At this point in time I am drafting a chapter on the rape of Lucretia. This is a well known legend related to the revolution that established the Roman Repubic and destroyed the Roman monarchy. For me, an interesting aspect of this story is the idea that a crime that dishonored an aristocratic noble women sparked a revolution that changed the course of Western History. But more important still, is the idea that by committing suicide a "heroic" Roman woman was able to redefine the meaning of the word virtue. In addition, this tragic event led to the idea of equating male virtue with female virtue. The word "virtue" was derived from "vir" meaning man. Females were not considered virtuous, until the legend of Lucretia.
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