Did they view the women as heroes, or was it more about justifying Rome’s expansion? It also makes me curious about how this fits with other Roman legends that turn conflict into cooperation, highlighting what they valued in family, power, and society.

The detail that jumped out to me as I read the passage was when Sextus Tarquinus threatened Lucretia with ending her life and putting her body next to a nude servant so that it could be assumed that she was killed in the act of committing adultery. This struck me as interesting because seeing how Sextus Tarquinus could not sway Lucretia’s will when declaring his love for her by force, he attempted to break her by intimidating her by playing out a possibility of how she would be perceived as a woman in society by others. Sextus Tarquinius was playing a twisted mind game in those moments to get her to succumb to what he wanted. I believe one message that the author was trying to communicate is that people want what they cannot have. Similarly, the abuse of power is seen here. This man was of a higher societal status than Lucretia and her husband as he was the prince and yet in hearing his praise for her and seeing her way of being, he began to desire her, knowing that she was already married and unavailable. He had the ability to find an unmarried woman to pursue and desired someone who already had a commitment to another. He committed a morally wrong act and abused his power in the process. I would like to find out more about the fate of Sextus Tarquinius and of his family after the evil act he committed. 

The part that should out to me in The Twelve Tables was Table IV because of how ruthless the Romans were against their sons, the status of family and the inheritance. It's interesting how children born ten months after the death of the father won't receive the inheritance and there is no tolerance to children with deformities. The author could be communicating the strong aspects of family in the Roman community buy showing how one setback could destroy the integrity of the community. I'm interested in finding out if the attempts to maintain a strong family results in the Roman downfall.

The story did remind me about how vulnerable women ca be in society. I believe the author was trying to inform us about how the dynamic role of women and men in Rome was. They show how this Lucretia was a beautiful married women who was threatened and raped by Sextus Tarinques, a powerful man in Rome. He was jealous that she was not his. This story shows how women were sexualized and constantly harassed by men in Rome. I would like to find out if Romanians were angered by this story. I am aware they stopped having kinds because a prince raped a noblewomen.

The part that stood out to me was when Lucretia chose to end her life after being dishonored. it shows how strongly romans valued honor and virtue, even above life itself. Her act inspired the fall of the monarchy and the birth of the republic, showing that personal sacrifice could lead to major change. Livy uses her story to reflect roman ideas of courage, morality, and duty. I'd like to learn more about how women like Lucretia were seen in roman society.